Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship)

1. Publication Ethics Statement

The BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) is committed to upholding the principles of integrity, honesty, objectivity, transparency, and accountability throughout all stages of the scholarly publication process.

This policy applies to authors, editors, peer reviewers, journal management personnel, and all other parties involved in the publication of scientific and scholarly works.

The BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) adopts the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) as a reference for addressing publication ethics concerns, allegations of research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and issues related to the integrity of scholarly publications.

The journal is dedicated to maintaining ethical publishing practices and ensuring that all published research meets established standards of academic integrity and scientific responsibility.

2. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Research and publication misconduct refers to actions that violate the principles of academic integrity and may compromise the validity, reliability, or credibility of scientific findings.

Suspected forms of research and publication misconduct include, but are not limited to:

  1. Fabrication: The creation or invention of research data, results, or information that were never actually obtained or generated through legitimate research activities.

  2. Falsification: The alteration, manipulation, selective omission, or misrepresentation of research data, procedures, or findings in a manner that prevents them from accurately reflecting the actual research conditions or results.

  3. Plagiarism: The unauthorized use or presentation of another individual's work, ideas, methods, or research findings without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.

  4. Duplicate Publication: The publication of identical or substantially overlapping scholarly work in multiple publications without adequate disclosure, justification, or appropriate cross-referencing.

  5. Citation Manipulation: The inappropriate or excessive use of citations intended to artificially influence citation metrics, journal rankings, or other personal or institutional interests.

  6. Peer-Review Manipulation: Any attempt to compromise or improperly influence the peer-review process, including the use of false reviewer identities, unauthorized reviewer nominations, fabricated evaluations, or other deceptive practices.

  7. Authorship Misconduct: The inappropriate inclusion, exclusion, modification, or misrepresentation of authorship without legitimate scientific justification or the consent required under the journal's authorship policy.

  8. Other Ethical Violations: The concealment of material conflicts of interest, unauthorized use of research data, breaches of confidentiality, or other unethical practices that may compromise research integrity and the credibility of scientific publications.

3. Reporting Mechanism

Any individual who possesses relevant information or supporting evidence concerning suspected research or publication misconduct may submit a formal report to the Editor-in-Chief through the official communication channels provided on the journal's contact page.

Reports should include sufficient information to facilitate an appropriate preliminary assessment, including the identification of the manuscript or published article, a clear description of the alleged misconduct, and relevant supporting evidence.

The journal may also consider anonymous reports when they contain sufficient credible information or documentation to justify further examination.

The identities of individuals reporting suspected misconduct, as well as confidential or sensitive information associated with the case, will be protected to the extent reasonably possible within the investigation process and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

All reports will be handled responsibly, objectively, and with due regard for confidentiality, fairness, and the rights of the parties involved.

4. Investigation of Alleged Misconduct

All allegations of research or publication misconduct received by the BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) will be addressed through a structured and proportionate evaluation process.

The investigation procedure includes the following stages:

  1. Receipt and Documentation of Reports: The editorial team receives and records allegations of misconduct, including the initial information and supporting evidence provided by the reporting party.

  2. Preliminary Assessment: The editor evaluates the relevance, credibility, and sufficiency of the reported information, as well as its potential implications for the scientific integrity of the manuscript or published article.

  3. Clarification: Authors and other relevant parties are given an appropriate opportunity to provide explanations, clarifications, or supporting documentation concerning the allegations.

  4. Further Investigation: When necessary, the editorial team may seek additional assessments or consultation from independent experts, the publisher, affiliated institutions, or the institutions where the research was conducted.

  5. Determination of Editorial Action: Based on the investigation findings and available evidence, the editor or other authorized parties determine appropriate editorial actions in accordance with the journal's policies and applicable publication ethics guidelines.

  6. Documentation and Follow-Up: All relevant evidence, correspondence, investigation findings, editorial decisions, and follow-up actions are documented to ensure transparency, accountability, and consistency in handling research misconduct cases.

Allegations of misconduct will be evaluated fairly and proportionately. Editorial decisions will not be based solely on unverified accusations or unsupported claims.

5. Actions in Response to Misconduct

When research or publication misconduct is identified or reasonably substantiated, the BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) may implement appropriate editorial measures depending on the nature and seriousness of the case.

Such measures may include requests for clarification, manuscript revisions, temporary suspension of the editorial process, manuscript rejection, publication of article corrections, issuance of an Expression of Concern, or article retraction.

The selection of an appropriate editorial response will consider the severity of the identified problem, the reliability and sufficiency of supporting evidence, the potential impact on the validity of the research findings, and relevant publication ethics guidelines.

Article retraction is not automatically imposed in every case of misconduct. Decisions regarding retraction are based on a careful assessment of the scientific substance, reliability of the findings, and the need to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

The primary objective of editorial action is to safeguard the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of scientific literature rather than to impose disproportionate penalties.

6. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, professional, institutional, or other relationships and interests may influence, or may reasonably be perceived to influence, the objectivity, impartiality, or independence of research activities, peer-review evaluations, and editorial decisions.

