General Principles

The Babylonian Journal of Machine Learning (BJML) strictly adheres to the ethical standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have carefully reviewed and agreed to its content, ensuring that it complies with all of the journal's policies and ethical guidelines.

Affiliations

All authors are required to provide a complete list of their affiliations to appropriately acknowledge the institutions or organizations involved in approving, funding, or conducting the research or academic work.

Appeals and Complaints

The Babylonian Journal of Machine Learning (BJML) adheres to the ethical guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for handling appeals and complaints regarding editorial decisions or the peer review process.

Authors are encouraged to submit genuine appeals if they can provide substantial evidence or new data that addresses the editor’s and reviewers’ feedback. The editorial team ensures that all appeals are reviewed fairly and transparently.

For submitting appeals or raising complaints, please contact us at appeals@mesopotamian.press.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgment must be given to individuals or organizations that contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria. This includes financial support, technical assistance, or editorial contributions.

For guidance, authors can refer to the COPE Guidelines.

Authorship

General Guidelines

The inclusion of authors in an article is an essential recognition of those who have made significant contributions to the research, while also ensuring accountability and transparency to uphold the content's integrity.

To qualify for authorship, individuals must fulfill all the following criteria:

Changes to Authorship

Any changes to the authorship list, whether before or after publication, require unanimous consent from all authors, including those being added or removed. The corresponding author is responsible for securing agreement from all co-authors and providing a clear explanation for the changes. Additionally, authors must complete and submit the Change of Authorship Form along with their request.

For post-publication changes, corrections will be communicated through post-publication notifications. All requests for authorship changes must adhere to the journal’s authorship guidelines. Substantial alterations to authorship after acceptance may be rejected unless accompanied by compelling justifications and evidence of the contributions made by the affected authors.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit should be based exclusively on significant contributions to the following three core areas:

Authorship cannot be granted solely for activities such as securing funding or data collection. Similarly, general supervision of a research group does not satisfy authorship criteria. All listed authors must have made substantial contributions that justify public accountability for their respective roles in the work.

The order of authorship should represent the relative contributions of each individual to the research and the manuscript. Once submitted, changes to the authorship sequence require explicit consent from all authors. The Babylonian Journal of Machine Learning (BJML) may impose limits on the number of authors based on factors such as the manuscript type, scope, and institutional affiliations. If the number of authors exceeds these limits, a detailed justification must be provided.

Contribution Details

Every individual involved in the project must provide a detailed description of their specific contributions, categorized into areas such as:

This ensures transparency and accountability for each contributor’s role in the research.

Citations

To substantiate claims in both research and non-research articles, authors must include citations to relevant, current, and reliable sources, prioritizing peer-reviewed literature.

Authors should avoid excessive or inappropriate self-citation and must not engage in prearranged agreements with other authors to cite each other's work inappropriately. Such actions are considered citation manipulation, which is a form of ethical misconduct. For further guidance, authors can consult the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on citation manipulation.

Non-Research Articles

For non-research articles, such as Reviews or Opinion pieces, references should be relevant and present a balanced, thorough overview of the existing scholarly work on the topic. It is crucial to maintain fairness in citation practices, avoiding any undue bias toward a particular research group, organization, or journal.

Uncertain Sources

If authors are uncertain about whether a source should be cited, they are encouraged to seek guidance from the journal's editorial office for clarification.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must fully disclose any conflicts of interest associated with the publication of their manuscript. This includes affiliations with institutions or products mentioned in the manuscript that could significantly influence the study's findings. Authors must also declare any conflicts of interest involving competing products referenced in their work. Both authors and reviewers are required to complete the Conflict of Interest Form.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

Corrections

A Correction Notice is published when errors or omissions are identified that could influence the interpretation of an article but do not undermine its scholarly integrity. Examples include incorrect graphical representations, missing funding information, or undeclared conflicts of interest.

The journal employs two types of correction notices:

Retractions

A Retraction Notice is issued when significant errors, such as flaws in methodology or analysis, invalidate an article's conclusions. Retractions also address cases of research or publication misconduct, including:

Retraction decisions are made in accordance with COPE guidelines. Authors or institutions may also request retractions when justified. All retractions follow these principles:

The primary purpose of retractions is to correct the scholarly record and uphold its integrity, not to penalize authors. Issues like authorship disputes are generally resolved through a corrigendum rather than a retraction. For assistance with authorship disputes, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern is issued when significant concerns, such as suspected misconduct, arise but cannot be conclusively resolved immediately or require a lengthy investigation due to their complexity. After the investigation is completed, the Expression of Concern may result in either a Retraction or a Correction Notice, both of which will remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

For inquiries or concerns about such cases, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Removals

In exceptional circumstances, a Removal Notice may be issued when neither a Retraction nor a Correction can adequately address the issue. This typically applies when the content is defamatory, infringes on legal rights, or is subject to a court order. In such cases, a notification of removal will be published in place of the removed article.

