Publication Ethics Policy

The Bangladesh Journal of Fisheries Research (BJFR), published by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and professional conduct throughout the editorial and publishing process. The journal recognizes that ethical publishing is fundamental to the advancement of scientific knowledge, the credibility of scholarly communication, and the trust placed in research by the scientific community, policymakers, practitioners, funding agencies, and the public.

The purpose of this Publication Ethics Policy is to establish the ethical principles, responsibilities, and procedures that govern the submission, peer review, editorial evaluation, publication, and post-publication management of manuscripts submitted to BJFR. The policy provides a comprehensive framework for promoting responsible research practices, preventing publication misconduct, safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record, and ensuring fairness and accountability among all participants in the publication process.

This policy applies to all individuals involved in the publication of the journal, including authors, corresponding authors, co-authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, guest editors, editorial staff, and the publisher. It also applies to all manuscript types considered by BJFR, including original research articles, review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, short communications, technical notes, methodological papers, case studies, perspectives, commentaries, editorials, letters to the editor, data papers, supplementary materials, graphical abstracts, and other scholarly content published by the journal.

BJFR expects all submitted manuscripts to be original, accurate, transparent, and prepared in accordance with accepted ethical and scientific standards. Authors are expected to report research honestly, present data accurately, acknowledge the contributions of others appropriately, disclose potential conflicts of interest, comply with applicable ethical approval requirements, and respect intellectual property rights. Likewise, reviewers and editors are expected to perform their duties objectively, confidentially, independently, and without bias.

The journal is committed to addressing allegations of publication misconduct promptly, fairly, confidentially, and consistently. Where concerns arise regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, unethical research practices, peer review manipulation, or other forms of misconduct, BJFR will conduct appropriate investigations and take editorial actions necessary to preserve the integrity of the scientific literature.

This Publication Ethics Policy should be read together with the journal’s policies on authorship, peer review, plagiarism, conflicts of interest, copyright and licensing, open access, data availability, corrections and retractions, artificial intelligence, and other editorial policies. Collectively, these policies establish the ethical framework governing all stages of the publication process.

Ethical principles

BJFR is guided by internationally recognized principles of publication ethics and responsible scholarly publishing. These principles underpin every stage of the editorial process and provide the foundation for editorial decision-making, peer review, publication, and post-publication oversight.

Integrity

Integrity is the cornerstone of scientific publishing. All participants in the publication process are expected to act honestly, responsibly, and professionally. Research findings should accurately reflect the work performed without fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or intentional misrepresentation. Editorial decisions shall be based solely on the scientific quality, originality, validity, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Honesty

Authors must present their research truthfully and completely, describing methods, results, and interpretations accurately and without deception. Reviewers and editors should provide honest, constructive, and objective evaluations while avoiding misleading statements or inappropriate influence on editorial decisions.

Transparency

Transparency promotes trust and accountability in scholarly communication. Authors are expected to provide sufficient methodological detail to enable scientific evaluation and, where appropriate, reproducibility of their work. Funding sources, conflicts of interest, ethical approvals, author contributions, data availability, and the use of artificial intelligence tools should be disclosed in accordance with the journal’s policies.

Editors will communicate editorial decisions clearly, provide appropriate explanations where necessary, and ensure that published corrections, retractions, or other post-publication notices are transparent and permanently linked to the scholarly record.

Accountability

All participants in the publication process are accountable for their respective responsibilities. Authors are accountable for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. Reviewers are accountable for providing fair, confidential, and timely peer review. Editors are accountable for impartial editorial decision-making, and the publisher is accountable for maintaining the integrity, accessibility, and permanence of the published scholarly record. Individuals are expected to cooperate fully with investigations relating to publication ethics concerns and to provide relevant documentation when requested by the journal.

Fairness and impartiality

Editorial decisions shall be made without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, age, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic unrelated to the scientific merit of the manuscript. Reviewers and editors must evaluate submissions objectively, avoiding personal bias, competitive interests, or external influence. Manuscripts should be assessed solely on the basis of originality, scientific quality, methodological rigor, significance, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.

