Editorial responsibilities

• Editors assess manuscripts on scientific merit, validity, originality, relevance, ethical compliance and alignment with journal scope.
• Editorial decisions are independent of authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, seniority, political position, personal relationships or ability to pay.
• Confidential manuscript information is used only for editorial assessment and is not disclosed outside the authorised review process.
• Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts where a conflict could reasonably affect, or appear to affect, impartial judgement.

Author responsibilities

• Submitted work must be original, accurately reported and not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
• All authors must satisfy the journal’s authorship criteria, approve the submitted and final versions, and accept accountability for their contributions.
• Data, images, statistics, references, declarations and research records must not be fabricated, falsified, manipulated or selectively misrepresented.
• Relevant funding, competing interests, prior dissemination, related manuscripts and use of third-party material must be disclosed.

Ethical oversight

• Research involving humans must follow applicable ethical standards and report approval or exemption, informed consent and privacy safeguards where relevant.
• Research involving animals must report appropriate ethical approval and measures taken to protect animal welfare.
• Studies involving hazardous biological materials, field collection, protected species, genetic resources or sensitive locations must report required permissions and safety controls.
• Editors may request ethics documents, consent forms, protocols, registrations, permits or supporting research records when clarification is necessary.

Research misconduct and allegations

Concerns are assessed fairly and confidentially using available evidence. Editors may request explanations or underlying records and may refer matters to authors’ institutions, funders, ethics bodies or other competent authorities. JBSS does not replace formal institutional investigation. Editorial processing or publication may be paused while material concerns are examined.

• Confirmed or unresolved serious concerns may lead to rejection, correction, expression of concern, retraction or other proportionate action.
• The journal will preserve relevant records and give affected parties a reasonable opportunity to respond, subject to legal, privacy and investigative constraints.
• Good-faith complainants and whistleblowers will be treated respectfully; knowingly false or malicious allegations may themselves be investigated.

Artificial-intelligence tools

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot approve the work, disclose conflicts or accept responsibility.
• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, confidentiality and integrity of all submitted content.
• Material use of generative AI in manuscript preparation must be transparently disclosed when required by the journal; routine spelling and grammar assistance need not normally be declared.
• AI must not be used to fabricate data, images, references, reviewer reports or scientific conclusions.
• Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts to external AI systems unless secure, authorised use is expressly permitted.

Complaints and appeals

Authors, reviewers and readers may submit a reasoned complaint or appeal to the Editorial Office. An appeal must identify the decision or procedure being challenged and provide specific scientific, ethical or procedural grounds rather than merely expressing disagreement.

The journal will acknowledge and assess the matter, obtain relevant records and, where practicable, assign review to a person who was not materially involved in the original decision. An appeal does not guarantee reversal, and the resulting editorial determination is final unless significant new evidence emerges.

Post-publication discussion

Readers may submit evidence-based concerns about published work to the Editorial Office. When appropriate, authors will be invited to respond. Substantive matters affecting the scholarly record will be addressed through a linked correction, expression of concern, retraction or other permanent notice rather than by silently altering the published record.