Submission policies

2. Submission policies

2.1 Manuscript preparation and drafting

Authors should prepare their manuscripts according to the journal’s instructions for authors, which cover article structure, formatting, referencing style, etc. The manuscript must be written in English. 

2.2 Originality of work

Authors must ensure that the work they are submitting is original and has not been published elsewhere. The manuscript should not be under consideration for publication in any other journal. Any form of plagiarism will not be tolerated.

2.3 Plagiarism policy

Plagiarism, defined as appropriating another’s ideas, words, or other creative expression as one’s own, constitutes a clear violation of scientific ethics and may involve copyright infringement subject to legal action.

Plagiarism includes:

  • Verbatim or near-verbatim copying of portions of another author’s work without proper attribution through referencing and/or quotation marks.
  • Paraphrasing substantial segments from another paper without clearly indicating the source.
  • Using equations, figures, or tables from another's work without proper citation and/or permission from the original author or copyright holder.

Please note all submissions are thoroughly screened for plagiarism using iThenticate. Manuscripts exhibiting evidence of plagiarism will be automatically rejected. The acceptable similarity index is ≤20%, with no individual source exceeding 5% similarity. In cases where plagiarism is detected in a published article, the journal will initiate retraction according to our retraction policy.

2.4 Data availability

Wherever applicable, authors should include a statement in their manuscript about the availability of data supporting the results. This might include a link to a repository where the data is stored or an offer to share data upon reasonable request.

2.5 Ethics approval and consent

For research involving human or animal subjects, the manuscript must include a statement that all necessary ethical approvals were obtained, and that all subjects provided informed consent (where relevant).

2.5 Authorship

All individuals listed as authors should have contributed significantly to the design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study, and all have agreed to be listed. The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper, and have agreed to its submission for publication. All manuscripts must include a contributor role taxonomy (CRediT) statement detailing the specific author contributions made to the work being reported, to ensure transparency around authorship.

2.6 Conflict of interest

Authors should disclose any financial or personal relationship with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work.

2.7 Submission process

Manuscripts should be submitted online via the journal’s submission system. Upon submission, authors will receive an acknowledgment email confirming receipt of the manuscript.

2.8 Article processing charges and waivers

Authors are required to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) after acceptance of the manuscript. A waiver or discount on the standard APC may be available for authors who qualify under the journal’s fees and waiver policy.

2.9 Revised manuscripts

For revised manuscripts, authors should resubmit within 30 days through the journal’s online submission system with "Revised" added to the title page. The revision should include a point-by-point response to reviewers’ comments and a tracked changes version showing edits in colored text. All changes should be highlighted and described in a separate document indicating page, paragraph, and line numbers. Figures and tables should be resubmitted even if unaltered. The original submission number and designation as a revised manuscript should be specified by the Journal Manager. Major revisions may undergo re-review. Only one round of major revision is permitted per submission.

2.10 After acceptance

Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication, authors should promptly respond to any copyediting queries and must review and approve the final proofs of their manuscript before it is published.

2.11 Preprints

The BJ-BABS recognizes the role of preprints in accelerating the dissemination of research findings. Preprints are preliminary versions of research papers that precede formal peer review and publication in a scientific journal. They are typically hosted on dedicated preprint servers. BJ-BABS permits authors to submit manuscripts that have been posted on a preprint server. Submission of a manuscript to BJ-BABS that has been made available as a preprint will not be viewed as prior publication and will not prejudice the peer review process. Authors are allowed to cite preprints they find relevant to their work. These should be properly acknowledged in the reference list, indicating that they are not peer-reviewed publications.

Authors may choose any reputable preprint server for posting their research. The responsibility for the choice of preprint server rests with the author(s), and the BJ-BABS does not endorse any specific server. Authors should inform the journal at the time of submission if and where their article has been previously posted. Authors should ensure they have the right to reuse any content posted on a preprint server in their manuscript, particularly if they are not copyright holder. Preprints should be licensed in a way that is compatible with the license chosen for the formal publication.

After an article has been published in BJ-BABS, we recommend authors update the preprint version with a DOI and a link to the published version of the article on the journal's website, along with a statement indicating that the article has been published in BJ-BABS.

2.12 The use of AI and Al-assisted technologies

The rise of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies is reshaping how content is created in scientific research. At the BJ-BABS, we acknowledge the potential of these tools in enhancing readability and language in scientific manuscripts. However, we are also cognizant of their limitations and the need for human oversight. This policy provides guidance for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers on how BJ-BABS approaches the use of AI in the writing process and is subject to periodic updates as these technologies evolve. Please note that this policy only refers to the writing process, not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process.

If authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation, these should only be employed to enhance the readability and language of the work. AI outputs must be supervised, reviewed, and edited by human authors, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding content that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. The authors retain ultimate responsibility and accountability for the contents of the work. In addition, the authors are required to disclose in their manuscript if they have used AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing process. A statement reflecting this will appear in the published work. Such transparency fosters trust among authors, readers, reviewers, and editors and ensures compliance with the terms of use of the relevant AI tool or technology. AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be listed as an author or co-author. Authorship entails responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to humans. Each author is accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work, requires the ability to approve the final version of the work, and must agree to its submission.