Consent for Publication

When including specific information or images of an individual in a manuscript, obtaining written informed consent from the individual is mandatory. For individuals under 18, consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian. Authorization must also include permission to publish such details under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, ensuring the information will be freely accessible online. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from their closest living relative prior to publication. The manuscript must include a statement confirming that written informed consent for publication has been obtained.

Authors may use a consent form to secure permission or utilize a form provided by their institution or local jurisdiction, if applicable. The consent form must explicitly state that the information and images will be publicly available online without restrictions. Authors should be prepared to submit the consent form to the Editor upon request, where it will be treated with confidentiality.

Consent Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for obtaining and securely archiving patient consent forms prior to publication. These forms must not be submitted with the manuscript or sent to the journal's editorial or publisher offices via email.

This policy upholds ethical publication standards while safeguarding patient privacy.

Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Journals enforce strict confidentiality protocols to safeguard the privacy of submitted papers, restricting access to individuals directly involved in the review and publication process. This includes the editorial team, corresponding authors, potential reviewers, assigned reviewers, and editors.

If misconduct is suspected, the manuscript may be shared with the ethical committees of the journal or relevant institutions and organizations to facilitate an investigation, in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts, where applicable.

This confidentiality policy is essential for maintaining trust, upholding the integrity of the publishing process, and respecting copyright and ethical standards.

Data Falsification/Fabrication

Data falsification or fabrication refers to the intentional manipulation or creation of data to mislead others. Such practices constitute severe academic misconduct, as they undermine the integrity of the academic record and can have far-reaching consequences.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of all data presented in their manuscripts before submission, ensuring it accurately reflects the research conducted. Additionally, authors must retain all original data included in their papers to support the journal's evaluation process.

Failure to provide original data upon request may lead to the rejection of the manuscript or the retraction of a published article. The journal enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward data falsification or fabrication to uphold the principles of academic integrity.

Desk Rejection Policy

A manuscript may be desk-rejected without entering the peer review process for any of the following reasons:

This policy ensures that only manuscripts meeting the journal's standards for quality and relevance are considered for peer review. For more details, please refer to the Author Guidelines.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Authors must confirm during the submission process that their article is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Failure to disclose this information is a serious ethical violation, as duplicate submission or publication is typically considered intentional. This policy applies to articles previously published in another language as well.

In line with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), authors pursuing secondary submission or publication (e.g., translating an article into English) must:

The translated article must explicitly inform readers that it is a translated version and include an appropriate citation to the original source. This practice ensures transparency and proper attribution in scholarly publishing.

Funding

Authors must disclose all sources of funding, including any financial support received for their research. A detailed account of the sponsor(s)’ involvement, if applicable, should be provided, covering various stages of the research process, from study design to manuscript submission. Authors are required to complete the Financial Disclosure Form and submit it along with their manuscript.

If the sponsor(s) had no involvement in specific aspects of the research or manuscript preparation, a clear statement to that effect must be included. All funding disclosures must be accurate and adhere to the guidelines of the respective funding organization. This policy promotes transparency and upholds the integrity of the publication process.

Images and Figures

When incorporating photographs, videos, or audio recordings that may reveal the identity of patients or research participants, obtaining Consent to Publish from the individuals is mandatory. For deceased participants, consent must be secured from their next of kin, and for minors or vulnerable individuals, consent must be provided by parents or legal guardians.

Authors should also consider cultural sensitivities regarding the use of images in their manuscripts. In some cultures, displaying human remains or images of deceased individuals may be restricted. Ethical protocols must be followed, respecting the views and approval processes of the relevant communities or groups.

Experimental Photographs

Photographic images, especially those obtained through microscopy, must accurately represent the original content. Any alterations or enhancements must be clearly detailed in the manuscript and figure legend to ensure transparency and prevent misleading readers.

Authors should be prepared to provide the journal’s editorial office with the original, unaltered, unannotated, and unprocessed images upon request.

Any modifications made to images must:

Reuse of Published Images

The use of images or figures from previously published materials requires prior permission from the copyright owner. Authors must include a statement in the figure legend confirming that this permission has been obtained and provide proper citation for the original source.

