Publication ethics

Publication ethics and malpractice statement

Ethical policy of the Moroccan Journal of Biological Sciences (MJBS)

 

 

Moroccan Journal of Biological Sciences (MJBS)

The Moroccan Journal of Biological Sciences (MJBS) is committed to promoting scientific integrity, editorial independence, transparency, and responsible research publication across the biological, biomedical, environmental, and health sciences.

The journal's publication ethics policy is informed by the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and internationally recognized principles of transparency and best practice in scholarly publishing.

1) Editorial responsibilities

Editors shall evaluate manuscripts based on scientific originality, methodological rigor, relevance, and ethical compliance. Editorial decisions shall remain independent of authors' institutional affiliations, nationality, personal characteristics, or external influence.

Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and manage potential conflicts of interest.

2) Responsibilities of authors

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original research, accurately report findings, and appropriately acknowledge the contributions of others.

All listed authors must have made substantial contributions, approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its submission.

Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, and inappropriate authorship practices are unacceptable.

 

3) Peer review and Reviewer responsibilities

Manuscripts shall undergo editorial assessment and independent peer review in accordance with the journal's published review procedures.

Reviewers are expected to assess submissions objectively, preserve confidentiality, declare competing interests, and alert editors to suspected ethical or scientific irregularities.

4) Research involving humans and animals

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical regulations, including approval from an appropriate ethics committee where required and informed consent.

Studies involving animals must follow recognized standards for animal welfare and institutional ethical approval.

Authors must disclose relevant ethical approvals and consent procedures in their manuscripts.

5) Conflicts of interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose financial, professional, institutional, or personal interests that could influence the research, evaluation, or publication process.

6. Research integrity and Plagiarism

MJBS screens manuscripts for originality in accordance with its author guidelines.

Suspected plagiarism, data manipulation, image falsification, or other forms of research misconduct shall be assessed fairly, with appropriate opportunities for the parties involved to respond.

7) Data availability and reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to provide sufficient methodological details to support verification and reproducibility. Research data should be made available whenever ethically, legally, and practically appropriate, while protecting confidential and sensitive information.

8) Use of artificial intelligence

Authors must disclose substantive use of generative artificial intelligence in manuscript preparation or research, where relevant.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of their submissions.

9) Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern

MJBS shall address substantiated concerns regarding published articles through appropriate editorial measures, including corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when warranted.

Any post-publication action must be clearly identified and linked to the original publication.

10) Complaints and appeals

Authors, reviewers, and readers may submit ethical concerns, complaints, or appeals to the editorial office.

Complaints shall be evaluated impartially and confidentially, taking into account the available evidence and the rights of all parties.

11) Copyright, licensing, and transparency

Copyright ownership, publication licensing, open-access conditions, and any applicable publication fees must be clearly communicated to authors and readers through the journal's official policies.

12) Editorial contact

For questions or concerns relating to publication ethics, please contact:

Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Abdelhay BENYAICH
Moroccan Journal of Biological Sciences

Email: Abdelhay.benyaich.24@ump.ac.ma.com

Website: https://www.mjbsjournal.com

Reference framework
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Core Practices; COPE, DOAJ, OASPA and WAME, Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.