Publication Ethics

Digital Business and Innovation Journal (DIBI)

Digital Business and Innovation Journal (DIBI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. The journal adheres to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all parties involved in the publication process—including editors, reviewers, authors, and the publisher—to comply with internationally accepted ethical standards.

The purpose of this Publication Ethics Statement is to ensure the integrity of scholarly communication, prevent research misconduct, and maintain public trust in published research.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the quality, integrity, and academic standards of the journal.

Editors shall:

  • evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, and relevance to the journal's focus and scope;
  • ensure a fair, objective, and timely peer-review process;
  • maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities;
  • make editorial decisions independently without commercial or personal influence;
  • avoid conflicts of interest throughout the editorial process;
  • take appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise;
  • publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern whenever necessary.

Editors shall not discriminate against authors based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political beliefs, or personal characteristics.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a fundamental role in ensuring the quality and credibility of published research.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations;
  • review manuscripts within the agreed timeframe;
  • maintain strict confidentiality regarding all manuscript information;
  • identify relevant published literature not cited by the authors;
  • report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns;
  • declare any conflicts of interest and decline the review when appropriate.

Reviewers must not use unpublished materials obtained during the review process for personal, academic, or commercial advantage.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to DIBI are expected to uphold the highest standards of research integrity.

Authors shall:

  • submit original and unpublished work;
  • ensure that the manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal;
  • accurately present research methods, results, and conclusions;
  • properly acknowledge the work of others through appropriate citations;
  • disclose all sources of research funding;
  • disclose any potential conflicts of interest;
  • cooperate fully during the peer-review and editorial processes;
  • promptly notify the Editor if significant errors are discovered after submission or publication.

When research involves human participants, personal data, interviews, surveys, or experiments, authors must ensure compliance with applicable ethical regulations and obtain approval from the relevant ethics committee whenever required.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research, including:

  • study conception or design;
  • data collection, analysis, or interpretation;
  • drafting or critically revising the manuscript; and
  • approving the final version for publication.

All listed authors must approve the submitted manuscript.

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

DIBI does not accept:

  • Guest Authorship
  • Gift Authorship
  • Honorary Authorship
  • Ghost Authorship

Research Integrity

Authors are expected to ensure that research findings are reported honestly and accurately.

The journal considers the following practices to be serious research misconduct:

  • Data fabrication
  • Data falsification
  • Selective reporting of results
  • Manipulation of images or figures
  • Misrepresentation of research findings

Editors may request original datasets or supporting materials during the review process whenever necessary.

Plagiarism Policy

DIBI maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using professional plagiarism detection software before entering peer review.

The journal considers the following unacceptable:

  • Direct plagiarism
  • Self-plagiarism
  • Mosaic plagiarism
  • Data plagiarism
  • Inappropriate citation practices

Manuscripts containing significant plagiarism or unethical copying will be rejected immediately.

Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal.

The journal does not accept manuscripts that:

  • have been previously published;
  • are currently under review elsewhere;
  • substantially overlap with previously published work without proper disclosure.

Duplicate publication, redundant publication, and salami publication constitute unethical publishing practices.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence their judgment.

Potential conflicts of interest should be declared before participating in the editorial or peer-review process.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

DIBI recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may assist authors in manuscript preparation.

AI tools may be used for:

  • language editing;
  • grammar improvement;
  • formatting assistance; and
  • technical writing support.

However:

  • AI-generated content remains the full responsibility of the authors;
  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors;
  • authors must disclose any substantial use of AI in preparing the manuscript;
  • authors remain responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the submitted work.

Confidentiality

Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff shall treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.

Unpublished information obtained during manuscript handling must not be disclosed or used for personal or professional advantage.

Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals

To maintain the integrity of the scholarly record, DIBI may publish:

Corrections

Issued when minor errors are identified that do not affect the overall validity of the research.

Retractions

Issued when serious ethical violations are confirmed, including but not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • duplicate publication;
  • unethical research practices.

Retraction notices remain permanently linked to the published article.

Withdrawal

Authors may request withdrawal before publication for legitimate reasons, subject to approval by the Editor.

Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical standards.

Where appropriate, authors should provide:

  • ethical approval information;
  • informed consent statements;
  • permission for the use of confidential or sensitive data.

Editors reserve the right to request supporting documentation.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding the editorial process.

All appeals and complaints will be handled confidentially, fairly, and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

The Editor-in-Chief will make the final decision after reviewing all relevant evidence.

Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher is committed to safeguarding editorial independence and ensuring that commercial or financial interests do not influence editorial decisions.

The publisher supports editors in maintaining the highest standards of ethical publishing, transparency, research integrity, and academic quality.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

Digital Business and Innovation Journal (DIBI) is dedicated to fostering responsible research, ethical publishing practices, and the dissemination of high-quality scholarship in the fields of digital business, business innovation, and digital transformation. By submitting a manuscript to DIBI, all authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Publication Ethics Statement.