Publication Ethics And Malpractice Statement

XVII. PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

(Version 2.0-June 2026)

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation (BioDiCon) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, scientific integrity, editorial transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher to adhere to internationally accepted ethical principles throughout the submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication processes.

The journal follows the Core Practices and ethical guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, the Recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT), and other internationally recognized publishing standards.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to Biological Diversity and Conservation regardless of article type, research discipline, or geographical origin of the authors.

3. Principles of Publication Ethics

The journal is founded on the following principles:

Scientific integrity
Academic honesty
Editorial independence
Transparency
Accountability
Fairness
Objectivity
Confidentiality
Respect for research participants, animals, ecosystems, and biodiversity
Responsible communication of scientific knowledge

4. Editorial Responsibility

Editors are responsible for making publication decisions solely on the basis of:

scientific quality;
originality;
methodological rigor;
ethical compliance;
significance of the findings; and
relevance to the aims and scope of the journal.

Editorial decisions shall never be influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, institutional affiliation, nationality, ethnicity, gender, religious belief, or political opinion.

5. Peer Review Integrity

All manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

Editors select reviewers according to their scientific expertise and independence. Reviewer identities remain confidential, and reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.

The journal does not tolerate manipulation of the peer review process, including fabricated reviewer identities or fraudulent reviewer reports.

6. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

submit only original work;
present research accurately and honestly;
retain original research data when requested;
acknowledge all sources appropriately;
obtain required ethical approvals before conducting research;
disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest;
ensure that all listed authors meet accepted authorship criteria;
avoid duplicate, redundant, or simultaneous submission.

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all published material.

7. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers shall:

maintain confidentiality;
provide objective and evidence-based evaluations;
disclose conflicts of interest;
identify ethical concerns when detected;
complete reviews within the agreed period.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

8. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors shall:

preserve editorial independence;
ensure fairness throughout peer review;
protect confidential information;
manage conflicts of interest;
investigate allegations of misconduct;
correct the scholarly record whenever necessary.

Editors shall follow internationally accepted procedures when addressing ethical concerns.

9. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence and ethical publishing practices.

The publisher shall not interfere with editorial decisions and shall provide the necessary administrative and technical infrastructure to ensure the integrity of the publication process.

10. Research Misconduct

The journal considers the following practices to constitute research misconduct:

plagiarism;
self-plagiarism;
duplicate publication;
redundant publication;
data fabrication;
data falsification;
image manipulation;
inappropriate authorship;
citation manipulation;
undeclared conflicts of interest;
peer review manipulation;
unethical research involving humans, animals, or protected biological resources.

Any allegation of misconduct will be investigated according to internationally accepted ethical procedures.

11. Ethical Investigations

When concerns arise regarding the integrity of a submitted or published article, the Editorial Office will conduct a confidential preliminary assessment.

Where appropriate, authors may be requested to provide:

original datasets;
ethics approval documents;
informed consent documentation;
laboratory records;
permits for field studies;
image metadata; or
additional supporting information.

Independent experts may be consulted during investigations.

12. Corrections to the Scholarly Record

To preserve the integrity of the scientific literature, the journal may publish:

corrections;
corrigenda;
errata;
expressions of concern; or
retractions,

depending on the nature and severity of the issue identified.

13. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding editorial procedures.

Appeals will be evaluated independently and objectively by the Editor-in-Chief or an editor not previously involved in the original decision whenever possible.

14. Confidentiality

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

Information obtained during peer review shall not be disclosed or used for personal advantage.

15. Continuous Improvement

Biological Diversity and Conservation regularly review and updates its editorial and ethical policies in accordance with developments in international scholarly publishing standards and recommendations issued by recognized organizations.

XVIII. RESEARCH ETHICS POLICY

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation is committed to promoting responsible, ethical, and legally compliant scientific research. All research submitted to the journal must be conducted in accordance with internationally accepted ethical principles, applicable national legislation, and institutional regulations.

The journal expects authors to demonstrate integrity, transparency, accountability, and respect for humans, animals, ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources throughout the research process.

