Publishing ethics & research integrity

 

1. Editorial Commitment

The European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence, and transparency throughout the editorial and publishing process. The journal recognises that maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record is a shared responsibility involving authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and readers.

As an international, peer-reviewed, Diamond Open Access journal, EJFB seeks to foster a research environment founded on honesty, fairness, accountability, scientific rigour, and respect for all participants in scholarly communication. The journal promotes ethical research practices, responsible authorship, objective peer review, and transparent editorial decision-making, ensuring that all published contributions meet internationally recognised standards of scientific integrity.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on the scholarly merit, originality, methodological soundness, relevance, and contribution of submitted manuscripts. These decisions are made independently of commercial interests, institutional affiliations, political considerations, or any form of discrimination. EJFB is committed to ensuring that all editorial processes are conducted fairly, consistently, confidentially, and without bias.

The journal considers the preservation of the scholarly record to be one of its fundamental responsibilities. Whenever concerns arise regarding the integrity of submitted or published work, EJFB will act promptly, fairly, and transparently, following internationally recognised best practices to investigate concerns and, where appropriate, issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions.

By establishing clear editorial policies and ethical standards, EJFB aims not only to safeguard the quality and credibility of the research it publishes, but also to strengthen trust within the international scholarly community and contribute to the responsible advancement of knowledge in the field of family business research.

 

2. COPE Membership and Ethical Framework

The European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) has been a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) since 2021 (number JM15455). As a COPE member, the journal is committed to applying internationally recognised standards of publication ethics and to promoting responsible research and scholarly publishing throughout all stages of the editorial process.

EJFB's editorial policies are guided by the COPE Core Principles, the COPE Code of Conduct for Members, and the extensive guidance, flowcharts, and best practice recommendations developed by COPE to assist journals in addressing ethical issues consistently, fairly, and transparently.

The journal embraces the following six Core Principles, which underpin all editorial policies, procedures, and publication decisions:

• Accountability – taking responsibility for editorial policies, procedures, decisions, and continuous improvement.
• Fairness, Justice and Equity – ensuring impartial, inclusive, and unbiased treatment of all participants in the publication process.
• Integrity – promoting honesty, ethical conduct, editorial independence, and responsible research practices.
• Rigour and Accuracy – supporting robust research methodologies, accurate reporting, and high standards of scholarly communication.
• Stewardship – preserving and protecting the integrity of the scholarly record for current and future generations.
• Transparency – maintaining clear, accessible, and publicly available editorial policies and decision-making processes.

These principles provide the ethical foundation for all journal activities and are reflected throughout the policies described in this document. They guide the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, and the Editorial Board, while supporting EJFB's commitment to maintaining public trust in scholarly publishing.

Whenever ethical concerns arise that are not explicitly addressed in these policies, the journal will consider the relevant guidance issued by COPE and evaluate each case individually, taking into account the specific circumstances and the principles of fairness, proportionality, transparency, and integrity.

 

3. Ethical Conduct of Research

EJFB is committed to promoting the highest standards of research ethics and research integrity. Authors are expected to conduct their research responsibly, in accordance with internationally recognised ethical principles, applicable legislation, and the requirements established by their institutions and funding bodies.

Research ethics concerns the protection of research participants, animals, communities, and the environment throughout the research process. Research integrity refers to the responsible conduct of research, ensuring honesty, transparency, methodological rigour, accountability, and the accurate reporting of research findings.

The journal expects all submitted manuscripts to comply with these principles and reserves the right to request additional information or documentation whenever ethical issues require clarification.

Research Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants is fundamental to advancing knowledge in many areas of family business research. EJFB is committed to ensuring that such research is conducted responsibly, ethically, and with full respect for the dignity, rights, safety, and privacy of all participants.

Authors are expected to conduct their research in accordance with internationally recognised ethical standards, applicable national legislation, and the requirements established by their institutions or funding bodies. Where required, ethical approval must be obtained before the research is conducted.