Objectivity

Editors and reviewers are expected to exercise independent professional judgment throughout the editorial process. Decisions should be based on verifiable evidence, sound scientific reasoning, and established editorial standards rather than personal opinions, commercial interests, institutional pressures, or external influence.

Where conflicts of interest exist, individuals must disclose those conflicts and, where appropriate, withdraw from participation in the editorial process.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is essential to maintaining trust in the peer review and editorial processes. Manuscripts submitted to BJFR are confidential documents and shall not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals during editorial evaluation. Editors, reviewers, editorial staff, and guest editors must not use unpublished information obtained through the peer review process for personal, academic, financial, or commercial advantage. Confidential information may be disclosed only where required by law or where necessary to investigate serious allegations of publication misconduct.

Respect for intellectual property

BJFR respects the intellectual property rights of authors, researchers, institutions, and publishers. Authors are expected to acknowledge the work of others accurately through appropriate citation and referencing and to obtain permission for the use of copyrighted material where required. The journal maintains a zero-tolerance approach to plagiarism, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material, misappropriation of ideas, data theft, and other forms of intellectual property infringement. Allegations of plagiarism or copyright violations will be investigated in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies.

Scientific rigor

The journal promotes rigorous scientific methodology, accurate reporting, reproducibility, and responsible interpretation of research findings. Authors should employ appropriate study designs, validated methodologies, suitable statistical analyses, and transparent reporting practices. BJFR encourages adherence to internationally recognized reporting guidelines appropriate to the study design, including, where applicable, CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, STARD, ARRIVE, CARE, and other recognized reporting standards. The use of appropriate reporting guidelines enhances the quality, transparency, and reproducibility of published research.

Stewardship of the scholarly record

BJFR recognizes its responsibility to preserve the integrity, permanence, and accessibility of the scientific literature. The journal is committed to maintaining an accurate scholarly record through appropriate editorial oversight, publication of corrections when necessary, investigation of ethical concerns, and issuance of expressions of concern, retractions, or other post-publication notices where warranted. The journal supports long-term digital preservation, accurate indexing, persistent identifiers, and transparent version control to ensure that published research remains discoverable, reliable, and permanently accessible. Editorial decisions concerning post-publication issues are guided by the principles of transparency, proportionality, fairness, and accountability, with the primary objective of protecting the integrity of the scientific record rather than imposing punitive measures on individual authors.

Roles and responsibilities

Maintaining the integrity of scholarly publishing requires the active participation and ethical conduct of all individuals involved in the publication process. Authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, and the publisher each have distinct responsibilities that collectively ensure the quality, credibility, transparency, and reliability of the scientific record. BJFR expects all participants to perform their respective roles in accordance with internationally accepted standards of publication ethics and professional conduct.

Responsibilities of authors

Authors bear primary responsibility for the scientific integrity and ethical conduct of their research and its publication. By submitting a manuscript to BJFR, authors affirm that the work is original, accurate, complete, and prepared in accordance with accepted scientific and ethical standards. Authors are expected to:

Submit only original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration by another journal.
Report research methods, results, analyses, and interpretations honestly, accurately, and transparently.
Ensure that data have not been fabricated, falsified, selectively reported, or manipulated.
Present sufficient methodological detail to allow scientific evaluation and, where appropriate, reproducibility.
Retain original research data and supporting documentation for a reasonable period following publication and provide them to the journal when requested.
Obtain all necessary ethical approvals before commencing research involving humans, animals, biological materials, or regulated resources.
Obtain informed consent from research participants where applicable.
Comply with national and institutional regulations governing research, biosafety, animal welfare, environmental protection, and data protection.
Appropriately acknowledge the work of others through accurate citation and referencing.
Obtain permission for the reproduction of copyrighted material where required.
Disclose all sources of financial support and funding.
Declare any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of the research.
Accurately describe each author’s contribution to the work.
Ensure that all listed authors satisfy the journal’s authorship criteria.
Ensure that no eligible contributor has been omitted and that no individual has been included as a guest, honorary, or gift author.
Cooperate fully with editorial investigations relating to publication ethics concerns.
Promptly notify the journal if significant errors are identified after publication.
Comply with all editorial policies of BJFR throughout the submission and publication process.

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the published work even after publication.

Responsibilities of the corresponding author

The corresponding author serves as the primary representative of all authors throughout the editorial and publication process. The corresponding author is responsible for:

Ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the submitted manuscript.
Confirming that all authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria.
Managing all communication with the Editorial Office.
Coordinating responses to reviewers and editors.
Submitting revisions within the requested timeframe.
Providing complete declarations relating to funding, conflicts of interest, ethical approval, data availability, and author contributions.
Ensuring the accuracy of all manuscript metadata, including author names, affiliations, and contact information.
Obtaining written agreement from all co-authors before requesting any changes in authorship.
Informing co-authors of editorial decisions and post-publication developments.

The corresponding author acts on behalf of all authors but does not assume sole responsibility for the scientific integrity of the research.

Responsibilities of co-authors

All co-authors share collective responsibility for the integrity of the published work. Each co-author should:

Make a substantial scholarly contribution to the research.
Participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
Approve the final version prior to submission.
Accept responsibility for the accuracy of their own contributions.
Assist in responding to editorial or reviewer queries when necessary.
Cooperate with investigations relating to publication ethics concerns.
Notify the corresponding author and the journal if significant errors are discovered after publication.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not satisfy the journal’s authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately rather than listed as authors.

Responsibilities of reviewers

Peer reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the scientific quality, originality, and credibility of the journal. Reviewers are expected to:

Accept review invitations only when they possess appropriate subject expertise.
Decline review requests where conflicts of interest exist or impartial evaluation is not possible.
Conduct reviews objectively, constructively, and professionally.
Evaluate manuscripts solely on scientific merit, methodological quality, originality, clarity, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal.
Provide evidence-based recommendations supported by clear reasoning.
Submit reviews within the agreed timeframe or promptly notify the Editorial Office if delays arise.
Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all manuscripts and associated materials.
Refrain from sharing, copying, or using unpublished information obtained during peer review.
Identify relevant published literature that has not been cited where appropriate.
Report suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, image manipulation, data fabrication, unethical research practices, or other concerns to the editors.
Avoid inappropriate requests intended primarily to increase citations to their own work.

Reviewers should not contact authors directly regarding manuscripts under review.

Responsibilities of editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are fair, transparent, objective, timely, and based solely on scientific merit. Editors shall:

Evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, religion, political beliefs, or other non-scientific considerations.
Select suitably qualified reviewers with relevant expertise.
Preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
Avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.
Base editorial decisions on reviewer comments, scientific quality, ethical considerations, and the journal’s editorial standards.
Ensure that publication decisions are free from commercial, institutional, or personal influence.
Address allegations of publication misconduct promptly and fairly.
Maintain accurate editorial records.
Communicate editorial decisions clearly and respectfully.
Recommend corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions where necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editors should encourage ethical research and transparent reporting while promoting diversity, inclusiveness, and academic excellence.

Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief has overall responsibility for the scientific quality, editorial independence, and ethical integrity of BJFR. The Editor-in-Chief shall:

Establish and oversee editorial policies and ethical standards.
Ensure consistent implementation of the journal’s publication ethics policies.
Make final decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.
Oversee investigations relating to publication misconduct.
Resolve disputes involving authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, or editorial procedures.
Ensure that editorial decisions remain independent of commercial, political, or institutional influence.
Appoint editors and Editorial Board members based on scholarly expertise and professional integrity.
Promote transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in editorial practices.
Represent the journal in matters relating to publication ethics and research integrity.