2. General Principles

Research submitted to the journal shall:

comply with applicable ethical standards;
be conducted honestly and responsibly;
minimize harm to humans, animals, and the environment;
respect biodiversity and ecosystem integrity;
comply with national and international legislation;
contribute to scientific knowledge while supporting environmental sustainability.

Failure to comply with ethical requirements may result in rejection, withdrawal, correction, or retraction of the manuscript.

3. Human Research

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national regulations.

Where required, manuscripts must include:

the name of the approving ethics committee;
approval number and approval date;
a statement confirming informed consent;
protection of participants' privacy and confidentiality.

Personal information that could identify participants must not be published unless explicit written consent has been obtained.

4. Animal Research

Studies involving vertebrate animals or other regulated animal species must comply with applicable animal welfare legislation and institutional ethical requirements.

Authors shall demonstrate that:

animal suffering was minimized;
the minimum number of animals was used;
appropriate anesthesia, analgesia, or humane endpoints were applied where necessary;
ethical approval was obtained before the study commenced.

The journal supports the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (the 3Rs).

5. Field Research and Biodiversity Conservation

Field studies must be conducted responsibly and in a manner that minimizes disturbance to habitats, populations, and ecosystems.

Authors must ensure that fieldwork:

does not threaten endangered species;
avoids unnecessary collection of specimens;
minimizes habitat disturbance;
complies with conservation regulations.

Research conducted in protected areas must be authorized by the relevant governmental authorities.

6. Collection of Biological Material

Collection of biological specimens shall comply with national legislation and institutional regulations.

Where applicable, manuscripts should include information regarding:

collection permits;
export or import permits;
voucher specimens;
herbarium or museum deposition;
accession numbers for deposited materials.

Illegal or unauthorized collection of biological materials is unacceptable.

7. Protected Species and Sensitive Habitats

Research involving threatened, endemic, rare, or protected species requires particular ethical consideration.

Authors should avoid unnecessary sampling and clearly justify any destructive sampling methods.

The exact locations of highly threatened species may be withheld where publication could increase the risk of illegal collection or habitat disturbance.

8. Genetic Resources and International Agreements

Research involving genetic resources should comply with relevant national legislation and applicable international agreements concerning access to genetic resources and equitable benefit sharing.

Where required, authors should indicate that appropriate permissions were obtained.

9. Environmental Responsibility

Researchers are expected to minimize environmental impacts throughout the study.

Activities causing avoidable pollution, habitat destruction, excessive specimen collection, or irreversible ecosystem damage are inconsistent with the journal's ethical standards.

10. Data Integrity

Authors are responsible for maintaining complete, accurate, and verifiable research records.

Raw data, laboratory records, field notebooks, photographs, geospatial data, and analytical outputs should be retained and made available upon reasonable request.

11. Ethical Approval Statements

Where applicable, manuscripts must clearly report:

ethics committee approval;
permit numbers;
informed consent;
animal welfare approval;
collection permits;
governmental authorizations.

Failure to provide required documentation may delay editorial evaluation.

12. Traditional Knowledge and Local Communities

Research involving Indigenous Peoples, local communities, or traditional ecological knowledge should be conducted respectfully and in accordance with applicable legal and ethical requirements.

Authors should acknowledge relevant contributions and, where appropriate, document permissions or agreements associated with the use of traditional knowledge.

13. Editorial Assessment

Editors may request additional documentation to verify compliance with ethical requirements.

Failure to provide satisfactory evidence may result in rejection of the manuscript or further investigation.

14. Non-Compliance

Where violations of research ethics are identified before or after publication, the journal may take appropriate editorial action, including rejection, correction, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other measures consistent with internationally recognized publication ethics practices.

XIX. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation (BDC) is committed to ensuring transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the editorial and publication process. All participants involved in scholarly publishing—including authors, reviewers, editors, Editorial Board members, and the publisher—are expected to disclose any relationships or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their professional judgment.

The purpose of this policy is to promote transparency while preserving the credibility of the scientific record.

2. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest (COI) exists when financial, professional, institutional, academic, or personal relationships may compromise, or appear to compromise, impartiality in the conduct, review, editing, or publication of scholarly work.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily preclude publication or participation in the editorial process; however, all relevant conflicts must be fully disclosed.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all relationships and circumstances that could be perceived as influencing the submitted work. If no conflicts exist, authors should include the following statement:

"The authors declare that they have no competing interests."

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers shall decline invitations when any financial, professional, collaborative, institutional, or personal relationship may affect their impartiality.

Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts:

written by close collaborators;
originating from their own institution when independence cannot be maintained;
involving direct competitors where objectivity may reasonably be questioned.

Reviewers shall immediately inform the handling editor if a conflict is identified after accepting a review invitation.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from:

current or recent collaboration;
institutional affiliation;
supervisory relationships;
personal relationships;
financial interests;
academic competition.

In such cases, editorial responsibility shall be delegated to another editor.

Editors shall not use unpublished information for personal or professional advantage.

6. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher shall protect editorial independence and shall not influence editorial decisions for commercial, financial, or political reasons.

7. Funding Transparency

All sources of financial support must be disclosed within the manuscript.

The role of the funding organization in study design, data collection, analysis, manuscript preparation, and publication decisions should be clearly described.

8. Management of Conflicts

When conflicts of interest are disclosed, the Editorial Office will assess whether they may influence editorial decisions or the interpretation of research findings.

Appropriate measures may include:

additional editorial oversight;
selection of alternative reviewers or editors;
publication of conflict-of-interest statements;
rejection of the manuscript in cases of undisclosed or significant conflicts.

9. Post-Publication Disclosure

If undisclosed conflicts are identified after publication, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and impact of the omission.

10. Policy Review

This policy is periodically reviewed and updated in accordance with internationally accepted best practices in scholarly publishing.

XX. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTORSHIP POLICY (CRediT)

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation (BDC) recognizes authorship as both academic credit and responsibility. Authorship should accurately reflect individual contributions to the research and publication process.

The journal adopts the principles of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and encourages the use of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to provide transparent descriptions of each author's contribution.

2. Authorship Criteria

Each author should have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work, including participation in one or more of the following:

conception or design of the study;
acquisition of data;
data analysis or interpretation;
drafting the manuscript;
critical revision of the manuscript;
approval of the final version;
accountability for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged where appropriate.

3. CRediT Contributor Roles

Authors are encouraged to identify their individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy, which includes the following roles:

Conceptualization
Methodology
Software
Validation
Formal Analysis
Investigation
Resources
Data Curation
Writing – Original Draft
Writing – Review & Editing
Visualization
Supervision
Project Administration
Funding Acquisition

Each role should be assigned only to authors who made a genuine contribution in that area.

4. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for:

ensuring that all eligible contributors are included as authors;
obtaining approval of the final manuscript from all co-authors;
managing communication with the Editorial Office;
ensuring the accuracy of author information and contribution statements.

5. Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be supported by:

a written explanation;
written agreement from all listed authors; and
approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

The journal may request additional documentation before approving any authorship changes.

6. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

The journal does not permit:

guest authorship;
honorary authorship;
gift authorship;
ghost authorship;
purchased authorship.

Such practices are regarded as publication misconduct.

7. Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not satisfy authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.

Technical assistance, language editing, statistical consultation, and administrative support may be recognized in the Acknowledgements section.

8. Author Identification

Authors are strongly encouraged to provide persistent digital identifiers, such as ORCID iDs, to ensure accurate attribution and improve the discoverability of their scholarly work.

9. Responsibility

All authors share responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and ethical conduct of the published research.

XXI. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTORSHIP POLICY (CRediT)

1. Purpose

2. Authorship Criteria

Each author should have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work, including participation in one or more of the following:

conception or design of the study;
acquisition of data;
data analysis or interpretation;
drafting the manuscript;
critical revision of the manuscript;
approval of the final version;
accountability for the integrity of the work.

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged where appropriate.

3. CRediT Contributor Roles

Authors are encouraged to identify their individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy, which includes the following roles:

Conceptualization
Methodology
Software
Validation
Formal Analysis
Investigation
Resources
Data Curation
Writing – Original Draft
Writing – Review & Editing
Visualization
Supervision
Project Administration
Funding Acquisition

Each role should be assigned only to authors who made a genuine contribution in that area.

4. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for:

ensuring that all eligible contributors are included as authors;
obtaining approval of the final manuscript from all co-authors;
managing communication with the Editorial Office;
ensuring the accuracy of author information and contribution statements.

5. Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be supported by:

a written explanation;
written agreement from all listed authors; and
approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

The journal may request additional documentation before approving any authorship changes.

6. Unacceptable Authorship Practices

The journal does not permit:

guest authorship;
honorary authorship;
gift authorship;
ghost authorship;
purchased authorship.

Such practices are regarded as publication misconduct.

7. Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not satisfy authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.

Technical assistance, language editing, statistical consultation, and administrative support may be recognized in the Acknowledgements section.

8. Author Identification

Authors are strongly encouraged to provide persistent digital identifiers, such as ORCID iDs, to ensure accurate attribution and improve the discoverability of their scholarly work.

9. Responsibility

All authors share responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and ethical conduct of the published research.

XXII. EDITORIAL POLICIES, PUBLICATION ETHICS AND AUTHOR GUIDELINES

A. Plagiarism Policy

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation is committed to protecting academic integrity and ensuring that all published work is original. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

2. Definition

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

verbatim copying without appropriate citation;
close paraphrasing without attribution;
mosaic plagiarism;
self-plagiarism (redundant reuse of one's own previously published work without disclosure);
duplicate publication;
translation plagiarism;
appropriation of ideas, figures, tables, images, or datasets without permission or acknowledgment.

3. Editorial Assessment

All submissions are evaluated for originality before peer review. Editors may request explanations, revisions, or original data when concerns arise.

4. Editorial Actions

Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may:

request revision;
reject the manuscript;
notify authors' institutions;
publish a correction;
retract the published article.

5. Author Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts are entirely original and that all sources are properly cited. Any reused material must comply with applicable copyright requirements and licensing conditions.

B. Similarity Check Policy

1. Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to Biological Diversity and Conservation are screened using recognized similarity detection software before peer review.

2. Purpose

Similarity reports are used as an editorial assessment tool and are not interpreted solely on the basis of an overall similarity percentage. Editors evaluate the nature, location, and context of matched text.

3. Editorial Evaluation

Editorial consideration includes:

similarity within the Abstract;
overlap in the Methods section;
properly quoted and cited material;
overlap with the authors' previous publications;
possible duplicate publication.

4. Editorial Decisions

Following editorial evaluation, manuscripts may be:

forwarded to peer review;
returned for revision;
rejected due to unacceptable overlap;
investigated for potential publication misconduct.

Similarity reports remain confidential and are used exclusively for editorial purposes.

C. Data Availability Policy

1. Principles

Biological Diversity and Conservation supports transparency, reproducibility, and responsible sharing of research data.

2. Data Availability Statement

Authors should include a Data Availability Statement indicating whether research data are:

publicly available;
available upon reasonable request;
included within the article or supplementary materials;
subject to legal or ethical restrictions.

3. Recommended Data Deposition

Where appropriate, authors are encouraged to deposit:

DNA sequences in recognized sequence databases;
biodiversity occurrence records in suitable repositories;
voucher specimen information in herbarium or museum collections;
ecological datasets in trusted public repositories;
supplementary data supporting published findings.

Persistent identifiers (e.g., accession numbers or repository identifiers) should be provided where available.

4. Exceptions

Restrictions on data sharing for ethical, legal, conservation, or confidentiality reasons should be clearly explained in the manuscript.

5. Editorial Verification

Editors may request access to underlying data when necessary to verify scientific findings or investigate concerns regarding research integrity.

D. AI-Assisted Content Policy

1. Principles

Biological Diversity and Conservation recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools may assist authors in language editing, formatting, coding, or data analysis. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific validity of all submitted content.

