The International Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences (IJPBCS) e-ISSN: 2278 - 5191 is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, integrity, and transparency, following the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). The journal ensures a fair and rigorous peer-review process, ethical research practices, and unrestricted access to scientific knowledge.

1. Peer Review Process

• The journal follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure objectivity and fairness.
• Manuscripts are reviewed by at least two independent experts in the field.
• Reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other to prevent bias.
• The final decision on publication rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on reviewers’ recommendations and compliance with journal guidelines.

2. Authorship and Contribution

• Authors must meet the criteria established by the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), which include:
• Substantial contributions to the study conception, design, data collection, or analysis.
• Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
• Final approval of the version to be published.
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
• All authors must disclose their specific contributions in the manuscript.
• Ghostwriting, guest authorship, or honorary authorship is strictly prohibited.

3. Ethical Considerations in Research

• Authors must comply with ethical guidelines, including:
• Human and animal research: Studies involving human subjects must have approval from an Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) and comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Animal studies must follow guidelines from relevant regulatory bodies.
• Informed consent: Authors must obtain written informed consent from human participants before conducting research.
• Clinical trials: Must be registered in a publicly accessible trial registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov).

4. Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

• The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and redundant publication.
• All submissions are checked for plagiarism using reliable plagiarism detection software.
• If plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be rejected, and appropriate actions will be taken following COPE guidelines.

5. Conflicts of Interest

• Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research or review process.
• If conflicts of interest are found post-publication, corrective measures such as retractions or corrections may be taken.

6. Data Availability and Transparency

• Authors should provide raw data, protocols, and supplementary materials upon request.
• Research data must be accurately reported, reproducible, and free from manipulation.

7. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern

• The journal follows COPE guidelines for handling erroneous or unethical publications:
• Corrections: Minor errors that do not affect the study's conclusions will be corrected through an erratum or corrigendum.
• Retractions: If a study is found to have serious ethical violations, fabrication, or falsification, it will be retracted with a formal statement explaining the reasons.
• Expressions of Concern: If there are unresolved ethical issues under investigation, a statement will be published until a final decision is reached.

8. Copyright and Open Access Policy

• The journal follows an open-access model, ensuring that all published content is freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike(CC-BY-NC-SA) License.
• Authors retain copyright but grant the journal the right to publish, distribute, and archive the manuscript.

9. Appeals and Complaints

• Authors who believe their manuscript was unfairly rejected may submit a formal appeal, providing clear justifications.
• Complaints about ethical breaches or editorial decisions should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, who will investigate following COPE’s dispute resolution guidelines.

By submitting to IJPBCS, authors agree to adhere to these editorial policies and maintain the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing.