Publication Ethics and Misconduct Policy

The Journal of Sustainable Finance and Business Innovation (JSFBI) adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity in scholarly publishing. This policy applies to all submissions, reviewers, editors, and published content.

JSFBI follows recognised international guidelines and practices, including those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in all editorial and publishing decisions.

1. Authorship and Originality

Submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the research, and all listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission.

2. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

JSFBI applies strict policies against plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and other forms of academic misconduct. All submissions may be screened using plagiarism detection tools. Confirmed cases of misconduct may result in rejection, correction, or retraction in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Cases of plagiarism are handled in accordance with the journal’s Plagiarism Checking Policy

3. Peer Review Ethics

JSFBI operates a double-blind peer review process. Editors and reviewers are expected to act objectively, maintain confidentiality, and declare any conflicts of interest. Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, originality, methodological rigour, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

4. Conflicts of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editorial board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the conduct, review, or reporting of research. Conflicts may be financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships.

When submitting a manuscript or accepting a review assignment, individuals must declare any conflicts that might reasonably be perceived to influence their judgment. Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may lead to rejection or withdrawal of the manuscript or reassignment of review duties.

5. Ethical Approval and Data Integrity

Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with recognised ethical standards and regulations. Authors are responsible for obtaining appropriate ethical approval and for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of research data. Where appropriate, authors should include a data availability statement.

6. Corrections and Retractions

JSFBI is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. Corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern may be issued when necessary, in line with ethical publishing standards. All corrections and retractions will be clearly identified and linked to the original published article.

7. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by the journal’s ownership, institutional affiliations, or financial considerations, including article processing charges.