The Editor-in-Chief may seek advice from the Editorial Board, independent experts, or relevant institutions when addressing complex ethical issues.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board Members

Members of the Editorial Board support the Editor-in-Chief in maintaining the scientific quality and ethical standards of the journal. Editorial Board members are expected to:

Provide expert advice on editorial policy and journal development.
Assist in identifying qualified peer reviewers.
Contribute to editorial decision-making when requested.
Promote ethical research and responsible scholarly publishing.
Maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts and editorial discussions.
Declare conflicts of interest promptly.
Support investigations relating to publication ethics.
Encourage high-quality submissions within their areas of expertise.
Serve as ambassadors for the journal within the scientific community.

Editorial Board membership carries both scientific and ethical responsibilities and requires adherence to the highest standards of professional conduct.

Responsibilities of the publisher

The Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), as the publisher of BJFR, is committed to supporting ethical scholarly publishing and safeguarding editorial independence. The publisher shall:

Respect the editorial independence of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board.
Provide the administrative, technical, and financial support necessary for journal operations.
Ensure that editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial, political, or institutional interests.
Support the implementation of internationally recognized publication ethics standards.
Promote transparency in journal governance and publishing practices.
Facilitate long-term digital preservation and accessibility of published content.
Support the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, and other post-publication notices when required.
Maintain appropriate publishing infrastructure, website security, and metadata quality.
Encourage continuous improvement in editorial quality and publishing standards.

The publisher shares responsibility for maintaining the integrity, credibility, accessibility, and permanence of the scholarly record while respecting the independence of editorial decision-making.

Research integrity

BJFR is committed to promoting the highest standards of research integrity and scientific excellence. Research integrity forms the foundation of credible scholarly communication and requires honesty, accuracy, transparency, accountability, and responsibility throughout every stage of the research and publication process. Authors submitting manuscripts to BJFR are expected to conduct and report their research in accordance with internationally accepted principles of responsible research conduct.

Honest and accurate reporting

Authors must present research findings truthfully, accurately, and completely. Methods, observations, analyses, and conclusions should reflect the work that was actually performed and should not be intentionally altered, omitted, or misrepresented. Results that do not support the research hypothesis should be reported where scientifically relevant, and conclusions should be supported by the data presented. Selective reporting of favourable findings, intentional omission of significant observations, or misleading interpretation of results is inconsistent with the ethical standards of BJFR.

Data integrity and record retention

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and authenticity of all research data underlying their manuscripts. Original research records, laboratory notebooks, field observations, survey instruments, image files, analytical outputs, statistical records, and other supporting documentation should be retained in accordance with institutional, legal, and funding requirements. Upon reasonable request by the journal, authors may be asked to provide raw data or supporting documentation to verify reported findings. Failure to provide requested information without satisfactory justification may result in editorial investigation or other appropriate action.

Reproducibility and transparency

BJFR encourages authors to describe their methodologies with sufficient detail to enable scientific evaluation and, where appropriate, independent replication of the research. Experimental procedures, sampling methods, statistical analyses, software, equipment, and analytical techniques should be reported clearly and accurately. Where possible, authors are encouraged to make research data, analytical code, protocols, and supplementary materials available through recognized repositories or other appropriate mechanisms, subject to legal, ethical, confidentiality, and intellectual property considerations.

Image and data integrity

Images, photographs, graphs, electrophoretic gels, microscopy images, maps, and other visual materials must accurately represent the original observations. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, colour balance, or image resolution are acceptable only when applied uniformly, do not obscure or misrepresent the original information, and are disclosed where appropriate. The inappropriate manipulation, fabrication, selective enhancement, deletion, duplication, or splicing of images or data that alters scientific interpretation constitutes research misconduct and may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other editorial action.

Statistical integrity

Authors should employ appropriate statistical methods that are consistent with the study design and research objectives. Statistical analyses should be conducted using accepted scientific practices, and sufficient information should be provided to allow readers to understand the methods used. The journal encourages consultation with qualified statisticians where appropriate and may seek independent statistical review for manuscripts involving complex analytical methods.

