Journal Policies

The Advance Journal of Business Management & Social Science (AJBMSS) journal adheres to the ethical principles and best practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Editorial and publishing policies of AJBMSS are developed to ensure the highest standards of research and publication ethics, transparency, and integrity across all stages of the editorial and publishing process.

General Publication Model

Gold Open Access

AJBMSS operates under a Gold Open Access publication model. This means that all research is made immediately and permanently free for everyone to read, download, and share.

Frequency

AJBMSS is published on a biannual basis, with two regular issues released each year.

Open Access, Licensing and Copyright Policy

Open Access

AJBMSS is a fully open access journal. All published articles are immediately and permanently available to read, download, distribute, and reuse by anyone, anywhere, without requiring a subscription, registration, or fee.

License

All articles in AJBMSS are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license to ensure the immediate availability of content upon publication. This allows content to be reused, provided appropriate attribution is given to both the original author and the publish The licence type (CC BY 4.0) is also clearly stated on the title page of the published article.

Copyright

Authors retain full copyright of their published work while granting the journal and publisher a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, archive, and promote the article in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This includes the right to share, adapt, translate, and include the work in databases and repositories, as well as to disseminate it widely.
Authors are permitted to deposit the published PDF in institutional repositories or personal websites immediately upon publication.

Embargo

No embargo period applies in AJBMSS. All articles are freely accessible immediately upon publication.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

In AJBMSS, the Article Processing Charge (APC) for standard submissions is set at USD 300.
For manuscripts published within thematic issues, the APC is reduced to USD 150.
Once a manuscript is accepted, an electronic invoice will be sent to the author via email.

Special Offer: No APC fees will be charged for submissions received before April 30, 2026.

APC is charged only after a manuscript is accepted for publication. No fees are charged for submission or peer review.

Peer Review Policy

Type of Peer Review

After an initial editorial screening to assess scope, originality, ethical compliance, and plagiarism, all submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.
Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise.
If the reports from the two independent reviewers are conflicting, a third reviewer is appointed to provide an additional perspective before the Editor-in-Chief makes a final decision.

Reviewer Qualifications

Reviewers must hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree in a relevant discipline and must not be from the same institution as any of the submitting authors.

Possible Decisions

Accept as submitted: No revisions are required and the article proceeds to production stage.
Minor revision: Small changes are required and the author response is reviewed by Editor-in-Chief for a final editorial decision.
Major revision: Extensive changes are required and the revised manuscript is re-reviewed by original referees followed by a final editorial decision by Editor-in-Chief.
Reject: Manuscript does not meet the scientific or technical standards.

Average Time Taken

The peer-review process typically takes approximately 4-6 weeks. However, this duration may vary depending on reviewer availability, the timeliness of review report submissions, and the complexity or specialization of the manuscript.

Appeals

Authors who believe their manuscript was rejected in an error may submit a formal appeal to the editorial office within 30 days, providing specific scientific grounds for reconsideration.

Editorial Decision-Making Policy

Editorial decisions are based on academic merit, originality, relevance to scope, and ethical compliance. The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team maintain full editorial independence.
Editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) in consultation with members of the Editorial Advisory Board, and are based exclusively on academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, peer review reports, and relevance to the journal’s scope. All decisions are taken without influence from the publisher, sponsors, advertisers, or any other external parties.

Editorial Independence Policy

The journal is managed by an independent Editorial Board consisting of subject experts from diverse academic institutions. Editorial Board members are appointed based on their scholarly expertise, publication record and experience in peer review. The Editor-in-Chief operates independently and holds final responsibility for all editorial decisions.
The publisher does not influence or override editorial decisions.
The proportion of articles authored by board members must not exceed by 30% in any 12-month period and articles authored by editorial board members undergo the same peer review process as all other submissions, managed by a different editor who does not share the Conflict of Interest.

Authorship Policy

Authorship is based on ICMJE criteria and is limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research.
All listed authors must approve the final manuscript and consent to its submission and publication.

Corresponding author

One corresponding author must be designated at submission. The corresponding author is responsible for all communication with the editorial office, ensuring all co-authors are informed of submission, revision, and final decision.

Authorship Qualification

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

Intellectual contribution: Substantial contributions to conception, design, acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
Drafting or critical revision: Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content
Final approval: Approval of the final version to be published
Accountability: Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Authors’ Contribution Statement

Authors’ Contribution statement is declared in all published articles.

Changes to Authorship

Authors are strongly advised to carefully review and finalize the list and order of authors, as well as their affiliations, prior to manuscript submission. Changes to authorship after submission are not encouraged.
Any addition, deletion, or reordering of authors after submission requires a valid written explanation and signed consent from all listed and proposed authors, which must be submitted to the editorial office for consideration.

Plagiarism Policy

Originality Requirement

All submitted manuscripts must be original, unpublished work not currently under consideration by any other journal or conference proceedings.
Authors must also confirm originality/novelty in the cover letter and disclose any prior dissemination or overlap with previously published work at the time of submission and.

Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection softwares (iThenticate and Turnitin) prior to peer review.
Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding references, standard phrases, and quoted material) are returned to the authors without review.
Self-plagiarism practice including the reuse of substantial portions of an author’s own previously published work without proper citation is treated the same as plagiarism.

Consequences of Plagiarism

Detection of high levels of plagiarism at any stage (pre-review, post-acceptance, or post-publication) will result in immediate rejection or retraction.

