BMIJ Journal Policies Manual

 1. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

Purpose

BMIJ adopts an open access publishing model that supports free, immediate, and unrestricted global access to scholarly content.

Policy Statement

All articles published in BMIJ are made freely available under a Diamond/Gold Open Access model. No subscription or access fees are charged to readers or institutions.

All content becomes permanently accessible on the journal’s website upon publication.

Licensing

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided proper attribution is given.

Responsibilities

Authors agree to publish their work under open access terms. The editorial team and publisher are responsible for maintaining compliance with open access standards.

 2. COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING POLICY

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to clearly define copyright ownership and licensing terms for all works published in BMIJ in accordance with international publishing standards.

 Policy Statement

Copyright of all articles published in BMIJ remains with the author(s). The journal is granted the right of first publication.

By submitting and publishing in BMIJ, authors grant the journal the following rights:

 Licensing

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

This license permits:

 Condition

Proper attribution must be given, a link to the license must be provided, and any modifications must be clearly indicated.

 Author Rights

Authors:

 Publisher Rights

BMIJ retains rights to:

 

3. ARCHIVING AND DATA DISSEMINATION POLICY

Purpose

This policy aims to ensure the long-term preservation, accessibility, and secure dissemination of all scholarly content published in BMIJ.

Policy Statement

BMIJ guarantees that all published articles remain permanently accessible and preserved. The journal applies a multi-layered digital archiving and preservation strategy.

  1. Persistent Access and Digital Preservation

All content published in BMIJ:

  1. LOCKSS / CLOCKSS Archiving

BMIJ supports LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) and CLOCKSS systems for long-term digital preservation.

These systems ensure that:

  1. PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)

BMIJ integrates with the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) via the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

PKP PN:

  1. Data Dissemination and Sharing

BMIJ encourages transparency and reproducibility of research outputs.

Authors are encouraged to share:

via Zenodo, Figshare, OSF, or institutional repositories.

  1. Self-Archiving Policy

Authors may archive:

No embargo period is applied.

  1. Responsibilities

The editorial team of BMIJ is responsible for:

 

4. OPEN SCIENCE POLICY

Purpose

This policy aims to ensure that BMIJ adopts Open Science principles by promoting transparency, accessibility, reproducibility, and scientific collaboration in research.

Policy Statement

BMIJ supports the Open Science approach and encourages that research outputs extend beyond published articles to include all components of the research process.

The journal follows principles aligned with open access, open data, open methodology, and transparent research practices.

  1. Open Access

All content published in BMIJ is freely and immediately accessible.

  1. Open Data

Authors are encouraged to share their research data in open repositories whenever possible.

Data sharing is not mandatory when datasets include sensitive, confidential, or personal information.

  1. Open Methodology

Authors should provide sufficient detail regarding:

to ensure reproducibility of research.

  1. Transparency and Open Attribution

BMIJ requires:

  1. Open Collaboration

The journal encourages interdisciplinary and international collaboration. Open science practices support broader reuse and development of scientific knowledge.

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for adhering to open science principles. The editorial board promotes these principles while respecting ethical and legal limitations regarding data sharing.

 

5. RESEARCH DATA POLICY

Purpose

This policy aims to support transparency, accessibility, and reproducibility of research data published in BMIJ.

Policy Statement

BMIJ encourages the sharing of research data in line with Open Science principles. Research data is a fundamental component for verifying and reproducing scientific findings.

  1. Data Sharing Principle

Authors are encouraged to deposit their research data in publicly accessible repositories whenever appropriate.

Recommended platforms include:

  1. Exceptions

Data sharing is not mandatory in the following cases:

In such cases, authors must clearly state data access restrictions.

  1. Data Availability Statement

All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement indicating the status of the dataset.

Examples:

  1. Data Standards

Shared datasets should:

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

The editorial board encourages data transparency while respecting legal and ethical constraints.

 

6. DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT POLICY

Purpose

This policy ensures that all articles published in BMIJ include a clear, standardised, and verifiable Data Availability Statement (DAS).

Policy Statement

All manuscripts published in BMIJ must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) describing how and where the research data can be accessed.

  1. DAS Requirement

Authors must provide at least one of the following statements before acceptance:

  1. Standard DAS Templates

BMIJ accepts the following standard statements:

  1. a) Open Data
  1. b) Available on Request
  1. c) Restricted Data
  1. d) No Data Generated
  1. Transparency Principle

BMIJ recognizes data availability as a key component of scientific transparency and reproducibility.

