Publication Ethics | BSPM Journals – B.S.P. Mahavidyalaya

Our Commitment: We follow the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Every manuscript is handled with fairness, confidentiality and transparency — from submission to publication. Suspected misconduct is investigated promptly and resolved according to COPE flowcharts.

Core Ethical Principles

Six foundational principles guide every editorial decision at BSPM Journals.

Integrity

Honesty and transparency in all aspects of research and publication — from data collection to citation.

Fairness

Equal treatment of all authors, reviewers and editors regardless of institution, nationality or seniority.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts, reviewer identities and editorial discussions are kept strictly confidential.

Transparency

Clear, open processes for review, decision-making and conflict-of-interest disclosure.

Accountability

Authors, reviewers and editors are accountable for their roles and decisions.

Correction

Errors are corrected promptly; serious misconduct leads to retraction with public notice.

Responsibilities by Role

Ethical publishing is a shared responsibility. Select a role to see the specific duties.

Original Work

Submit only original work that has not been published or is not under consideration elsewhere.

Authorship

List only those who made substantial contributions. Gift, ghost and honorary authorship are prohibited.

Plagiarism

Ensure the manuscript is free from plagiarism. All sources must be properly cited.

Data Integrity

Report accurate data. Fabrication, falsification and selective reporting are serious violations.

Conflicts of Interest

Disclose all financial and personal relationships that could influence the work.

Ethical Approval

Obtain institutional ethics approval for studies involving human or animal subjects.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledge all funding sources, institutional support and contributors who are not authors.

Correspondence

Respond promptly to editorial queries and provide corrections when errors are found.

Research Misconduct

The following types of misconduct are taken seriously and may result in rejection, retraction or reporting to the authors' institutions.

Plagiarism

Copying text, ideas or data from others without proper attribution.

Fabrication

Inventing data, results or citations that do not exist.

Falsification

Manipulating or altering data to misrepresent findings.

Duplicate Publication

Publishing the same work in multiple journals without disclosure.

Salami Slicing

Splitting a single study into multiple small papers to inflate output.

Authorship Abuse

Gift, ghost or honorary authorship without substantial contribution.

Peer Review Manipulation

Fabricating reviewer identities or influencing reviews dishonestly.

Citation Manipulation

Excessive self-citation or coercive citation practices.

Corrections & Retractions

When errors or misconduct are identified after publication, we take appropriate action to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Correction (Erratum)

For minor errors that do not affect the validity of the findings. A correction notice is published and linked to the original article.

Expression of Concern

Issued when there are serious questions about a published article while an investigation is ongoing.

Retraction

For serious misconduct or major errors that invalidate the findings. A retraction notice explains the reasons and is linked to the original article.

COPE Compliance

BSPM Journals follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling allegations of misconduct. Our editorial office is committed to a fair, transparent and timely resolution of all ethical concerns.

Visit COPE Website

Allegations of misconduct are investigated promptly and fairly.
Authors are given the opportunity to respond to allegations.
Editors follow COPE flowcharts for handling misconduct cases.
Serious cases are reported to the authors' institutions.
Corrections and retractions are published with clear notices.
The journal maintains a public record of retracted articles.

Reporting an Ethical Concern

If you suspect plagiarism, data fabrication or any other ethical violation in a published article or submission, please report it to the editorial office.

1

Report the Concern

Send a detailed email to the editorial office with evidence of the alleged misconduct.

2

Preliminary Review

The editor conducts a preliminary review of the complaint within 7 working days.

3

Investigation

The matter is investigated following COPE guidelines, with all parties given the opportunity to respond.

4

Resolution

The outcome is communicated to all parties. Corrections, retractions or other actions are published as appropriate.

Report a Concern

Ethical publishing starts with you

By following these principles, you help us maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of the scholarly record.

Submit Manuscript Author Guidelines