Research and Ethics Policy

Research Involving Human Participants (Survey, Interview, and Organizational Data)

Research involving human participants, including surveys, interviews, or organizational/employee data, must comply with recognized ethical standards and, where applicable, be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee.
It is strongly recommended that where formal ethical approval has been obtained, the manuscript must state the name of the approving body, reference number, and date of approval. If ethical approval is not required under local regulations, authors must provide a clear justification.
Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants, and that participation was voluntary. For survey-based or anonymized datasets, a statement confirming implied or informed consent must be included.
Authors must ensure the confidentiality, anonymity, and privacy of participants, particularly when using organizational or sensitive data.

Use of Secondary or Public Data

Studies using secondary or publicly available datasets must clearly cite data sources and confirm that the data were obtained in compliance with applicable legal and ethical standards.
Where datasets include personal or sensitive information, authors must ensure that data have been properly anonymized and that their use complies with relevant data protection regulations.
Any restrictions on data access or usage must be transparently disclosed.

Research Misconduct

The journal strictly prohibits data fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective reporting. Confirmed cases of misconduct may result in rejection or retraction.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

For Authors:

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. They do not meet the criteria for authorship as they cannot take legal responsibility for the work.
AI may be used to improve language, grammar, and readability. It must not be used to generate substantive research findings, original hypotheses, or data.
Authors are 100% liable for the accuracy of their paper. This includes verifying that AI-generated citations are real and that findings are free from “hallucinations” or plagiarism.
Authors must disclose the use of AI in a dedicated “Declaration of AI Use” section before the References. This must include the tool name, version, and specific purpose.

Disclosure Template

During the preparation of this work the authors used [Tool name] for [state specific use, e.g., editing purpose, literature summarization, figure description]. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the published article.

For Reviewers

Reviewers are prohibited from uploading any part of a submitted manuscript into a generative AI tool. Doing so violates the author’s intellectual property and breaches the confidentiality of the peer-review process.
Peer review reports must be written by the human reviewer. While AI can assist in minor language editing of the report itself, the critical evaluation and recommendation must be the reviewer’s independent professional judgment.
Reviewers should notify the Editor if they suspect undisclosed or unethical use of AI in a manuscript.

For Editors

Final decisions on acceptance or rejection must be made by human editors. AI tools may assist in administrative tasks but must not replace editorial discretion.
Editors are responsible for ensuring authors provide the required AI disclosures. They will handle suspected cases of AI-related misconduct according to COPE guidelines.

Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgement may be influenced by a secondary interest, including financial gain, personal relationships, or academic competition.

Authors

All authors must complete a COI declaration form at submission.
Disclosable interests include: employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, grants, patents (pending or granted), and paid expert testimony.
If no conflict exists, authors must explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Editors

Editors must disqualify themselves from manuscripts where a COI exists, including manuscripts authored by colleagues, collaborators, or competitors.

Reviewers

Reviewers must declare any COI upon receiving a review invitation and decline to review if a COI exists.

Disclosure Statement

COI disclosures are published in the declarations section of every article, whether or not a conflict exists.

Availability of Data Policy

Data Availability Statement

All submitted manuscripts must include an availability of data statement, declaring whether the underlying research data are publicly available, restricted, or not applicable.

Disclosure Templates

The data supporting the conclusion of this study are available within the article.
or
The data will be made available on reasonable request by contacting the corresponding author.

Appeals and Complaints Policy

Editorial Decision Appeals

Authors may appeal a rejection decision within 30 days of notification by submitting a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief (info@ajbmss.org).
Appeals must provide specific scientific or technical grounds. For example, identification of a factual error in the review, or new evidence not available at the time of submission. Appeals based solely on disagreement with the reviewer’s opinion are not considered.
The Editor-in-Chief will respond within 30 days of receiving the appeal.
All complaints are handled confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts.

Corrections and Retractions Policy

The journal publishes corrections or retractions when significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication.

Corrections (Erratum / Corrigendum)

Erratum: Issued by the journal to correct a publisher-introduced error
Corrigendum: Issued to correct an author-introduced error that does not affect the integrity of the findings
Corrections are published as separate, citable notices permanently linked to the original article.

Retractions

A retraction is issued when a published article contains fundamental errors that invalidate the findings, or when ethical violations (e.g., data fabrication, plagiarism, duplicate publication) are confirmed.
Retraction notices are published promptly, stating the reason(s) clearly, and remain permanently attached to the original article in all databases.
The original article remains visible but is clearly marked as retracted.
AJBMSS follows COPE Retraction Guidelines in all cases.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy

AJBMSS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of academic publishing.
No discrimination is applied to authors, reviewers, or editorial board members on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, institutional affiliation, or career stage.
The editorial board is actively maintained to include members from diverse geographic regions, genders, and career stages.
APC waivers for low- and middle-income country authors are a structural commitment to reducing geographic inequity in open access publishing.
This policy is reviewed annually by the Publisher.

Privacy & Data Protection Policy

Personal data collected from authors, reviewers, and website users (e.g., names, email addresses, institutional affiliations) is used solely for the purposes of journal operations and editorial communication.
Personal data is not sold, rented, or shared with third parties for commercial purposes.

Transparency and Website Information

All journal policies, editorial information, APC details, and contact information are clearly displayed and regularly updated on the journal website.

Last updated on March 31, 2026.