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

The editorial office may verify DAS statements and request corrections if necessary.

 

7. PREPRINT POLICY

Purpose

This policy defines the rules regarding the use of preprint servers and their relationship with manuscripts submitted to BMIJ.

Policy Statement

BMIJ supports the use of preprints in line with Open Science principles. Authors may share their manuscripts on reputable preprint servers before or during the submission process.

  1. Accepted Preprint Servers

BMIJ accepts manuscripts previously shared on:

  1. Pre-Submission Sharing

Authors may share their manuscripts as:

on the above platforms without any restriction for submission to BMIJ.

  1. Mandatory Disclosure

Authors must disclose:

at the time of submission.

  1. Post-Acceptance Stage

After acceptance, the final version:

  1. Duplicate Publication Policy

The following are considered duplicate publication and are not accepted:

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for transparency regarding preprint sharing. The editorial board evaluates compliance with ethical publishing standards.

 

8. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) USE POLICY

Purpose

This policy defines the ethical, transparent, and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscripts published in BMIJ.

Policy Statement

BMIJ allows the use of AI tools in research and writing processes; however, such use must be transparent, ethical, and under human oversight.

AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, etc.) are not considered authors and cannot assume academic responsibility.

  1. Permitted Uses

AI tools may be used for:

  1. Prohibited or Restricted Uses

The following uses are not allowed:

  1. Mandatory Disclosure

Authors must disclose AI usage, including:

Example statement:

“During the preparation of this manuscript, ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used for language editing. All content was reviewed and validated by the authors.”

  1. Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for the integrity of the content. AI tools do not hold scientific responsibility.

  1. Editorial Use

AI tools are strictly prohibited in peer review and editorial decision-making processes.

 

9. DIGITAL PRESERVATION POLICY

Purpose

This policy ensures the long-term digital preservation, integrity, and continuous accessibility of all scholarly content published in BMIJ.

Policy Statement

BMIJ ensures that all published content remains accessible not only at the time of publication but also in the long term, in accordance with international digital preservation standards.

The journal follows principles of sustainability, redundancy, and persistent access in digital publishing.

  1. DOI and Persistent Identifiers

All articles are assigned:

  1. Multi-Layer Backup System

BMIJ content is protected through:

to minimize data loss risks.

  1. LOCKSS / CLOCKSS System

BMIJ supports LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) and CLOCKSS networks.

These systems:

  1. PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)

BMIJ integrates with the PKP PN system via the OJS platform.

This system:

  1. File Format and Data Sustainability

For long-term accessibility, content is:

  1. Responsibilities

The BMIJ editorial team is responsible for:

 

10. COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS POLICY

 Purpose

This policy ensures that all complaints and appeals related to editorial and publication processes in BMIJ are handled in a transparent, fair, and ethical manner.

Policy Statement

BMIJ evaluates all complaints and appeals from authors, reviewers, and readers in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

All cases are handled with fairness, confidentiality, and impartiality.

  1. Scope of Complaints

Complaints may include:

  1. Complaints Procedure

Complaints must be submitted in writing to the editorial office.

The process includes:

  1. Receipt and registration of the complaint
  2. Preliminary editorial assessment
  3. Independent review if necessary
  4. Communication of the final decision
  1. Right to Appeal

Authors may appeal editorial or reviewer decisions.

Appeals must:

  1. Evaluation Principles

All complaints and appeals are assessed based on:

  1. Final Decision

The editorial board’s final decision is conclusive. External expert opinions may be sought when necessary.

  1. Responsibilities

All parties are expected to contribute to an ethical and professional resolution process.

 

11. CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

 Purpose

This policy ensures that all research published in BMIJ is conducted with transparency, impartiality, and academic integrity by requiring disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest.

Policy Statement

BMIJ requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that may influence the research process or publication decisions.

  1. Definition of Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when professional judgment may be influenced by personal, financial, or institutional relationships.

This may include:

  1. Disclosure Requirement

All authors must declare:

  1. Reviewers and Editors

Reviewers and editors must:

  1. Funding Transparency

All sources of funding must be clearly stated. Sponsors must not influence the research or publication process.

  1. Transparency Principle

BMIJ considers nondisclosure of conflicts of interest an ethical violation.

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their declarations. The editorial board may request additional clarification when necessary.

