Editorial Policies & Publishing Standards
How the Journal of Biotechnology and Biomedical Science (JBBS) safeguards research integrity, ensures equitable peer review, and delivers trusted open-access knowledge to the global community.
Transparent, Ethical, and Author-Centric Publishing
JBBS is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal committed to accelerating biotechnology and biomedical discoveries while protecting the scientific record. Our editorial policies are rooted in the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and discipline-specific reporting standards. Every manuscript is evaluated for scientific merit, ethical compliance, and translational value—supported by an editorial office that values fairness, inclusivity, and accountability.
This page outlines the policies that guide editors, reviewers, and authors throughout the publication lifecycle. Use it as a reference when preparing submissions, responding to reviewer comments, or planning special issues. If you have questions, contact the editorial team at [email protected].
Quick Access
- Open Access & Licensing
- Peer Review Model & Editorial Decision-Making
- Ethics & Research Integrity
- Human & Animal Research Compliance
- Data Sharing, Reproducibility & Transparency
- Plagiarism, Redundancy & Originality Checks
- Corrections, Retractions & Post-Publication Stewardship
- Article Processing Charges & Memberships
- Additional Policies (Advertising, Figure Quality, Appeals)
JBBS is published by Open Access Pub under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This empowers readers to share, adapt, and build upon published material, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.
Author Rights
- Authors retain copyright to their work.
- Self-archiving is permitted immediately upon publication in institutional repositories, subject repositories, lab websites, or personal pages.
- Authors may reuse figures and text in future works (books, dissertations, derived articles) as long as JBBS is credited as the original publication venue.
Reader Rights
- All articles are freely accessible worldwide without subscription or registration barriers.
- Readers may download, print, and share articles with collaborators, students, and policy stakeholders.
- Text and data mining (TDM) is allowed for scholarly, educational, and commercial use with attribution.
Publisher Responsibilities
- Maintain secure, persistent hosting and metadata integrity for all publications.
- Ensure compliance with indexing services and archiving partners for long-term availability.
- Guard against misuse of published content (e.g., predatory republication or misrepresentation).
JBBS follows a single-blind peer review model: reviewers remain anonymous, while authors’ identities are known. Authors may request double-blind review by submitting anonymised manuscripts and identifying details only in the cover letter. The Editor-in-Chief and Section Editors retain full authority over acceptance decisions, guided by reviewer feedback and journal scope.
The handling editor screens new submissions for fit with the JBBS aims and scope, adherence to formatting requirements, and potential ethical concerns. Manuscripts failing basic standards may be returned for technical revision before entering peer review.
Editors invite two to three independent reviewers with relevant disciplinary expertise, using conflict-of-interest checks and ORCID profiles. Reviewers commit to a 14-day turnaround. Additional reviewers may be recruited for complex or multidisciplinary manuscripts.
Reviewers complete structured reports covering originality, methodology, data robustness, ethical compliance, and clarity. They recommend acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection; they may also flag ethical concerns or suggest alternative publication formats.
The handling editor synthesises reviewer comments, evaluates authors’ responses (for revisions), and issues a decision. The Editor-in-Chief reviews borderline cases or appeals.
Authors must address all reviewer points with annotated responses. Revised manuscripts may undergo additional rounds of review for unresolved issues, typically within 10–14 days.
- Decisions are based solely on scientific merit, originality, clarity, and alignment with JBBS scope.
- Commercial considerations (APCs, memberships, sponsorships) never influence acceptance decisions.
- Authors may appeal a rejection by emailing [email protected] within 14 days, providing a detailed rationale. Appeals are reviewed by an independent editor not involved in the original decision.
- Editors and reviewers must declare conflicts of interest; alternatives are assigned if conflicts exist.
JBBS upholds the highest standards of publishing ethics. The journal adheres to COPE flowcharts for handling suspected misconduct and expects authors to demonstrate integrity from study design to data reporting.
Author Responsibilities
- Ensure originality of submissions and proper citation of prior work.
- Disclose all funding sources, institutional approvals, and competing interests.
- Provide raw data or supplemental files if requested during peer review or post-publication audits.
- Confirm that all listed authors meet ICMJE criteria for authorship.
Editor Responsibilities
- Maintain confidentiality of submissions and reviewer identities.
- Act on suspected misconduct promptly, using COPE guidance.
- Avoid conflicts of interest in handling manuscripts.
- Ensure corrections or retractions are issued when warranted.
Reviewer Responsibilities
- Provide objective, constructive feedback without bias.
- Report plagiarism, redundant publication, or data manipulation concerns.
- Maintain confidentiality and refrain from using unpublished information for personal gain.
- Declare conflicts of interest before accepting assignments.
Studies involving humans, animals, pathogens, or hazardous materials must adhere to recognised ethical frameworks. Manuscripts lacking requisite approvals will be rejected or returned for clarification.
| Study Type | Required Documentation | Key Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical or Human Subject Research | IRB/ethics committee approval, informed consent statement, trial registration (where applicable) | Declaration of Helsinki, ICMJE, CONSORT, STROBE, CARE |
| Animal Research | IACUC approval or equivalent, compliance with national regulations, humane treatment statements | ARRIVE guidelines, national legislation (e.g., EU Directive 2010/63/EU) |
| Genetic & Biosafety Studies | Biosafety committee approval, containment level description, dual-use research disclosure | WHO biosafety guidance, NIH recombinant DNA guidelines |
| Data & Patient Privacy | De-identification measures, HIPAA/GDPR compliance, data use agreements where relevant | GDPR, HIPAA, FAIR data principles |
Authors should reference relevant reporting checklists (e.g., PRISMA, ARRIVE, MIAME) in the Methods section and include completed checklists as supplementary files when requested.