Conflicts of interest may be actual, potential, or perceived by other parties.

All individuals involved in the scholarly publication process, including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and journal management personnel, are required to disclose relevant conflicts of interest transparently and in a timely manner.

The disclosure of conflicts of interest is essential to maintaining trust, accountability, and fairness in the scientific publication process.

7. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to disclose any relationships, financial interests, professional affiliations, or other circumstances that may influence the design, conduct, analysis, reporting, or interpretation of their research.

Such disclosures may include research funding sources, relationships with sponsors, employment arrangements, paid consultancy activities, commercial or financial interests, and relevant personal or professional relationships.

Authors must ensure that their conflict-of-interest statements accurately reflect their circumstances and that all relevant information is disclosed transparently.

If there are no conflicts of interest to declare, authors may use the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this research and publication."

This declaration must be accurate, truthful, and agreed upon by all authors.

Authors remain responsible for promptly informing the editorial office if any relevant conflicts of interest are identified or arise during the submission, peer-review, publication, or post-publication stages.

8. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the independence, impartiality, confidentiality, and integrity of all editorial decisions.

Editors must avoid handling or making decisions regarding manuscripts when personal, professional, financial, or institutional relationships may compromise their objectivity or create a conflict of interest.

When an editor has a potential or actual conflict of interest concerning a submitted manuscript, editorial responsibility should be transferred to another qualified and independent editor.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by personal relationships, institutional pressure, financial interests, publication fees, or other inappropriate considerations.

The evaluation and acceptance of manuscripts must be based exclusively on scientific quality, originality, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, methodological rigor, peer-review assessments, and compliance with publication ethics.

9. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are required to conduct manuscript evaluations objectively, professionally, independently, and in accordance with established scientific and ethical standards.

Reviewers must assess manuscripts based on their scientific relevance, originality, methodological quality, validity of findings, clarity of presentation, and potential contributions to the advancement of knowledge in civil engineering and technology.

Before accepting a review assignment, reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may affect the impartiality or independence of their evaluation.

If a conflict of interest exists, reviewers must inform the handling editor and may be required to decline the review assignment.

Reviewers are strictly prohibited from using confidential information, unpublished research findings, or other materials obtained through the peer-review process for personal benefit or the advantage of third parties.

All manuscripts and related materials received for review must be treated as confidential scholarly documents.

10. Management of Conflicts of Interest

The disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically result in manuscript rejection, termination of the review process, or disqualification from editorial participation.

The editorial team will assess the nature, significance, and potential influence of the disclosed conflict and determine the most appropriate management measures.

Depending on the circumstances, such measures may include transferring editorial responsibility to an independent editor, appointing alternative peer reviewers, requesting additional disclosures, or implementing other procedures necessary to preserve the fairness and integrity of the publication process.

If a significant conflict of interest is identified after an article has been published, the journal may conduct an appropriate investigation and implement necessary editorial actions, including the publication of a correction, disclosure statement, or other relevant notice.

All conflict-of-interest concerns will be handled transparently, responsibly, and in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

11. Research Ethics Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, including interviews, field observations, surveys, questionnaires, human-centered engineering studies, or the collection of personal information, must comply with applicable ethical principles and regulations governing research involving human subjects.

Such research must respect the principles of informed consent, confidentiality, privacy protection, the rights and welfare of participants, and the protection of vulnerable individuals or groups.

In the context of civil engineering and technology, these requirements may apply to studies involving community participation, transportation behavior surveys, construction workforce assessments, infrastructure user evaluations, or other research activities involving human participants and personal data.

When ethical approval from an institutional review board or research ethics committee is required, authors must provide appropriate information or supporting documentation regarding such approval.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that research participants have been adequately informed about the purpose and nature of their participation and that any required consent has been obtained in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Personal identities, confidential information, and sensitive participant data must not be disclosed or published without an appropriate legal basis or valid consent.

The BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) reserves the right to request additional information concerning ethical approval, informed consent, data protection, or other relevant ethical considerations when necessary to evaluate the integrity of submitted research.

12. Complaints and Appeals

Authors or other relevant parties who disagree with editorial decisions concerning allegations of misconduct, ethical investigations, or related actions may submit a formal complaint or appeal accompanied by a clear explanation and relevant supporting evidence.

Appeals will be evaluated by editorial personnel who do not have conflicts of interest concerning the case.

When necessary, the review of an appeal may involve consultation with the publisher, independent experts, or other qualified and impartial parties.

The evaluation process will consider the available evidence, the fairness and consistency of previous decisions, the integrity of the scholarly record, and applicable publication ethics standards.

Final decisions will be determined based on the findings of the review process and the journal's established editorial and ethical policies.

The BISECER (Business Economic Entrepreneurship) is committed to addressing publication ethics concerns, allegations of research misconduct, conflicts of interest, complaints, and appeals in a fair, objective, confidential, transparent, and accountable manner.

Through the implementation of these principles, the journal seeks to maintain the credibility of scientific publications, protect the integrity of scholarly communication, and promote responsible research practices in civil engineering and technology.