Responsible stewardship of research

Authors should conduct research responsibly, respect applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and consider the environmental, ecological, and societal implications of their work. Research involving fisheries, aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, endangered species, genetic resources, or sensitive habitats should be designed and conducted in a manner that minimizes unnecessary harm and promotes sustainable scientific practice.

Human and animal research ethics

BJFR requires that all research involving human participants, animals, biological specimens, or environmentally sensitive resources be conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical principles, applicable national legislation, and institutional regulations. Authors must ensure that appropriate ethical safeguards have been implemented before the research is undertaken and that these safeguards are clearly reported in the manuscript.

Research involving human participants

Research involving human participants must comply with internationally accepted ethical principles governing human research. Authors must ensure that:

Appropriate ethical approval was obtained before commencing the research.
The study complied with applicable institutional and national regulations.
Participation was voluntary.
Participants were treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
Risks to participants were minimized and justified by anticipated benefits.
Confidentiality and privacy were protected throughout the research process.

The manuscript should identify the approving ethics committee or institutional review board and include the approval number where applicable.

Informed consent

Where human participants are involved, authors must obtain informed consent before data collection unless an ethics committee has approved an alternative procedure. Informed consent should include information regarding:

the purpose of the research;
participation requirements;
potential risks and benefits;
confidentiality arrangements;
voluntary participation; and
the participant’s right to withdraw without penalty.

Where identifiable information, photographs, audio recordings, videos, or personal data are published, explicit consent for publication must be obtained unless otherwise permitted by applicable law or ethical approval.

Privacy and confidentiality

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Personally identifiable information should not be published unless scientifically necessary and supported by appropriate written consent. Sensitive personal information should be anonymized or de-identified whenever possible. Authors must comply with applicable legal and institutional requirements relating to privacy, confidentiality, and data protection.

Research involving animals

Research involving experimental animals, aquatic organisms, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, or other vertebrate and invertebrate species must be conducted humanely and in accordance with recognized animal welfare standards. Authors should ensure that:

appropriate institutional or governmental approval was obtained before the study commenced;
procedures minimized pain, distress, and suffering;
the number of animals used was scientifically justified;
humane handling, housing, transport, and euthanasia practices were followed where applicable; and
applicable national legislation and institutional animal care regulations were observed.

Where relevant, manuscripts should identify the approving animal ethics committee and provide approval reference numbers.

Field research and environmental responsibility

Field studies involving wild populations, aquatic ecosystems, protected areas, endangered species, invasive species, or environmentally sensitive habitats should be conducted responsibly and with appropriate governmental or institutional permits. Authors should ensure that research activities:

minimize disturbance to ecosystems;
avoid unnecessary collection of specimens;
comply with biodiversity conservation legislation;
respect protected areas and indigenous rights where applicable;
obtain necessary collection, sampling, export, or access permits; and
follow relevant national and international conservation regulations.

Where permits are required, authors should identify the issuing authority and provide relevant permit information within the manuscript.

Biosafety and biosecurity

Research involving infectious agents, genetically modified organisms, hazardous chemicals, aquatic pathogens, or other biological hazards should comply with applicable biosafety and biosecurity regulations. Authors are responsible for ensuring that appropriate containment measures, laboratory safety procedures, waste disposal practices, and regulatory approvals were implemented throughout the research.

Ethical approval statements

Manuscripts reporting research involving humans, animals, biological materials, or regulated resources should include an explicit ethical approval statement within the manuscript. Where ethical approval was not required, authors should provide a clear explanation and identify the basis for the exemption where appropriate. Failure to obtain required ethical approval before conducting research may result in rejection of the manuscript or, if discovered after publication, correction, retraction, or other editorial action in accordance with the journal’s policies.