Research involving human participants includes, but is not limited to:

• interviews;
• questionnaires and surveys;
• focus groups;
• behavioural observation;
• experiments;
• case studies involving identifiable individuals;
• collection or analysis of identifiable personal data;
• the use of biological, genetic or other sensitive personal information.

Research involving vulnerable populations or addressing particularly sensitive topics requires special consideration and appropriate ethical safeguards.

Ethical Approval

Unless specifically exempt under applicable regulations, studies involving human participants or identifiable personal data must receive approval from an appropriate Research Ethics Committee (REC), Institutional Review Board (IRB), or equivalent body before data collection begins.

Authors should ensure that ethical approval covers all aspects of the research, including participant recruitment, informed consent procedures, data collection, storage, processing, and dissemination.

When submitting a manuscript, authors must include, in both the Title Page an Ethical Statement with the following information:

• name of the Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board;
• approval or reference number (where applicable);
• date of approval.

If the manuscript is accepted for publication, this information will appear in the published article.

An example is provided below:

Ethical Statement
This study was approved by the [Name of Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board] (Approval No. XXXXXXX) on [date].

Research exempt from ethical approval

Certain types of research may not require formal ethical approval under the applicable legal or institutional framework. Examples may include:

• research exclusively based on information that is already publicly available;
• analysis of fully anonymised datasets where individuals cannot be identified;
• non-invasive observation of public behaviour that does not identify participants;
• anonymous educational surveys involving non-vulnerable participants and presenting minimal risk;
• studies involving public officials acting in their official capacity.

Whenever authors consider that ethical approval was not required, they should be prepared to justify this decision if requested by the Editorial Office.

Regardless of whether formal ethical approval is required, all research involving human participants must respect the principles of privacy, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and data protection.

Informed Consent

Obtaining informed consent is a fundamental principle of ethical research involving human participants. Participants should receive sufficient information to understand:

• the purpose of the study;
• what participation involves;
• any reasonably foreseeable risks or inconveniences;
• how personal information and research data will be collected, stored, and used;
• whether anonymity or confidentiality can be guaranteed;
• their right to refuse participation or withdraw at any time without adverse consequences.

Whenever possible, informed consent should be obtained in writing. Electronic consent procedures are acceptable provided that participants explicitly indicate their agreement to participate.

Where the research addresses particularly sensitive issues or involves vulnerable participants, authors should demonstrate that appropriate safeguards were implemented to ensure fully informed and voluntary participation.

If informed consent has been obtained, authors should include an appropriate statement in the manuscript.

For example:

Ethical Statement
The authors confirm that informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.

Confidentiality and protection of personal data

Authors are responsible for protecting the confidentiality, privacy, and personal data of research participants throughout the entire research process. Any information that could directly or indirectly identify an individual should be removed from the manuscript and any supplementary material unless explicit written permission for disclosure has been obtained. Authors should ensure that personal data are collected, processed, stored, and shared in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and institutional requirements.

Where research is conducted anonymously, authors should clearly indicate this in the Ethical Statement.

For example:

Ethical Statement
Data were collected anonymously and no participant could be identified from the information reported in this study.

 

4. Publication Ethics

The European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity throughout the publication process. Publication ethics extend beyond the ethical conduct of research and encompass every stage of scholarly communication, from manuscript submission and peer review to editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication management.

The journal expects all participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the Editorial Board—to act honestly, responsibly, and transparently, in accordance with internationally recognised standards of scholarly publishing.

EJFB does not tolerate research or publication misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate authorship, duplicate publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest, manipulation of the peer-review process, paper mills, or any other practice that compromises the integrity of the scholarly record. Whenever concerns regarding publication ethics arise, the journal will investigate them fairly, confidentially, and proportionately, following its own editorial policies and the relevant guidance provided by COPE.

Conflicts of Interest

 EJFB is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are made objectively and independently. Authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the Editorial Board are therefore expected to disclose any relationships or circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their judgement or compromising the integrity of the publication process.

A conflict of interest may be financial, professional, institutional, personal, or academic in nature. The existence of a conflict of interest does not necessarily preclude participation in the publication process, provided that it is disclosed transparently and appropriately managed.

managed.

Authors

Authors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. A conflict of interest statement must be included in the Title Page, even if there are no conflicts to declare.

Where no competing interests exist, authors should state:

Declaration of Interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Reviewers

Reviewers should decline invitations to review manuscripts whenever they have a conflict of interest that could affect—or reasonably be perceived to affect—their objectivity or impartiality. Potential conflicts may include, for example, recent collaboration with the authors, institutional affiliation, personal relationships, or direct academic competition.

Editors

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts whenever a conflict of interest exists or could reasonably be perceived to exist. In such circumstances, editorial responsibility will be assigned to another editor to ensure an independent and impartial evaluation.

Originality, Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

EJFB publishes only original scholarly work. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work has not been previously published, is not under consideration elsewhere, and has been approved by all authors and, where applicable, by the relevant institutions. The journal does not accept:

• plagiarism;
• self-plagiarism or excessive text recycling;
• duplicate or redundant publication;
• salami publication;
• fabricated or falsified data;
• manipulated images or research results.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are appropriately acknowledged and that any reused material is properly cited and, where necessary, reproduced with permission.

To safeguard the originality of published work, EJFB screens submitted manuscripts using plagiarism-detection software before publication. Manuscripts presenting unacceptable levels of overlap or evidence of plagiarism may be rejected or investigated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures.

Research and Publication Misconduct

Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-assisted Technologies

 

5. Responsabilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) are expected to uphold the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct throughout the research, writing, submission, and publication processes. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have read and agree to comply with the journal's editorial policies and ethical standards.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted work is original, accurate, and has not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another journal. All data, analyses, and findings must be reported honestly and transparently, without fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or inappropriate manipulation.

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the conception or design of the work, the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, or the drafting and critical revision of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Changes in authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all authors. Further information is available in the journal's Authorship Policy.

Authors are expected to disclose all financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing their work. Any use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies must comply with the journal's policy on the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-assisted Technologies.

Where applicable, authors must ensure that research involving human participants complies with recognised ethical standards, including approval by the appropriate ethics committee and the obtaining of informed consent, as described in the journal's Research Ethics and Research Integrity policy.

Authors are encouraged to retain research data and supporting materials for a reasonable period after publication and to make them available when appropriate, subject to ethical, legal, and confidentiality considerations. Where data availability statements are required, these should accurately describe the accessibility of the underlying data.

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they have a responsibility to notify the journal promptly and cooperate with the editors in issuing a correction, retraction, or other appropriate notice to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Compliance with these responsibilities is essential to maintaining the quality, credibility, and integrity of the scientific record and the trust placed in scholarly publishing.

 

6. Responsabilities of Reviewers

Peer review is a fundamental component of scholarly publishing and plays a key role in maintaining the quality, credibility, and integrity of the scientific record. Reviewers are expected to provide fair, constructive, objective, and timely evaluations that contribute to improving the quality of submitted manuscripts and support informed editorial decision-making.

Reviewers should accept invitations to review only when they have the appropriate expertise, can provide an impartial assessment, and are able to complete the review within the requested timeframe. If they identify any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could affect their impartiality, they should promptly inform the editorial office and decline the review where appropriate.

All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, copy, or use any part of a manuscript for personal or professional advantage before publication. Information obtained through peer review must remain confidential, even if the manuscript is not ultimately published.

Reviews should be based exclusively on the scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, clarity, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal's scope. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate. Reviewers are encouraged to provide constructive comments supported by clear arguments and, where appropriate, relevant references that may assist authors in improving their work.

If reviewers identify potential ethical concerns, including plagiarism, redundant publication, data fabrication or falsification, image manipulation, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of research or publication misconduct, they should confidentially notify the editors and provide any available supporting information.

Reviewers must not use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies to analyse, summarise, or evaluate confidential manuscripts if doing so may compromise confidentiality or result in the disclosure of unpublished content to third parties. The preparation of peer review reports should rely on the reviewer's own independent expertise and professional judgement, in accordance with the journal's policy on the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-assisted Technologies.

