Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

Behavior & Law Journal Code of Ethics

Our journal is inspired by the ethical code of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), addressed to editors, reviewers, and authors alike.

Author Commitments

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors of manuscripts submitted to Behavior & Law Journal ensure that the work is original, that it does not contain parts by other authors or fragments of works already published by the authors themselves. Furthermore, they confirm the veracity of the data; that is, empirical data have not been altered to verify hypotheses.

  • Multiple and/or Repetitive Publications: The author must not publish articles in which the same results are repeated in more than one scientific journal. The simultaneous submission of the same contribution to multiple scientific journals is considered ethically incorrect and unacceptable.

  • List of Sources: The author must always provide the correct indication of the sources and contributions mentioned in the article.

  • Authorship: Regarding the authorship of the manuscript, authors guarantee the inclusion of those individuals who have made a significant scientific and intellectual contribution to the conceptualization and planning of the work, as well as to the interpretation of the results and the drafting of the manuscript. At the same time, authors have been listed according to their level of responsibility and involvement.

  • Access and Retention: If the editors consider it appropriate, authors must also make available the sources or data on which the research is based, which may be preserved for a reasonable period of time after publication and possibly be made accessible.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: All authors are obliged to explicitly declare that there are no conflicts of interest that may have influenced the results obtained or the interpretations proposed. Authors must also indicate any funding from agencies and/or projects from which the research article arises.

  • Errors in Published Articles: When an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their article, they must immediately inform the journal editors and provide them with all the necessary information to list the relevant corrections at the bottom of the article itself.

  • Responsibility: All authors accept responsibility for what has been written. Authors also commit to having conducted a review of the most current and relevant scientific literature on the analyzed subject, keeping in mind the different currents of knowledge in a pluralistic manner.

Reviewer Commitments

  • Contribution to Editorial Decision: Peer review is a procedure that helps editors make decisions regarding proposed articles and also allows the author to improve the contribution submitted for publication. Reviewers assume the commitment to conduct a critical, honest, constructive, and unbiased review of both the scientific quality and the literary quality of the writing within the field of their knowledge and skills.

     

  • Respect for Timelines: A reviewer who does not feel competent in the subject matter to be reviewed or who cannot complete the evaluation within the scheduled time must notify the editors immediately. Reviewers commit to evaluating the works in the shortest possible time to respect the deadlines, given that in Behavior & Law Journal, the custody limits for manuscripts in waiting are limited and inflexible out of respect for the authors and their work.

     

  • Confidentiality: Each assigned manuscript must be considered confidential. Therefore, these texts must not be discussed with other persons without the express consent of the editors.

  • Objectivity: Peer review will be conducted objectively. No personal judgment of the authors of the contributions is considered appropriate. Reviewers are obliged to provide sufficient reasons for their assessments. Reviewers will submit a complete critical report with appropriate references according to the Behavior & Law Journal review protocol and public regulations for reviewers; especially if it is proposed that the work be rejected. They are obliged to warn editors if substantial parts of the work have already been published or are under review for another publication.

  • Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers commit to precisely indicating bibliographic references of fundamental works possibly overlooked by the author. The reviewer must also inform the editors of any similarity or overlap of the manuscript with other published works.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Confidential information or information obtained during the peer review process must be considered confidential and cannot be used for personal purposes. Reviewers only review a manuscript if no conflicts of interest exist.

Editor Commitments

  • Publication Decision: Editors will guarantee the selection of the most qualified reviewers and scientific specialists to issue a critical and expert appreciation of the work, with the least possible bias.

  • Honesty and Fairness: Editors evaluate articles submitted for publication solely on the basis of the scientific merit of the contents, without discrimination regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, or political opinion of the authors.

  • Confidentiality: Editors and members of the working group commit not to disclose information regarding articles submitted for publication to persons other than authors, reviewers, and editors. Editors and the Editorial Committee commit to the confidentiality of manuscripts, their authors, and reviewers, so that anonymity preserves the intellectual integrity of the entire process.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure: Editors commit not to use contents of articles submitted for publication in their own research without the written consent of the author.

  • Respect for Timelines: Editors are ultimately responsible for compliance with time limits for reviews and the publication of accepted works, to ensure rapid dissemination of their results. They reliably commit to complying with published times (maximum of 30 days for the estimation/rejection decision from receipt of the manuscript in the Review Platform and a maximum of 100 days from the start of the scientific review process by experts). Likewise, works will not remain accepted without being published in infinite waiting lists beyond the fair time for their editing in the subsequent issue.

Behavior & Law Journal adheres to the ethical standards of COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics: http://publicationethics.org/resources/code-conduct