Editorial verification

The Editorial Office may request copies of ethics committee approvals, informed consent documentation, collection permits, animal care approvals, biosafety certifications, or other supporting documents at any stage of the editorial process. Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of ethical compliance may delay editorial evaluation or result in rejection of the manuscript. Where serious concerns arise regarding the ethical conduct of published research, BJFR may initiate an investigation and take appropriate post-publication action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Publication misconduct

BJFR maintains a zero-tolerance approach to publication misconduct. Any practice that compromises the integrity, reliability, transparency, or credibility of scholarly communication is considered unacceptable. Allegations of misconduct will be investigated fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies and internationally recognized publication ethics guidelines. Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may take appropriate editorial action, including manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, notification of relevant institutions or funding agencies, or other measures necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Fabrication

Fabrication is the intentional creation or invention of data, observations, experiments, research participants, laboratory records, field measurements, images, or other research information that did not actually exist. Fabrication fundamentally undermines scientific integrity and constitutes serious research misconduct.

Falsification

Falsification involves manipulating research materials, equipment, procedures, datasets, statistical analyses, images, or results so that the reported findings no longer accurately represent the original observations. Selective omission of data intended to mislead readers is also considered falsification.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes the unauthorized use of another person’s words, ideas, data, images, figures, tables, software, research findings, or other intellectual property without appropriate acknowledgement. Plagiarism may occur through direct copying, close paraphrasing, mosaic plagiarism, idea plagiarism, translation plagiarism, source-based plagiarism, or other forms of misappropriation. BJFR investigates suspected plagiarism in accordance with its Plagiarism Policy and may reject manuscripts or take appropriate post-publication action where plagiarism is confirmed.

Duplicate and redundant publication

Authors must not submit substantially similar manuscripts to more than one journal simultaneously or publish substantially identical research in multiple journals without appropriate disclosure and editorial approval. Redundant publication, duplicate publication, and unnecessary fragmentation of research findings (“salami publication”) distort the scientific record and waste editorial and peer review resources.

Citation manipulation

Citation practices should serve legitimate scholarly purposes. Authors, reviewers, and editors must not manipulate citations to artificially increase citation counts, journal metrics, author metrics, or institutional performance indicators. Examples of unacceptable practices include:

excessive self-citation without scientific justification;
coercive citation requests unrelated to the manuscript;
citation cartels;
inclusion of irrelevant references solely to influence bibliometric indicators.

Image manipulation

Scientific images must accurately represent the original observations. Inappropriate enhancement, selective editing, deletion, duplication, splicing, or fabrication of visual materials that alters scientific interpretation constitutes publication misconduct.

The journal may request original image files during editorial assessment or investigation.

Data manipulation

Authors must not alter, selectively report, suppress, or misrepresent research data to obtain desired outcomes. Data cleaning, normalization, statistical transformation, or image processing should be scientifically justified, transparently described, and performed using accepted research practices.

Authorship misconduct

Authorship should accurately reflect scholarly contributions. Unacceptable practices include:

gift authorship;
honorary authorship;
guest authorship;
ghost authorship;
omission of eligible contributors;
unauthorized inclusion of individuals as authors;
submission without the knowledge or consent of all listed authors.

BJFR addresses authorship disputes in accordance with its Authorship Policy.

Peer review manipulation

Any attempt to manipulate the peer review process is considered serious publication misconduct. Examples include:

submission of fabricated reviewer identities;
creation of fraudulent reviewer accounts;
falsified reviewer reports;
inappropriate influence on reviewers;
undisclosed reviewer conflicts of interest;
coordinated manipulation of editorial decisions.

Paper mills and fraudulent submissions

BJFR does not tolerate manuscripts produced through commercial paper mills or other fraudulent publication services. Indicators such as fabricated data, manipulated images, invented affiliations, falsified ethical approvals, fabricated reviewer identities, or systematically generated manuscripts may result in immediate rejection and further investigation.

Artificial intelligence-related misconduct

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may assist authors with language editing or manuscript preparation where permitted by the journal. However, AI tools must not be used to fabricate research findings, generate fictitious references, manipulate images, create false datasets, produce misleading analyses, or conceal plagiarism. Authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to BJFR regardless of any AI assistance used during manuscript preparation.

