Policies & Statements

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Peer Review Policy

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Biomedical Research Horizons is committed to ensuring the publication of high-quality, credible, and ethically sound research. The journal follows a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, where the identities of both authors and reviewers remain concealed to maintain objectivity, fairness, and impartial evaluation.

  1. Review Process

Submission Screening

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to evaluate:

  • Relevance to the journal’s scope
  • Originality and scientific quality
  • Adherence to submission guidelines
  • Plagiarism check and ethical compliance

Manuscripts that meet these criteria are forwarded for peer review.

Double-Blind Review

  • Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers.
  • Authors and reviewers do not receive information that could reveal each other’s identity.
  • Reviewers assess the manuscript based on scientific merit, methodology, originality, clarity, and contribution to the field.
  1. Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide constructive, unbiased, and timely feedback
  • Maintain strict confidentiality of the manuscript
  • Declare any conflict of interest
  • Report ethical concerns, plagiarism, data fabrication, or other forms of misconduct
  1. Editorial Decision

Based on reviewers’ reports, the Editor-in-Chief may decide to:

  • Accept the manuscript
  • Accept after minor or major revisions
  • Request further revision and re-evaluation
  • Reject the manuscript

Revised submissions may be re-sent to reviewers for reassessment, depending on the extent of revisions.

  1. Conflict of Interest

The journal ensures that:

  • Reviewers with potential conflicts of interest are not assigned
  • Editors recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts exist
  • Transparency and ethical integrity are maintained throughout the process
  1. Review Timelines

The journal aims to complete the initial review process within 4–6 weeks, ensuring timely communication with authors while maintaining high-quality evaluations.

  1. Confidentiality

All manuscripts, reviewer identities, and communication remain confidential. Information is used solely for editorial and academic purposes and is not disclosed to unauthorized parties.

  1. Ethical Standards

The journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure ethical, transparent, and responsible peer-review practices.

 

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Open Access Policy

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Biomedical Research Horizons is committed to the principles of open and unrestricted access to scholarly research. The journal follows a fully open-access publishing model that ensures all published articles are freely available to readers worldwide without any subscription or access fees.

Free and Immediate Access

All articles published in Biomedical Research Horizons are accessible online immediately upon publication. Readers may view, download, distribute, and share the published content without financial or legal barriers, provided proper citation of the original work is maintained.

Author Rights and Licensing

The journal allows authors to retain the copyright of their work. Articles are published under an open-access license (such as Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) or another license specified by the journal), enabling maximum dissemination and reuse of scientific knowledge while ensuring appropriate credit to the authors.

No Access Charges

The journal does not impose any charges on readers or institutions for accessing published content. All published material remains permanently accessible through the journal’s website and any associated indexing or archiving platforms.

Archiving and Preservation

To ensure long-term preservation, the journal deposits published articles in recognized digital repositories and archiving services. This guarantees continuous availability of the scholarly record and protects against data loss.

Benefits of Open Access

Through its open-access model, Biomedical Research Horizons promotes global knowledge sharing, encourages scientific collaboration, enhances the visibility of authors, and supports equitable access to research regardless of geographical or economic limitations.

 

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Article Retraction Policy

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Biomedical Research Horizons is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Retractions are considered a serious action and are carried out only when necessary to correct the literature and ensure transparency, accuracy, and ethical compliance.

Grounds for Retraction

An article may be retracted if:

  • Evidence shows significant errors or inaccuracies that invalidate the findings or conclusions.
  • Misconduct is identified, including plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, unethical research practices, or peer-review manipulation.
  • The article contains duplicate publication, copyright violations, or unauthorized use of data or materials.
  • Authors request a retraction due to major flaws discovered after publication, provided the errors were unintentional.

Retraction Procedure

  • The Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the editorial board, evaluates all concerns raised by readers, reviewers, or authors.
  • Authors are informed of the concerns and given an opportunity to respond.
  • If grounds for retraction are confirmed, the journal issues a formal Retraction Notice.

Retraction Notice

  • A retraction notice is published in the journal, clearly linked to the original article.
  • It includes the reason for retraction, who initiated it, and supporting details as necessary.
  • The original article remains accessible but is watermarked or labeled as “Retracted” to maintain the scholarly record.

Corrections and Expressions of Concern

In cases where issues do not warrant full retraction:

  • Corrections (Errata)may be issued to amend minor errors.
  • Expressions of Concernmay be published when investigations are ongoing or when evidence is inconclusive.

Ethical Compliance

The retraction process follows guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.

 

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Privacy Statement

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Biomedical Research Horizons is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of its authors, reviewers, editorial members, and readers. This Privacy Statement outlines how the journal collects, uses, stores, and safeguards personal data in accordance with international ethical and publishing standards.

Collection of Information

The journal collects personal information such as names, affiliations, email addresses, and contact details solely for the purposes of processing submissions, managing peer reviews, communicating editorial decisions, and maintaining the journal’s administrative records.

Use of Information

Personal data submitted to the journal will be used exclusively for the stated purposes related to manuscript submission, peer-review management, publication, and indexing. The journal does not share personal information with any unauthorized third parties.

Confidentiality and Security

All personal information is handled with strict confidentiality. Manuscripts submitted for review are treated as confidential documents, and the identities of authors and reviewers are protected under the double-blind peer-review policy. The journal employs appropriate administrative and technical measures to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse of personal data.

Third-Party Services

The journal may use reputable indexing, archiving, or publishing platforms that adhere to international data protection standards. Any information shared with such services is limited to what is necessary for indexing, publication, or dissemination.

Data Retention

Personal and publication-related information is retained only as long as necessary to maintain the scholarly record and fulfill the journal’s operational requirements. Upon request and where applicable, personal data may be removed from non-essential records.

User Rights

Individuals have the right to request access to their personal information, correct inaccuracies, or seek deletion of data not required for the permanent scholarly record. Such requests may be sent directly to the editorial office.

Policy Updates

Biomedical Research Horizons reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Statement as needed to align with legal, ethical, or operational requirements. All changes will be made available on the journal’s official platform.