 

12. PLAGIARISM AND SIMILARITY CHECK POLICY

Purpose

This policy ensures the originality of all manuscripts published in BMIJ and prevents plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct.

Policy Statement

BMIJ screens all submitted manuscripts using plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate, Turnitin, or equivalent systems) prior to publication.

Academic integrity is a core principle of the journal, and no level of unethical similarity is tolerated.

  1. Acceptable Similarity Threshold

General criteria:

However, final decisions are based not only on numerical similarity but also on editorial scientific judgment.

  1. Types of Plagiarism

BMIJ considers the following as ethical misconduct:

  1. Screening Process

All manuscripts undergo:

  1. Submission to plagiarism detection software,
  2. Editorial review of similarity report,
  3. Author notification for revision if necessary,
  4. Rejection of unethical submissions.
  1. Self-Plagiarism

Authors must not:

  1. Responsibilities

Authors are fully responsible for originality. The editorial board applies COPE guidelines in cases of suspected misconduct.

 

13. AUTHORSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION POLICY (CRediT TAXONOMY)

Purpose

This policy ensures that authorship in BMIJ is assigned fairly, transparently, and in accordance with international standards.

Policy Statement

BMIJ follows ICMJE and COPE authorship guidelines and requires that authorship be based on substantial academic contribution.

Ghost authorship, guest authorship, and honorary authorship are strictly not accepted.

  1. Authorship Criteria

To qualify as an author, an individual must meet all of the following:

  1. CRediT Contribution System

BMIJ uses the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system to ensure transparency.

Author contributions may include:

  1. Mandatory Contribution Statement

Each manuscript must include a “Author Contributions” section.

Example:

  1. Changes in Authorship

After submission:

  1. Relation to Conflicts of Interest

Authorship contributions must be independent of financial or institutional conflicts.

  1. Responsibilities

All authors share full responsibility for the entire content of the work.

 

14. CORRECTIONS, RETRACTIONS AND EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN POLICY

Purpose

This policy ensures that errors, ethical issues, or scientific concerns in published articles are handled transparently and in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.

Policy Statement

BMIJ is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When necessary, the journal issues corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

  1. Corrections (Erratum)

Corrections are issued in cases such as:

Corrections are linked to the original article.

  1. Retractions

Articles may be retracted in cases such as:

Retraction notices are clearly labeled and permanently accessible.

  1. Expressions of Concern

A temporary expression of concern may be issued when:

  1. Transparency Principle

All corrections and retractions:

  1. Editorial Responsibility

The editorial board:

 

15. PUBLICATION FEE (ARTICLE PROCESSING CHARGE – APC) POLICY

Purpose

This policy defines the Article Processing Charge (APC) applied in BMIJ in a transparent and internationally compliant manner.

Policy Statement

BMIJ follows a Gold Open Access model with Article Processing Charges (APC) applied to accepted manuscripts.

An APC is charged for each article accepted for publication.

  1. Article Processing Charge (APC)

For articles published in BMIJ:

The APC covers:

  1. Fee Disclosure

The APC amount:

  1. What APC Does Not Cover

The APC does not include:

  1. Waiver and Discount Policy

BMIJ may offer APC waivers or discounts for:

  1. Payment Conditions
  1. Transparency Principle

BMIJ ensures that APC policy is:

  1. Responsibilities

The editorial board and publisher are responsible for maintaining transparency of the APC system. Authors are deemed to have accepted this policy upon submission.

 

16. OPEN ACCESS POLICY 

Purpose

This policy defines BMIJ’s Open Access publishing model, access conditions, and user rights in accordance with international standards (Scopus, DOAJ, COPE, and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access).

Policy Statement

BMIJ follows a Gold Open Access publishing model. All articles are made freely and immediately available upon publication.

No subscription, registration, or access fees are required to access the content.

  1. Definition of Open Access

All articles published in BMIJ are:

  1. Licensing

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

This license permits:

provided that proper attribution is given.

  1. Author and User Rights

Under open access terms:

  1. Publishing Model

BMIJ operates under a Gold Open Access + APC model:

  1. Archiving and Permanence

All open access content is:

  1. Commercial Use and Reuse

Under CC BY 4.0:

  1. Transparency and Access Equality

BMIJ believes open access enhances global research equity and ensures equal access to scholarly content worldwide.

  1. Responsibilities

The publisher and editorial board are responsible for: