Publication Ethics

BJCVS maintains a steadfast commitment to upholding good practices and ethics in scientific publishing. All submitted papers are expected to adhere to high ethical standards, encompassing accuracy in data, transparency in authorship, and full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The integrity of research is fundamental to us, and any form of misconduct, such as plagiarism, will be treated seriously by the journal's editorial board.

Adherence to COPE Guidelines: BJCVS adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring that we maintain international standards in addressing ethical issues in publishing. This includes, but is not limited to, guidelines on authorship, conflicts of interest, privacy, consent, and standards for dealing with potential instances of publishing misconduct.

BJCVS strictly adheres to ethical publication guidelines and actively combats scientific misconduct. Any cases of plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publications, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of scientific misconduct, once identified, will be addressed seriously by the Editorial Board. The journal reserves the right to take appropriate actions, which may include rejection of the manuscript, prohibition of future submissions from the authors involved, and communication of infractions to affiliated institutions.

• Erratum: BJCVS recognizes the importance of rectifying any errors that may arise following the publication of an article. If a significant error is identified, authors must inform the journal immediately. An erratum will be published as soon as possible to detail the corrections and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the scientific record.
• Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): BJCVS strictly prohibits plagiarism and self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism refers to the reuse of significant parts of an author's own previously published work without proper citation. Manuscripts found to engage in text recycling will be rejected, and authors may face sanctions from the Editorial Board.
• Duplicate and Redundant Publication: BJCVS publishes only original content. It is strictly prohibited to simultaneously submit a study to multiple journals or to divide the results of a study into several articles (known as salami publication). Violations of this policy will result in rejection or retraction of the article and may result in sanctions imposed by the Editorial Board.
• Fabrication and Falsification of Data: Instances of fraud as image manipulation, data fabrication or falsification will lead to the immediate exclusion of the manuscript from the evaluation process and may incur sanctions imposed by the Editorial Board.
• Corrections and Retraction: In cases involving significant errors or instances of scientific misconduct, such as plagiarism or data falsification, a retraction of the article may be necessary. The decision to retract an article is made by the editor-in-chief, after careful investigation and, if necessary, consultation with external experts. The retraction will be clearly identified as such and will remain linked to the original article on the journal's website, preserving the transparency and integrity of the academic record.
• Use of Chatbots in Manuscripts Submitted to BJCVS: To ensure the integrity and reliability of results and conclusions presented in scientific manuscripts that use chatbots such as Bard, Bing, and ChatGPT, and to maintain public trust in the findings and advancements presented, BJCVS supports the recommendations outlined by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) (https://wame.org/page3.php?id=106) regarding ethical considerations related to these technologies in scientific manuscripts, namely:

Transparency: Authors should be transparent about the use of chatbots in the manuscript writing process, including detailed information (name, version, model, and source) about how the technology was used and what was the role played by chatbots in the development of the text.

Responsibility: Authors must be responsible for the work performed by chatbots in their manuscripts, including the accuracy of present content and the absence of plagiarism. Human authors should also be able to state the absence of plagiarism in their articles, including any text generated by chatbots.

Attribution: Authors must ensure proper attribution of all sources, including material generated by chatbots. Authors should also seek out and cite sources that support statements produced by chatbots.

Limitations: Authors should discuss the limitations and potential biases associated with using chatbots in the production of scientific texts.

Authors should disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of the main manuscript file before the References section. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process.”

Statement: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF the TOOL/SERVICE] for the purpose of [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

This statement does not apply to the use of basic tools for grammar and spelling checking, as well as reference management, among other practices. If there is nothing to reveal, there is no need to add a statement.

These policies are critical to maintaining the high ethical standards of scientific publishing and ensuring confidence in the integrity of the content published by BJCVS.

At BJCVS, we understand that transparency about competing interests is essential to make the best editorial decisions and to maintain the trust of our readers. We therefore require all participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, and editors—to declare any potential sources of conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest, often referred to as a competing interest, is any financial, personal, religious, political or other affiliations or relationships that may influence or could be perceived to influence the objectivity and integrity of an author, reviewer or editor. This includes, but is not limited to, patents, stock ownership, participation in company boards of directors or advisory boards, consulting, or receipt of speaker fees.

For Authors:

• Declare all sources of conflicts of interest when submitting the manuscript through the BJCVS Author Portal system, including, but not limited to, commercial and other relationships.
• If there are no conflicts to declare, this should be explicitly stated in the cover letter.
• The corresponding author should ensure review of this policy with all co-authors and collective disclosure of all relevant relationships

For Reviewers and Editors:

• Declare any conflicts of interest directly to the journal or editor-in-chief before initiating the review process or making editorial decisions.
• Clearly detail relevant conflicts or confirm absence of conflicts.

Important Considerations:

• The existence of a conflict of interest does not prevent the publication of a manuscript, but transparency is vital for an impartial evaluation.
• Readers should be informed of any competing interests of the authors when an article is published.
• This process aims to ensure maximum transparency and integrity throughout all stages of the editorial and scientific publication process of BJCVS

BJCVS is committed to academic integrity and originality in published works. To ensure authenticity and prevent misappropriation of ideas, processes, results or words from others without proper recognition, we have adopted a strict similarity verification policy.

Verification Policy:

• Which Cases Are Verified: All manuscripts submitted to BJCVS are verified through Similarity Check. This software is an advanced tool that compares submitted manuscripts with an extensive database of published content to identify potential text overlaps. This includes original articles, reviews, brief communications, and other types of articles.
• Timing of Verification: Similarity verification is performed at the beginning of the editorial evaluation process, prior to peer review. This ensures that originality issues are identified and addressed early in the submission and evaluation process.
• Consequences of Detected Similarity: Manuscripts exhibiting significant similarity with other published works, indicative of plagiarism, will be rejected. BJCVS understands plagiarism as a serious violation of ethics in scientific publishing.
• Authors' Responsibility: Authors are fully responsible for the content and information presented in their manuscripts. They are expected to adhere to ethical standards for citation and recognition of previous work.
• Sanctions: Authors whose manuscripts contain plagiarism may face sanctions determined by the BJCVS Editorial Board. These sanctions may include the prohibition on future submissions to the journal for a specified period, along with other measures based on the severity of the case.

BJCVS strictly adheres to ethical publication guidelines and actively combats scientific misconduct. Any cases of plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publications, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of scientific misconduct, once identified, will be addressed seriously by the Editorial Board. The journal reserves the right to take appropriate actions, which may include rejection of the manuscript, prohibition of future submissions from the authors involved, and communication of infractions to affiliated institutions.

• Erratum: BJCVS recognizes the importance of rectifying any errors that may arise following the publication of an article. If a significant error is identified, authors must inform the journal immediately. An erratum will be published as soon as possible to detail the corrections and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the scientific record.
• Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): BJCVS strictly prohibits plagiarism and self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism refers to the reuse of significant parts of an author's own previously published work without proper citation. Manuscripts found to engage in text recycling will be rejected, and authors may face sanctions from the Editorial Board.
• Duplicate and Redundant Publication: BJCVS publishes only original content. It is strictly prohibited to simultaneously submit a study to multiple journals or to divide the results of a study into several articles (known as salami publication). Violations of this policy will result in rejection or retraction of the article and may result in sanctions imposed by the Editorial Board.
• Fabrication and Falsification of Data: Instances of fraud as image manipulation, data fabrication or falsification will lead to the immediate exclusion of the manuscript from the evaluation process and may incur sanctions imposed by the Editorial Board.
• Corrections and Retraction: In cases involving significant errors or instances of scientific misconduct, such as plagiarism or data falsification, a retraction of the article may be necessary. The decision to retract an article is made by the editor-in-chief, after careful investigation and, if necessary, consultation with external experts. The retraction will be clearly identified as such and will remain linked to the original article on the journal's website, preserving the transparency and integrity of the academic record.
• Use of Chatbots in Manuscripts Submitted to BJCVS: To ensure the integrity and reliability of results and conclusions presented in scientific manuscripts that use chatbots such as Bard, Bing, and ChatGPT, and to maintain public trust in the findings and advancements presented, BJCVS supports the recommendations outlined by the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) (https://wame.org/page3.php?id=106) regarding ethical considerations related to these technologies in scientific manuscripts, namely:

Transparency: Authors should be transparent about the use of chatbots in the manuscript writing process, including detailed information (name, version, model, and source) about how the technology was used and what was the role played by chatbots in the development of the text.

Responsibility: Authors must be responsible for the work performed by chatbots in their manuscripts, including the accuracy of present content and the absence of plagiarism. Human authors should also be able to state the absence of plagiarism in their articles, including any text generated by chatbots.

Attribution: Authors must ensure proper attribution of all sources, including material generated by chatbots. Authors should also seek out and cite sources that support statements produced by chatbots.

Limitations: Authors should discuss the limitations and potential biases associated with using chatbots in the production of scientific texts.

Authors should disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process by adding a statement at the end of the main manuscript file before the References section. The statement should be placed in a new section entitled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process.”

Statement: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF the TOOL/SERVICE] for the purpose of [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

This statement does not apply to the use of basic tools for grammar and spelling checking, as well as reference management, among other practices. If there is nothing to reveal, there is no need to add a statement.

These policies are critical to maintaining the high ethical standards of scientific publishing and ensuring confidence in the integrity of the content published by BJCVS.

Inclusive language, which is sensitive to differences and promotes equal opportunities, is essential in the composition of scientific manuscripts. BJCVS advises authors to ensure their manuscript writing is free of prejudices, stereotypes, colloquialisms, and references to the dominant culture. It is important to avoid descriptors that refer to irrelevant personal attributes and to opt for plural nouns to pursue gender neutrality. In addition, the use of offensive or exclusionary terms in coding terminology should be avoided.

Aligned with the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines, BJCVS emphasizes the need for explicit inclusion and analysis of sex and gender data in surveys, where applicable. Authors should clearly report sex and gender determination methods and analyze how these variables affect research results.

It is essential to discuss the relevance of sex and gender in the results and to consider these differences in data interpretation. This commitment to accuracy and equity in research is reflected not only in the content but also in the language used in the manuscripts.

For further information on inclusive writing practices and the SAGER guidelines, see chapter 11 of the AMA Manual of Style, 11th ed.

Research Ethics Committee Involving Human Subjects: All research involving human subjects submitted to BJCVS must be approved by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) of the responsible institution, adhering to the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, revised in 2013 (Declaration of Helsinki), and Resolution 466/2012 of the Brazilian National Health Council.

Manuscripts must be accompanied by a statement confirming that the research was conducted with informed and appropriate consent from all participants involved. Written consent must be obtained from the patient (or their legal guardian or executor, if applicable) for the publication of any details or photographs that may identify an individual.

International research authors should ensure that their studies have obtained approval from an appropriate ethics committee and provide documentation supporting this approval. Authors should be aware of and adhere to the ethical standards of their local jurisdictions, in addition to complying with global ethical guidelines.

Experimental Research Involving Animals: Experimental studies involving animals must comply with the ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) and PREPARE (Planning Research and Experimental Procedures on Animals: Recommendations for Excellence) guidelines. These guidelines must be applied alongside the Brazilian Guideline for the Care and Use of Animals in Teaching or Scientific Research Activities (DBCA), issued by the National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA).

The PREPARE Guide is available at: https://norecopa.no/prepare. The ARRIVE Guide is available at: https://arriveguidelines.org/. DBCA (CONCEA Normative Resolution No. 55) can be accessed at: https://www.in.gov.br/web/dou/-/resolucao-n-55-de-5-de-outubro-de-2022-434869177