JBBS encourages authors to share data, code, and protocols to strengthen reproducibility. Authors should cite repositories and include persistent identifiers.
- Data availability statements are mandatory for all research articles. Example: “Data supporting the findings are available in GEO under accession GSEXXXXX.”
- Clinical trial data must align with sponsor policies and participant consent agreements.
- Large datasets should be deposited in recognised repositories (GenBank, PDB, Dryad, Zenodo, Figshare, etc.). Sensitive data can be shared under controlled access agreements.
- For computational studies, provide code (GitHub, GitLab) or detailed pseudocode alongside parameters and scripts.
- Negative or null results are welcome if methods are rigorous and data are accessible.
All submissions undergo similarity screening using iThenticate. JBBS tolerates no plagiarism, data fabrication, or redundant publication.
- Text overlap must be limited to methods or unavoidable descriptions. Authors should paraphrase and cite appropriately.
- Data falsification (manipulating results) and fabrication (inventing data) lead to immediate rejection and notification of affiliated institutions.
- Simultaneous submissions to multiple journals are prohibited. Authors must disclose previous submissions and provide transparency regarding related papers in press.
Maintaining the integrity of the published record is a core responsibility. JBBS adheres to COPE retraction guidelines and Crossref’s Crossmark framework.
Corrections
Minor errors that do not alter conclusions (spelling, author affiliations) are corrected via errata. Substantive errors that impact interpretations lead to corrigenda requested by authors or editors.
Expressions of Concern
Issued when investigations into suspected misconduct are ongoing or when evidence of irregularity cannot be verified promptly.
Retractions
Reserved for cases involving proven misconduct, unreliable findings, unethical research, or duplicate publication. Retraction notices remain linked to the original article for transparency.
JBBS sustains open access through a post-acceptance Article Processing Charge. Editorial decisions are independent of financial considerations. Learn more on the Article Processing Charges page.
- Standard APC: USD $3000, payable only after acceptance.
- Waivers & Discounts: Up to 25% through the JBBS Waiver Program; see current Call for Papers for eligibility.
- Memberships: Institutions or individuals may opt for membership plans to streamline APC management. Details are available on the JBBS Membership page.
- Authors must disclose financial relationships, advisory roles, patent applications, or equity holdings that could be perceived as influencing the work.
- Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist.
- Conflict statements appear in the published article for transparency.
JBBS does not display third-party advertisements. Sponsored supplements or special issues undergo the same peer review and ethical scrutiny as regular submissions. Sponsorship arrangements are disclosed alongside published content.
- Figures must be submitted in high-resolution formats (TIFF, EPS, PDF, or PNG at ≥300 dpi for colour, ≥600 dpi for line art).
- Legends should be concise yet informative, explaining symbols, statistical tests, and sample sizes.
- Color choices should be accessible (consider colour-blind palettes); authors are responsible for ensuring reproducible graphics.
- Supplementary videos or interactive content should include compressed formats (MP4, MOV) with captions and metadata.
- JBBS welcomes submissions previously posted to reputable preprint servers (bioRxiv, medRxiv, ChemRxiv, arXiv). Authors must disclose preprint DOIs during submission.
- Conference abstracts, posters, or theses do not constitute prior publication. Authors should cite these sources appropriately.
- Complaints about editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics should be directed to [email protected] with supporting documentation.
- The Editorial Board investigates complaints within 30 days, seeking resolution consistent with COPE guidelines.
How do you ensure diversity and inclusion in peer review?
We maintain a diverse reviewer database across geography, gender, career stage, and disciplinary focus. Editors monitor invitations to prevent over-reliance on any group and welcome self-nominations from underrepresented communities.
What happens if we discover an error post-publication?
Contact the editorial office immediately with details. Depending on severity, we may publish a correction, add an editorial note, or initiate a retraction.
Can industry-sponsored research be published?
Yes, provided the manuscript discloses funding sources, includes an explicit statement on sponsor involvement, and presents data transparently.
Do you allow supplementary material updates after publication?
We accept corrections to supplementary data if they enhance accuracy and do not alter conclusions. Revised files are versioned and linked to the original article.
Are negative or confirmatory studies welcome?
Absolutely. JBBS values rigor over novelty alone. Well-designed studies that validate or challenge existing findings contribute to cumulative knowledge and will be considered.
Aims & Scope
Confirm that your manuscript aligns with the disciplines and themes JBBS prioritises.
View ScopeInstructions for Author
Download templates, check word limits, and review formatting requirements.
Access GuidelinesLanguage Editing Service
Engage professional editors to polish language and align formatting before submission.
Explore SupportQuestions About Our Policies?
The JBBS editorial office is committed to supporting authors, reviewers, and readers. If you need clarification on any policy, reach out before submitting so we can help you navigate requirements efficiently.
Last updated: September 2025. JBBS reviews editorial policies annually to align with emerging standards, regulatory changes, and community feedback.
