Ensuring responsible AI use, transparent fees, and fair peer review, with decisions based solely on research quality.
Well-defined publishing policies play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly communication. Clear policies — covering areas such as authorship, ethical conduct, peer review, data handling, AI usage, and publication fees — provide a structured framework that guides authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the publication process. Their presence helps prevent ethical violations, promotes fairness and accountability, and ensures that editorial decisions are based solely on scientific merit rather than external influences. By establishing consistent standards and expectations, publishing policies strengthen the trust of the academic community, protect the quality of the scientific record, and support a responsible and professional publishing environment.
How to use this page
Every policy governing publication at Brieflands is listed below, grouped by subject. These policies apply across all Brieflands journals and are maintained as a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors preparing a manuscript should also read the step-by-step Instruction for Authors, which covers article types, manuscript preparation, submission and post-acceptance procedures.
Ethical framework and oversight
The overarching standards our editors apply, and the external guidance they are held to.
Core ethics framework
Where our publication-ethics commitments are defined and how they are supervised.
Authorship and disclosure
Who qualifies as an author, what they must declare, and how competing interests are handled.
Editorial independence and peer review
How editorial decisions are reached, and the obligations of those who assess manuscripts.
Editorial and reviewer conduct
Decisions rest on scientific merit alone; reviewers and editors are bound by defined duties.
Transparency of review
Our open peer review model and the review records published alongside articles.
Research integrity and misconduct
What we treat as misconduct, how allegations are investigated, and how decisions can be challenged.
Misconduct and investigation
Procedures follow COPE flowcharts, with a defined route for appeal.
Specific forms of malpractice
Each is defined so authors know precisely what is not acceptable.
Corrections, retractions and the published record
How the record is amended after publication, and the distinctions between each mechanism.
Amending published work
Corrections and concerns are issued transparently and linked to the original article.
Retraction, withdrawal and republishing
Retraction and withdrawal are different actions with different consequences.
Research data, participants and animals
Obligations covering the evidence behind a paper and the subjects of the research.
Data and reproducibility
Expectations for data availability and for results that others can verify.
Human and animal research
Ethical approval and welfare requirements for studies involving living subjects.
Access, copyright and preservation
Who may reuse our content, on what terms, and how long it remains available.
Open access, copyright and licensing
Reuse terms are stated explicitly for every article we publish.
Permanence and archiving
Independent preservation ensures the record survives beyond our own systems.
Artificial intelligence
What authors, reviewers and editors may and may not do with generative AI tools, and what must be disclosed.
AI policy for authors
AI tools cannot be authors; their use must be declared.
AI disclosure and peer review
How AI involvement is recorded on published work and constrained during review.
Publication charges
Fees are published in advance and never influence editorial decisions.
Article processing charges
Rates, calculation and available discounts, stated before submission.
Funding and advertising
Sources of support are declared, and advertising is kept separate from content.
Privacy and data protection
How personal data of authors, reviewers and readers is handled.
Privacy and cookies
Data handling is governed by GDPR-aligned policy.
Author identity and records
Persistent identifiers keep attribution accurate and verifiable.
Author guidance and raising a concern
These policies set the rules. For the practical steps of preparing and submitting a manuscript, use the Instruction for Authors. If you believe a Brieflands article or journal has breached any policy on this page, tell us and we will investigate in line with COPE guidance.
- Instruction for Authors — article types, manuscript preparation, submission and after acceptance
- Knowledge Base — the full set of author, reviewer and editor guidance
- Complaints and Appeals — how to challenge an editorial decision
- Contact Us — to report a suspected policy breach
- Submit a Ticket — for submission and account problems
- Company Profile — ownership, legal entity and registered address