Even when reusing images under licenses that permit unrestricted use, proper attribution to the original source is mandatory.

Misconduct

The journal is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record and treats all forms of misconduct with the utmost seriousness. Any required actions will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). For concerns or reports of misconduct, please contact us at dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:

Specific Types of Misconduct

Definition and Consequences
Misconduct refers to actions that violate the journal's policies, publishing ethics, or guidelines set by COPE, WAME, ICMJE, or STM. Any activity threatening the integrity of the research or publication process will be thoroughly investigated following COPE protocols. Appropriate sanctions will be enforced to maintain ethical standards.

Publication Ethics

The journal and its editorial board are fully committed to upholding the policies and principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions
The editorial board is responsible for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication. These decisions are based on reviewer recommendations and compliance with legal and ethical standards, including considerations related to libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Confidentiality, Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest
Editors must uphold strict confidentiality throughout the review process, sharing manuscript details only with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and editorial advisers. To ensure transparency and ethical publishing practices, editors are required to complete the Conflict of Interest Form for Editorial Board Members.

Unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts must not be used in the research of editors, reviewers, or readers without the author’s explicit written consent. Comprehensive details about funding sources and their involvement in the research or publication process must be transparently disclosed to readers.

Author Relations
Editors should maintain fair and respectful communication with authors, providing clear and constructive feedback to support revisions and ensure the quality and integrity of published work.

Duties of Reviewers

Duties of Authors

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts first undergo an initial editorial review to assess their alignment with the journal’s focus and scope and to identify any major methodological shortcomings.

Manuscripts that meet these criteria proceed to a Single Blind Review process, in which at least two anonymous reviewers evaluate the manuscript. The reviewers' comments and recommendations are shared with the corresponding author, who is required to address the feedback and submit a detailed response.

The revised manuscript, along with the reviewers’ recommendations, is then discussed during an editorial board meeting. Based on this evaluation, the editor communicates the final decision to the corresponding author. This process ensures a rigorous, fair, and objective assessment of all submissions.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal enforces a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism, which includes the unauthorized use of another’s ideas, language, or work without proper attribution. Submissions containing any form of plagiarism—whether full, partial, duplicate publication, repetitive publication, or self-plagiarism in any language—will be rejected.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using professional plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts showing an unacceptable similarity index due to plagiarism will be immediately declined.

The use of a preprint archive is not regarded as redundant publication. The primary author bears full responsibility for the manuscript throughout the evaluation and publication process and is authorized to act on behalf of all co-authors.

Preprint Policy

The journal permits authors to share preprints of their manuscripts on platforms like arXiv or RePEc at any stage. Once the manuscript is accepted for publication, authors are encouraged to link their preprint to the formal publication using its Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

Authors may also update preprints on repositories to include the final accepted version of the manuscript. Sharing preprints facilitates the dissemination of research findings while maintaining the integrity of the formal publication process.

Patient Identifying Information

The publication of identifying information, such as textual descriptions, images, sonograms, CT scans, or pedigrees, should be avoided unless absolutely necessary for scientific purposes. In such cases, authors must obtain informed consent for publication from the patient, or from their parent or guardian if applicable. The journal adheres strictly to the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Authors must ensure that patients' names are not included in figures unless explicit informed consent has been obtained. For manuscripts containing patient photos or descriptions that could compromise anonymity, a statement confirming that informed consent was obtained must be included in the paper.

Consent Responsibility

Authors are responsible for obtaining and securely archiving patient consent forms prior to publication. These forms should not be submitted with the manuscript or sent via email to the editorial or publisher offices.

This policy upholds ethical publication standards while ensuring the protection of patient privacy.

Research Ethics and Consent

Studies involving humans, animals, and plants must adhere to ethical standards and secure the necessary ethical approvals. The following subsections detail specific requirements based on the type of research:

Research Involving Humans

For research involving human participants, authors must ensure compliance with the ethical guidelines specified in The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki). Ethical approval must be secured from an institutional review board (IRB) or an equivalent ethics committee before the research begins.

The manuscript must provide details of the approval process, including the name of the institution, the ethics board's designation, and the approval number(s). Retrospective approval is generally not accepted and may result in the research findings being ineligible for publication.

Authors must also include a declaration confirming that informed consent was obtained from participants before conducting experiments and that their privacy rights were consistently upheld.

Research Involving Animals

Studies involving animals must comply with international, national, and institutional guidelines for ethical treatment and welfare. Ethical approval must be obtained from an appropriate body, such as the Animal Ethics Committee or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), prior to commencing the study.

