Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Recognizing that scholarly publishing rests on a foundation of trust, transparency and integrity, ABRIJ requires all parties involved in the publication process, authors, reviewers, editors and the publisher to uphold the highest ethical standards. ABRIJ fully adheres to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and all ethical guidelines, responsibilities and procedures are aligned with COPE’s internationally recognized standards.

COPE

1.  Duties of Editors

Fair and Unbiased Review
Editors evaluate submissions exclusively on scholarly merit, including originality, methodology, clarity and relevance to ABRIJ’s scope—regardless of authors' gender, nationality, institutional affiliation or other personal characteristics.

Confidentiality
All manuscript details are treated as confidential. Editors and editorial staff will not disclose any information about a submission except to those directly involved in its evaluation.

Conflicts of Interest
Editors must withdraw from handling a manuscript if a conflict of interest exists and disclose such conflicts transparently.

Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are based entirely on academic value and peer review outcomes. No financial or commercial considerations influence the review process.

Misconduct Handling
All allegations of unethical conduct—such as plagiarism, data fabrication or unethical research—are investigated using COPE-recommended procedures. Where appropriate, actions may include correction, retraction or reporting to the authors’ institutions.

2.  Duties of Reviewers

Academic Contribution
Reviewers provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback to assist editorial decisions and improve manuscript quality.

Confidentiality and Integrity
All manuscripts are confidential. Reviewers must not share, retain or use manuscript content for personal benefit.

Objectivity and Respect
Reviewers must maintain scholarly objectivity. Comments should be respectful and free from personal criticism.

Acknowledging Sources
Reviewers should identify uncited relevant work and alert editors to potential plagiarism or duplication.

Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must decline to review if they have any personal or professional conflicts that could compromise objectivity.

3.  Duties of Authors

Copyright
Authors publishing in the Advanced Business Research International Journal (ABRIJ) retain full copyright of their work. By submitting and publishing with ABRIJ, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute and archive the article in both print and electronic formats.

Research Integrity
Authors must ensure their research is accurate, original and conducted ethically. Data must not be fabricated, falsified or misrepresented.

Plagiarism and Originality
ABRIJ screens all submissions using Turnitin. A similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding standard phrases and references) may result in immediate rejection.

Redundant or Duplicate Publication
Authors must not submit the same work to more than one journal or republish significant portions without proper citation and justification.

Authorship and Contribution Transparency
Only those who made significant contributions to the work should be listed as authors. JIBE encourages using the CRediT taxonomy (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to define author roles. All authors must approve the final manuscript and consent to publication.

Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose all financial or personal relationships that could influence the research or interpretation.

Preprints and Prior Dissemination
Manuscripts previously posted as preprints may be submitted, provided prior disclosure is made and the preprint is properly cited.

Data Sharing and Retention
Authors are encouraged to deposit data in trusted repositories (e.g., Zenodo, ResearchGate) and must retain research data to support reproducibility.

Ethical Compliance
Research involving human participants or animals must follow institutional and international ethical guidelines. Evidence of ethical approval must be provided upon request.

Use of AI Tools and Editorial Services
Any use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) or third-party editing services must be disclosed. AI tools may not be listed as authors and human authors remain fully accountable for the content.

Corrections and Retractions
Authors are responsible for notifying the editor of significant errors and cooperating with correction, retraction or clarification processes.

4.  Publisher Responsibilities (UiTM Press)

UiTM Press, as the publisher of ABRIJ, ensures the following:

  • Full editorial independence with no interference in editorial decisions
  • Commitment to resolving misconduct using COPE-compliant procedures
  • Respectful, transparent treatment of all authors, reviewers and editors
  • Clear and prompt management of corrections, expressions of concern and retractions

5.  Ethical Oversight

ABRIJ enforces strict ethical oversight throughout the publication lifecycle. Cases of suspected or confirmed misconduct—plagiarism, data falsification, unethical research practices—are investigated and may result in:

  • Retractions or corrections
  • Author bans from future submissions
  • Notification of the authors’ institutions
  • Formal expressions of concern (if investigations are pending)

All investigations follow COPE’s guidance and are handled confidentially and fairly.

6.  Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

ABRIJ supports post-publication engagement, including letters to the editor, reader responses and formal discussions of published content. Where necessary, the journal will issue:

  • Corrections for honest errors that do not compromise research validity
  • Retractions for fraudulent or unethical content
  • Expressions of Concern for unresolved issues or investigations

All updates are clearly labeled and linked to the original article to preserve the integrity of the academic record.

7.  Misconduct, Complaints and Appeals

Misconduct Handling
ABRIJ follows COPE workflows to investigate concerns raised during or after peer review. Actions may include requesting revisions, issuing corrections or retractions, or applying author sanctions.

Complaints
Authors, reviewers, or readers may lodge complaints about editorial conduct, peer review practices or publishing ethics. All complaints are handled confidentially by the Editorial Committee.

Appeals Process
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal request to the Editorial Committee. Appeals are reviewed by a senior Editorial Committee uninvolved in the original decision. Final decisions are binding.

Contact

Editorial Committee
Advances in Business Research International Journal
Faculty of Business and Management
Universiti Teknologi MARA
40450 Shah Alam
Selangor, Malaysia

✉ Email: abrijfbm@uitm.edu.my