Publication Ethics
MEBIS is committed to responsible scholarly publishing, editorial independence, transparent peer review, and the correction of the scholarly record. The journal expects authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher to act with integrity and to cooperate in addressing credible concerns. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly quality, relevance, and ethical compliance, without discrimination on the basis of personal or institutional characteristics.
Responsibilities of Editors
- Assess submissions fairly for relevance, originality, methodological soundness, and scholarly contribution.
- Maintain confidentiality of unpublished manuscripts and editorial communications.
- Appoint appropriate and independent reviewers and manage conflicts of interest.
- Make editorial decisions independently of commercial considerations, including APC payment.
- Respond reasonably and impartially to credible allegations of misconduct, corrections, and appeals.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
- Treat submitted manuscripts as confidential and use unpublished information solely for the review purpose.
- Provide objective, constructive, timely, and evidence-based evaluations.
- Disclose conflicts of interest, refrain from personal criticism, and alert editors to potential ethical concerns or relevant uncited literature.
- Do not upload confidential manuscripts to unauthorised AI services or delegate substantive review judgment to AI tools.
Responsibilities of Authors
- Submit original, accurate, and honestly reported research or review findings.
- Describe methods sufficiently and retain supporting records as appropriate for verification.
- Comply with applicable ethical approval, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, and data-protection requirements.
- Acknowledge all relevant sources and contributions; avoid plagiarism, redundant publication, citation manipulation, and inappropriate authorship.
- Disclose competing interests, funding sources, and substantive AI use; ensure all references and claims are accurate.
- Notify the editorial office promptly when a significant error is discovered in a published article and cooperate with appropriate corrective action.
Editorial Responses
Potential breaches of publication ethics are handled under the journal’s Research Misconduct and Correction/Retraction Policies. The journal may seek author explanations, original data, institutional clarification, or independent advice, as appropriate. The process must be proportionate, evidence-based, and fair to all parties.
