Ethical Guidelines

Date of adoption: 11 November 2024

1. Purpose and Ethical Commitments

The Bulletin of Economic Studies (BEE) is committed to upholding the highest editorial ethics standards, ensuring that all publication-related processes are fair, transparent, and in line with ethical standards as set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Additionally, BEE is aligned with transparent management of conflicts of interest and ethical responsibility at every stage of the editorial process. This approach ensures that all involved parties, from editors to authors, adhere to ethical principles and operate with integrity and accountability.

BEE's primary purpose is to foster a publication environment based on trust, transparency, and professionalism. This commitment includes rigorous measures to prevent plagiarism and redundant publication and the promotion of originality and proper citation of sources used.

In summary, BEE is dedicated to following the best practices recommended by COPE and adopted by other academic journals at the University of Deusto (Spain) (https://revistas.deusto.es/). This includes a firm commitment to transparency in editorial management, publication integrity, and ethical responsibility in all interactions with involved parties.

The free participation of any individual in BEE’s submission, editorial flow, production, and content dissemination processes automatically implies their adherence to this code of ethics, other editorial policies, and author guidelines of BEE, thus ensuring trust, respect, and support from the academic community.

2. Organisation, Governing Bodies, and Funding

2.1 Organisation and Governing Bodies

The Bulletin of Economic Studies (BEE) has been founded and is owned and promoted by Deusto Business Alumni, the Alumni Network of Deusto Business School, with its Editorial Team serving as the primary decision-making authority, responsible for setting the journal’s general policy and providing key guidance regarding its mission, management, and sustainability.

The Bulletin of Economic Studies is managed by an Editorial Team comprising a Management Board (consisting of one or more Chief Co-Editors) and an Editorial Board.

The journal’s Management Board is led by the Chief Co-Editors, appointed by Deusto Business Alumni, following consultation with and notification to the Dean of Deusto Business School, the Faculty of Economics and Business Studies of the University of Deusto. Deusto Business Alumni has the power to appoint and dismiss members of the Management Board as deemed necessary.

The Editorial Board is composed of faculty and experts in the fields of economics, management, and business sciences. They act as advisors in the assessment of submitted manuscripts and decisions regarding changes to the journal’s focus or scope. The Editorial Board members are appointed upon the Management Board's proposal and approved by Deusto Business Alumni.

2.2 Funding

The Bulletin of Economic Studies is a scientific journal published by Deusto Business Alumni in collaboration with Deusto Business School. The journal's funding comes exclusively from the financial support provided by Deusto Business Alumni, thus ensuring its sustainability and continuity.

3. Duties of the Journal's Management Board

The Management Board of the Bulletin of Economic Studies (BEE) is committed to ensuring the continuous improvement of the journal and the quality of published articles. This commitment highlights the importance of upholding academic integrity and respecting freedom of expression at all times. The Management Board will also periodically review the composition and active participation of the Editorial Board to promote and maintain high editorial standards.

Additionally, the BEE Management Board will ensure that all articles are reviewed fairly, objectively, and in a timely manner, maintaining anonymity for reviewers and authors to preserve impartiality in the peer review process. This approach underlines the need for a transparent and ethical review process, ensuring that reviewers are adequately informed about their roles and responsibilities.

The Management Board will issue corrections, retractions, or apologies when errors and/or misconduct are identified in published articles. This commitment includes following COPE’s recommendations for managing conflicts of interest and handling cases of ethical misconduct, ensuring that all editorial decisions are based solely on the academic quality and relevance of the submitted works.

4. Relations with Authors

The Bulletin of Economic Studies (BEE) is committed to maintaining a transparent and fair relationship with authors, ensuring that all contributions are evaluated objectively and without discrimination. Consequently, BEE requires that all submitted manuscripts be original and not previously published in any form. Authors must cite and acknowledge all sources used appropriately, avoiding any form of plagiarism or redundant publication.

Furthermore, BEE requires authors to disclose any financial or substantive conflict of interest that may influence the interpretation or presentation of their research upon manuscript submission. This transparency is crucial for maintaining integrity and trust in the publication process.

The Management Board will provide authors with detailed and constructive feedback during the peer review process, ensuring clear and respectful communication. In this regard, BEE will promote open and respectful dialogue between the journal’s Management Board and authors, facilitating continuous manuscript improvement and fostering fruitful academic collaboration.

Finally, BEE ensures that editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality and relevance of the submitted works. Authors will receive clear and timely notifications regarding the status of their manuscripts. This transparent and fair approach guarantees that authors are treated with respect and fairness at all times.

5. Peer Review Process

Peer review at the Bulletin of Economic Studies is characterised by impartiality, confidentiality, and scientific rigour. BEE ensures that all manuscripts are evaluated fairly and objectively, maintaining the anonymity of both reviewers and authors to preserve the impartiality of the process. This anonymity ensures that reviews are conducted without external influences, thereby fostering evaluations based solely on the scientific quality and merit of the work.

Specifically, during the peer review process, reviewers:

Must disclose any conflicts of interest, such as personal, professional, or economic relationships, and decline to review if they feel unqualified or have conflicts with the authors or competitors.
May choose to sign their reviews, but if they prefer to remain anonymous, the journal’s Management Board will respect this.
Must treat the manuscript as strictly confidential, neither discussing nor delegating it without the explicit permission of the editor.
May not use information, data, or theories from the manuscript for their own work unless it is published or with the author’s permission.
Must justify their analysis clearly and in detail and, if aware of similar published or reviewed manuscripts, inform the journal’s Management Board.

BEE ensures that reviewers receive clear guidelines regarding their roles and responsibilities. They must treat manuscripts with confidentiality, neither disclosing information to third parties nor, as previously mentioned, using reviewed content for anything other than assessment. This approach guarantees that manuscripts are handled with utmost respect and discretion, protecting the integrity of the review process.

Lastly, BEE promotes positive and constructive communication between reviewers and authors. Reviews should include detailed comments and suggestions for manuscript improvement, providing authors the opportunity to respond and make necessary adjustments. This collaborative approach not only enhances the quality of published articles but also strengthens the relationship between the academic community and the journal.

6. Transparency and Communication

The Bulletin of Economic Studies is committed to maintaining transparency in its editorial processes, ensuring that publication decisions are clear and justified. This commitment underscores the importance of open and honest communication with all stakeholders. Transparency extends to the disclosure of evaluation criteria and editorial decisions, providing authors with a clear understanding of how their manuscripts are handled.

BEE will adopt proactive communication practices, keeping authors and reviewers informed about the status of their manuscripts and the progress of the peer review process. The journal will ensure that response times are reasonable and that editorial decisions are communicated promptly. This approach not only improves the efficiency of the editorial process but also reinforces authors’ confidence in the integrity of the review system.

BEE is committed to publicly disclosing any conflicts of interest that may affect the impartiality of editorial decisions. The journal will implement strict policies to identify and manage conflicts of interest, ensuring that all actors involved act with integrity and transparency. This includes publishing statements of conflict of interest in accepted articles, providing readers with a clear view of any potential external influence.

7. Handling Complaints and Sanctions

In the case of substantiated suspicion of non-compliance with this Code’s ethical standards, the Management Board of the Bulletin of Economic Studies will conduct an immediate investigation. To this end, they may consult and seek advice from the Editorial Board if deemed necessary.

If the investigation determines that an author has breached publication ethics, the Management Board reserves the right to impose sanctions, which may include refusing future manuscripts from the author, rejecting her/his manuscripts under review, or retracting or correcting her/his already published articles. If a reviewer is found to have infringed ethical standards, the sanction may include disregarding her/his review report(s), excluding him/her from future reviews, and informing her/his institution or employer.

In cases where the misconduct concerns an Editorial Board member, the Bulletin of Economic Studies’ Management Board will investigate the matter without the participation of the affected member(s) and may seek additional advice. If the misconduct is confirmed, the Management Board will propose to the Management Board of Deusto Business Alumni the adoption of sanctions, which may include the dismissal of the member(s) involved. The final decision will be taken by this authority.

If a compliance breach is suspected within the Management Board or the Editorial Board, the investigation will be managed by the Management Board of Deusto Business Alumni, who will also make the final decision on sanctions, which may include the partial or complete dismissal of the Management Board and/or the Editorial Board.

Appendix:

The Bulletin of Economic Studies is directed and managed based on the Code of Ethics outlined above. For further details on its ethical standards, BEE generally adheres to COPE's Core Practices guidelines, highlighted for any interested party as follows:

Ethical Oversight:
https://publicationethics.org/oversight

Conflict of Interest Management and Ethical Misconduct Handling
https://publicationethics.org/misconduct

Retraction Guidelines:
https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines

Authorship and Collaboration
https://publicationethics.org/authorship

Competing Interests Disclosure:
https://publicationethics.org/competinginterests

Peer Review Process
https://publicationethics.org/peerreview

Journal Management
https://publicationethics.org/management

Appeals and Complaints
https://publicationethics.org/appeals