Code of Ethics

MUSABE Code of Ethics in Academic Publishing

1. Preamble

The MENA–USA Association of Business and Economics (MUSABE) is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in research, authorship, editorial practice, and peer review. This Code of Ethics applies to all contributors involved in the publication of scholarly work under MUSABE's auspices, including authors, editors, reviewers, conference organizers, and partner institutions.

MUSABE affirms the values of academic freedom, intellectual honesty, accountability, and transparency in scholarly communication. All members of our academic community are expected to act with integrity and to foster an environment that promotes responsible research and dissemination of knowledge.

2. Core Principles

The following principles form the ethical foundation for MUSABE’s publication practices:

  • Integrity: Upholding truthfulness in research design, data reporting, authorship, and review.
  • Objectivity: Making decisions based on merit, free from personal or professional bias.
  • Transparency: Disclosing conflicts of interest, funding sources, and research limitations.
  • Confidentiality: Respecting the confidentiality of manuscripts, peer reviews, and deliberations.
  • Accountability: Taking responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and impact of published work.
  • Respect: Treating all participants in the publication process with professionalism and fairness.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit only original work that has not been published or submitted elsewhere. All sources must be appropriately cited. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable.
  • Authorship Criteria: All listed authors must have made substantial contributions to the research. Ghostwriting and guest authorship are prohibited.
  • Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose all financial, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence their research.
  • Data Integrity: Authors must report their data accurately and be prepared to share their data or methodologies when requested.
  • Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools: If AI tools (e.g., for language editing or data analysis) are used, authors must disclose their role in the manuscript.
  • Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal or conference concurrently is unethical.
  • Corrections and Retractions: Authors must promptly notify editors if they discover errors in published or submitted work and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Editorial Independence: Editors must evaluate submissions solely based on academic merit and relevance, without influence from authors' affiliations or identities.
  • Fair Review Process: Editors are responsible for managing a fair, timely, and confidential peer review process.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have personal or professional conflicts.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscript content and reviewer identities must be treated as confidential information.
  • Dealing with Misconduct: Editors are responsible for investigating allegations of ethical misconduct, following COPE guidelines, and issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern as needed.

5. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

  • Objectivity and Constructiveness: Reviews must be based on academic merit and presented in a respectful and constructive manner.
  • Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are confidential and must not be shared or discussed with anyone outside of the review process.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflicts and decline to review if impartiality is compromised.
  • Timeliness: Reviewers must complete reviews within the agreed-upon timeframe or notify editors promptly if they are unable to do so.
  • Avoiding Misuse: Reviewers may not use content from manuscripts they review for their benefit.

6. Conflicts of Interest

MUSABE requires all participants in the publication process to disclose any real or perceived conflicts of interest, including:

  • Financial relationships with commercial entities
  • Editorial roles in competing journals
  • Close personal or professional ties to authors or institutions

Such disclosures must be made during submission, review, and editorial decision-making processes.

7. Research Misconduct

MUSABE adheres to a zero-tolerance policy for the following forms of misconduct:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Unethical research practices (e.g., lack of IRB approval for human subjects)
  • Improper authorship attribution
  • Reviewer or editorial abuse

All allegations will be investigated confidentially and fairly. Sanctions may include manuscript rejection, retraction, author bans, or reporting to the author's home institution or funders.

8. Retractions and Corrections

If a significant error or ethical breach is identified after publication, MUSABE journals and proceedings will issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a full retraction in accordance with the COPE guidelines. The editorial team will ensure transparency and clear communication with the academic community.

9. Education and Support

MUSABE encourages the scholarly community to build awareness and capacity in publication ethics through:

  • Author and reviewer guidelines
  • Ethics workshops during MUSABE conferences
  • Case studies and discussion forums on ethical dilemmas
  • Collaboration with global organizations like COPE

10. Governance and Review

This Code of Ethics is reviewed biennially by MUSABE’s Board of Directors. Suggestions for amendments may be submitted by any member of the MUSABE community and will be evaluated in light of evolving best practices and emerging ethical challenges.

11. Adoption

All contributors to MUSABE-sponsored journals, conferences, and proceedings must acknowledge and adhere to this Code. Compliance is a condition for submission, participation, and publication.