JMMBS

1) Core Principles

• Integrity Accuracy in reporting methods, results, and limitations.
• Transparency Clear disclosures (funding, conflicts, ethics approvals, data availability).
• Accountability Authors stand behind the work; editors ensure fair process; reviewers support quality.
• Respect Protection of human/animal subjects, privacy, and dignity.

2) Authorship & Contributions

Authorship must reflect meaningful intellectual contribution. All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

• No “guest”, “gift”, or “ghost” authorship.
• Contributions should be described (e.g., conceptualization, data curation, analysis, writing, supervision).
• Changes to authorship after submission require written consent from all authors and a clear rationale.

3) Originality, Plagiarism & Duplicate Submission

• Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism without proper citation) is not permitted.
• Text, figures, tables, and datasets from prior work must be properly credited and legally reusable.
• Preprints are allowed if disclosed, and the preprint link is provided at submission.

4) Data Integrity & Image Ethics

• Data fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting that misleads readers is prohibited.
• Image manipulation that alters scientific meaning is prohibited (e.g., removing bands, changing signals, hiding artifacts).
• Maintain original/raw data and analysis logs; editors may request them during review.
• Statistical methods must be described clearly; report assumptions, effect sizes where appropriate, and limitations.

5) Human & Animal Research Ethics

For studies involving humans or animals, authors must confirm compliance with relevant ethical standards and local regulations.

• Human research: include ethics approval/waiver details and informed consent process.
• Clinical/field studies: describe risk management, participant safety, and adverse event handling.
• Minors/vulnerable groups: provide enhanced safeguards and consent/assent details.
• Animal research: include welfare, housing, handling, and ethical approval details.

6) Conflicts of Interest & Funding

• Authors must disclose financial and non-financial conflicts (employment, consulting, patents, affiliations, paid speaking, etc.).
• Editors and reviewers must disclose conflicts and recuse themselves where appropriate.
• All funding sources and sponsor roles (if any) must be declared.

7) Peer Review Ethics

• Peer review is conducted to improve clarity, rigor, and scientific value.
• Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential and must not use unpublished ideas/data.
• Reviews must be respectful, evidence-based, and free from personal attacks.
• Editors aim for unbiased decisions independent of nationality, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.

8) Use of AI Tools

AI-assisted tools may be used for language refinement or formatting, but authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, and citations.

• Do not use AI to fabricate data, results, references, or methods.
• Disclose material use of AI tools (what tool, what parts of the work, and how it was verified).
• AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

9) Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern

• Correction for honest errors that do not invalidate findings.
• Retraction for unreliable results due to misconduct or major error, or unethical research.
• Expression of Concern when an investigation is ongoing and readers should be alerted.
• JMMBS will publish notices clearly linked to the original record.

10) Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Allegations may be raised by readers, reviewers, institutions, or editors. JMMBS will evaluate claims fairly and may request evidence, raw data, or institutional investigation.

• Outcomes may include revision, correction, rejection, retraction, or notification to institutions (as appropriate).
• All parties are expected to communicate professionally and provide documentation when requested.

11) Policy Updates

This policy may be updated to reflect evolving best practices in scholarly publishing. The effective date will be stated on this page.

Effective date: