Publication Ethics

Last Updated: September 2025

The CBEL Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (CBEL-JMR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. We take all forms of malpractice seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, data fabrication, and other unethical behaviours.

This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher. Our policies follow the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

A. Duties of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must submit entirely original works. Proper citation or quotation is required if using others’ words or work.

  • Plagiarism of any form—from verbatim copying to paraphrasing without attribution—is unacceptable. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software.

Data Access and Retention

  • Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review and must retain such data for a reasonable period after publication.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

  • Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical and prohibited.

Acknowledgement of Sources

  • Proper acknowledgment of others’ work is required. Authors should cite publications that influenced their study.

Authorship of the Paper

  • Only contributors who significantly contributed to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study should be listed as co-authors.

  • The corresponding author must ensure all co-authors approve the final version and submission.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • Authors must disclose financial or other conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

  • Authors discovering significant errors in their work must promptly notify the editor and cooperate to correct or retract the paper.

B. Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

  • Peer review assists editors in making decisions and helps authors improve their work.

Promptness

  • Reviewers unable to review in a timely manner or who feel unqualified must inform the editor immediately.

Confidentiality

  • Manuscripts received for review are confidential and must not be shared or discussed outside the editorial team.

Standards of Objectivity

  • Reviews should be objective. Personal criticism is inappropriate.

Acknowledgement of Sources

  • Reviewers should identify relevant work not cited and alert editors to overlapping content with other publications.

Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers must decline manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist with authors, institutions, or related parties.

C. Duties of Editors

Fair Play

  • Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on intellectual merit, originality, clarity, and relevance, without bias regarding personal or institutional characteristics.

Confidentiality

  • Editors and staff must maintain confidentiality and share information only with authorized parties.

Conflict of Interest

  • Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts with conflicts of interest and ensure contributors disclose competing interests.

Publication Decisions

  • Editors decide which manuscripts are published, guided by journal policies and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, and plagiarism.

Involvement in Investigations

  • Editors investigate ethical concerns using COPE flowcharts and cooperate with institutions as needed. Unethical behavior is addressed even if discovered years later.

D. Publisher’s Duties (Capacity Building & Education Link - CBEL)

  • CBEL ensures commercial revenue does not influence editorial decisions.

  • Works with editors to:

    • Set and maintain clear ethical policies.

    • Guard the integrity of the published record via corrections and retractions.

    • Address ethical misconduct appropriately.

    • Maintain confidentiality throughout the publication process.

Procedures for Dealing with Unethical Behaviour

  • Misconduct may be reported to the editor or publisher at any time and will be investigated following COPE guidelines. Possible outcomes include:

    • Written warning to the author/reviewer.

    • Retraction of the published article.

    • Ban on future submissions from involved parties.

    • Reporting to the head of the author’s/reviewer’s department or institution.

To report a potential ethical concern, contact the Editor-in-Chief at: journals@cbeltanzania.org