Consequences of publication misconduct

Where publication misconduct is established, BJFR may take one or more of the following actions:

reject the manuscript;
suspend editorial consideration;
publish a correction;
issue an Expression of Concern;
retract the published article;
notify the authors’ institution or employer;
notify funding agencies where appropriate;
inform relevant regulatory authorities when required;
restrict future submissions for a defined period; and
take any additional measures necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

The severity of editorial action will be proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct and supported by the available evidence.

Editorial and peer review ethics

BJFR is committed to maintaining an editorial and peer review process that is fair, objective, confidential, transparent, and independent. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, and relevance of submitted manuscripts.

Editorial independence

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board exercise complete editorial independence in evaluating manuscripts and making publication decisions. Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, political considerations, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships. The publisher, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), supports editorial independence and does not interfere with editorial decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, rejection, correction, or retraction.

Fair and unbiased evaluation

All manuscripts are evaluated objectively and without discrimination based on nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, disability, or other personal characteristics unrelated to scientific merit. Editorial decisions are based on:

originality;
scientific quality;
methodological soundness;
ethical compliance;
clarity of presentation;
significance of findings; and
relevance to the aims and scope of the journal.

Double-blind peer review

BJFR operates a double-blind peer review system in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from one another throughout the review process.

Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, research experience, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest. Editors seek independent, balanced, and constructive evaluations to support informed editorial decisions.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts submitted to BJFR are confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, editorial staff, and guest editors shall:

maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts;
refrain from sharing manuscripts with unauthorized individuals;
avoid using unpublished information for personal, academic, or commercial advantage;
protect confidential reviewer reports and editorial communications.

Confidential information may be disclosed only where required by law or necessary for investigating serious publication ethics concerns.

Conflicts of interest

Editors and reviewers must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, academic, or personal relationships that could influence—or reasonably be perceived to influence—their judgment. Individuals with significant conflicts of interest should decline participation in the editorial process or recuse themselves from handling the affected manuscript. Where conflicts arise involving the Editor-in-Chief, responsibility for editorial management will be delegated to another appropriately qualified editor.

Reviewer conduct

Reviewers are expected to:

provide objective and evidence-based evaluations;
maintain professional and respectful communication;
submit reviews within agreed deadlines;
identify ethical concerns where appropriate;
recommend relevant literature only when scientifically justified;
avoid personal criticism of authors;
maintain confidentiality throughout the review process.

Reviewers should not contact authors directly or retain copies of unpublished manuscripts beyond completion of the review unless authorized by the journal.

Editorial decisions

Editors consider reviewer comments carefully but are not bound by reviewer recommendations. Final editorial decisions are based on the overall scientific quality and ethical acceptability of the manuscript. Possible editorial decisions include:

acceptance;
minor revision;
major revision;
rejection with encouragement to resubmit; or
rejection.

Editors may request additional reviews, statistical evaluation, image integrity assessment, or ethical clarification whenever necessary.

Timeliness and transparency

BJFR is committed to processing manuscripts efficiently while maintaining rigorous editorial standards. Editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to cooperate in minimizing unnecessary delays. The Editorial Office will communicate editorial decisions promptly and provide constructive feedback to assist authors in improving their manuscripts. Where revisions are requested, authors should respond comprehensively to reviewer comments and clearly identify changes made.

Ethical oversight

BJFR continuously monitors the integrity of its editorial and peer review processes. Allegations of reviewer misconduct, editorial bias, confidentiality breaches, peer review manipulation, or unethical editorial practices will be investigated promptly. Where necessary, the journal may replace reviewers or editors, repeat peer review, revise editorial decisions, or implement additional safeguards to ensure fairness and protect the integrity of the publication process. BJFR remains committed to maintaining an editorial system that promotes scientific excellence, ethical publishing, transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the research it publishes.