Authors are required to include a detailed ethics statement specifying the institution and the committee that granted approval, the approval number, and a justification for the use of animals in the research. Additionally, information on animal housing, care, and measures taken to minimize suffering must be provided.

Research Involving Plants

Research involving plants must adhere to institutional, national, and international guidelines. Authors are required to provide a declaration confirming that all necessary permissions or licenses for the research were obtained.

Compliance with the principles outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is mandatory.

Standards of Reporting

Research must be presented in a manner that facilitates verification and reproducibility. Authors are encouraged to provide detailed and transparent descriptions of their research, including:

Comprehensive reporting ensures that other researchers can replicate and build upon the work, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and scientific integrity.

Use of Third-Party Material

When including third-party content in a scholarly manuscript, authors must secure the necessary permissions. This content may include text, illustrations, photographs, tables, data, audio recordings, video footage, film stills, screenshots, or musical notation.

The use of brief excerpts for purposes such as critique or evaluation is typically allowed under fair use or similar provisions, but only within specific limits. For any material not covered by these provisions and not owned by the author, written consent from the copyright holder must be obtained before submission.

Following these guidelines ensures compliance with copyright laws and upholds ethical publishing standards.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

This policy applies exclusively to the writing process and does not extend to the use of AI tools for analyzing or deriving insights from data during research.

Authors who employ AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing process should focus on enhancing readability and language quality, ensuring that core authoring tasks—such as generating scientific or educational insights, drawing conclusions, or making clinical recommendations—are not replaced. The use of these technologies must remain under human supervision and control, with all content carefully reviewed and edited.

While AI-generated content may seem authoritative, it can be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Authors retain full responsibility and accountability for the content they produce.

Disclosure and Transparency

Authors are required to disclose their use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their manuscripts. A statement acknowledging this will be included in the published work to ensure transparency and build trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors. This policy also ensures compliance with the terms of use for the tools or technologies utilized.

Authorship Responsibilities

AI should not be credited as an author or listed as a co-author, as authorship entails responsibilities that only humans can fulfill. Authors are accountable for:

This policy preserves the integrity and accountability of scholarly work while promoting the ethical use of AI technologies.

Use of AI in Peer Review

Our journal recognizes the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in scholarly publishing while underscoring that the peer-review process relies on human judgment, critical thinking, and evaluation. Accordingly, the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in peer review is guided by the following principles:

Human Responsibility

Peer review requires critical analysis and nuanced assessment that generative AI cannot deliver. The responsibility of reviewing scientific manuscripts is reserved exclusively for human reviewers and editors.

Confidentiality

Reviewers and editors are prohibited from uploading manuscripts or any portion of them into generative AI tools. These tools cannot ensure confidentiality, security, or privacy, potentially exposing manuscripts to unauthorized access or misuse. Such actions risk violating authors' confidentiality, proprietary rights, data privacy, and the terms of use of the AI tool.

Peer Review Reports

The confidentiality of the peer review process also extends to peer review reports and related communications, including decision letters. These documents often contain sensitive information and must not be uploaded to generative AI tools for purposes such as language improvement or readability enhancement.

AI in Decision-Making

Generative AI must not be employed to assist in the review, evaluation, or decision-making process of manuscripts. The final evaluation of a manuscript's quality, validity, and impact must be conducted by qualified human reviewers and editors.

Ethical Use of AI

While generative AI is not permitted in the peer-review process, the journal supports the ethical use of AI technologies for initial editorial processes. Acceptable uses include plagiarism detection, completeness checks, and identifying potential reviewers. These AI tools must adhere to ethical standards, maintain confidentiality, and protect the identity and privacy of all parties involved.

Acknowledgment of Ethical Standards

The journal and its contributors are dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to adhere to the principles established by respected organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm their commitment to these ethical guidelines and accept full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their work. Reviewers and editors are equally obligated to uphold objectivity, confidentiality, and respect throughout the evaluation process, ensuring fairness and transparency in all editorial decisions.

The journal is proactive in addressing allegations of ethical misconduct, implementing rigorous protocols to investigate and resolve disputes. This shared commitment to ethical standards fosters trust, accountability, and excellence in academic publishing.

Closing Statements

The journal is committed to upholding the integrity and transparency of the publishing process. By following internationally recognized ethical guidelines, we strive to foster a culture of trust and accountability in academic research. We encourage all contributors to embrace these values by adhering to principles of fairness, honesty, and rigor throughout the research and publication process.

These ethics policies form the foundation of our collective commitment to advancing knowledge while respecting the rights and responsibilities of all members of the scholarly community.