2. Acceptable Uses

AI tools may be used for:

language improvement;
grammar correction;
translation assistance;
code development and debugging;
data visualization;
statistical programming support.

3. Unacceptable Uses

AI tools must not be used to:

fabricate or falsify research data;
generate false citations or references;
manipulate images deceptively;
replace human scientific judgment;
qualify as an author.

4. Disclosure

Authors should disclose the use of AI tools when they have made a substantive contribution to the preparation of the manuscript, specifying the tool used and the nature of its assistance.

5. Responsibility

Authors are responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content, including factual accuracy, citations, analyses, and interpretations.

Editors and reviewers may use AI-assisted tools only in ways that preserve manuscript confidentiality and comply with the journal's ethical standards. Confidential manuscript content must not be uploaded to public AI systems unless appropriate safeguards and permissions are in place.

6. Editorial Assessment

The journal reserves the right to request clarification regarding the use of AI tools and to take appropriate editorial action if AI use results in ethical violations or compromises the integrity of the scholarly record.

XXIII. PERMITS AND LEGAL COMPLIANCE POLICY

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation (BDC) requires that all research involving biological materials, wildlife, protected species, field investigations, or environmental sampling be conducted in full compliance with applicable international treaties, national legislation, institutional regulations, and permit requirements.

Authors are responsible for obtaining all required legal authorizations before the commencement of their research.

2. Legal Compliance

Submitted research must comply, where applicable, with:

national environmental legislation;
wildlife protection laws;
forestry regulations;
fisheries legislation;
biosafety regulations;
protected-area regulations;
quarantine regulations;
export and import requirements;
institutional policies.

3. Research Permits

Where applicable, manuscripts should identify the permits obtained for:

collection of biological specimens;
field sampling;
research in protected areas;
export or import of biological material;
handling protected species;
genetic resource access.

Editors may request copies of permits during editorial assessment.

4. Protected Areas

Research conducted within national parks, nature reserves, Ramsar sites, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, World Heritage Sites, or other protected areas should indicate the responsible permitting authority and permit reference where applicable.

5. Protected Species

Collection of threatened, endemic, vulnerable, or protected species should be scientifically justified and limited to the minimum necessary.

Authors should avoid disclosing precise locality information when publication could increase the risk of illegal collection or habitat disturbance.

6. International Agreements

Where applicable, research should comply with relevant international agreements concerning biodiversity conservation and access to biological resources.

7. Editorial Assessment

Failure to provide evidence of required permits or legal compliance may result in rejection of the manuscript.

XXIV. BIODIVERSITY DATA AND SPECIMEN DEPOSITION POLICY

1. Purpose

Biological Diversity and Conservation encourage long-term preservation, accessibility, and reproducibility of biodiversity research through appropriate deposition of specimens, genetic data, ecological datasets, and supporting research materials.

2. Voucher Specimens

Whenever feasible, authors should deposit voucher specimens in publicly accessible herbaria, museums, fungaria, zoological collections, microbial culture collections, or other recognized scientific repositories.

The manuscript should identify:

repository name;
accession or catalogue number;
collector information where appropriate.

3. Taxonomic Studies

Descriptions of new taxa should comply with the relevant international nomenclatural codes and include deposition of type material in recognized institutional collections.

4. DNA and Molecular Data

DNA sequences and other molecular datasets should be deposited in recognized public repositories before publication.

Accession numbers should be included in the manuscript.

5. Ecological and Biodiversity Data

Authors are encouraged to deposit ecological datasets, occurrence records, GIS layers, species checklists, and supporting datasets in trusted repositories whenever possible.

Persistent identifiers should be cited.

6. Images and Supplementary Material

High-resolution photographs, illustrations, identification keys, and supplementary datasets that support scientific reproducibility should be made available whenever practical.

7. Editorial Verification

Editors may request supporting documentation regarding deposited specimens, datasets, or accession numbers during peer review or after publication.

8. Exceptions

Where publication of biodiversity data could increase conservation risks, facilitate illegal collection, or threaten vulnerable species, authors should clearly explain any restrictions on data disclosure.

Last Update Time: July 12, 2026