By accepting a review invitation, reviewers contribute to safeguarding the integrity, fairness, and quality of the editorial process and the advancement of scholarly knowledge.

 

7. Responsabilities of Editors

Editors play a central role in safeguarding the quality, integrity, transparency, and credibility of the editorial process. The editorial team of the European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) is committed to ensuring an editorial process that is fair, independent, transparent, timely, and based exclusively on the scholarly merit of submitted manuscripts, in accordance with the journal's editorial policies, ethical standards, and the principles promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Editorial decisions are based on the originality, methodological rigour, significance, clarity, and relevance of the manuscript to the journal's aims and scope. Decisions are made without discrimination based on the authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, religious or political beliefs, or other personal characteristics.

Editors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts undergo a fair, objective, and confidential peer review process. They are expected to select reviewers with appropriate expertise, manage the review process impartially, and carefully consider reviewers' recommendations while exercising independent editorial judgement.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts and associated communications throughout the editorial process. Information obtained through the handling of a manuscript must not be disclosed to unauthorised individuals or used for personal or professional advantage.

Editors should avoid any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest. Where such conflicts arise, they must withdraw from the editorial handling of the manuscript and delegate responsibility to another editor.

When concerns arise regarding research integrity or publication ethics during the editorial process, editors are responsible for addressing them fairly, confidentially, and in a timely manner, following the journal's policies and, where appropriate, the guidance provided by COPE.

Editors must not use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies to evaluate confidential manuscripts or to support editorial decision-making where doing so could compromise confidentiality or substitute independent editorial judgement. Any use of AI-assisted technologies within editorial workflows must comply with the journal's policy on the Responsible Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-assisted Technologies.

Through these responsibilities, the editorial team seeks to ensure that all editorial decisions are made with integrity, transparency, consistency, and respect for the highest standards of scholarly publishing.

Editorial Independence and Objectivity

The European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) is committed to safeguarding editorial independence and ensuring that all editorial decisions are made impartially and exclusively on the basis of scholarly merit.

To avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, the Editor-in-Chief does not publish original research articles in the journal during their term of office. Exceptions may be made for editorials, annual reviews, and introductions to special issues that they edit or co-edit.

Manuscripts submitted by editors or members of the Editorial Board are handled by an editor with no conflict of interest and no institutional affiliation with the authors. These submissions are subject to the same editorial standards and double-anonymous peer review process as all other manuscripts. Editors who are authors of a submission have no involvement in the editorial handling or decision-making process concerning their own manuscript.

Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts and peer review materials as strictly confidential. Unpublished information or ideas obtained through the editorial process must not be used for personal research or professional advantage without the explicit written consent of the authors.

 

8. Post-publication Issues

The European Journal of Family Business (EJFB) is committed to preserving the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. When concerns arise after publication regarding the validity, integrity, or ethical conduct of published research, the journal will respond promptly, fairly, transparently, and in accordance with its editorial policies and, where appropriate, the guidance provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Where necessary, the journal may publish corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other editorial notices to ensure that readers are accurately informed about the status of the published work. Such actions will be taken when errors, research misconduct, ethical breaches, or other issues are confirmed and are considered necessary to protect the integrity of the scientific record.

Authors, reviewers, readers, or other interested parties may notify the journal of suspected errors, ethical concerns, or potential misconduct relating to submitted or published manuscripts. All allegations will be treated confidentially, assessed impartially, and investigated in a timely manner. The journal will provide the parties involved with an opportunity to respond before any editorial decision is made, whenever appropriate.

Complaints concerning the editorial process, peer review, or publication ethics will be handled fairly, objectively, and without discrimination. The journal is committed to ensuring that complaints and appeals are considered independently and that editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly and ethical considerations.

Where investigations involve institutions, research funders, or other relevant organisations, EJFB may cooperate with those bodies to facilitate an appropriate resolution while maintaining confidentiality whenever possible.

The journal is committed to correcting the scholarly record whenever necessary and to ensuring that post-publication actions are transparent, proportionate, and guided by the principles of research integrity and responsible scholarly publishing.