Policy Document

About the Journal

International Journal of Business, Management & Financial Insight (IJBMFI) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal publishing original research and scholarly work in the fields of business, management, and finance. The journal aims to provide insights and foster academic dialogue on contemporary issues affecting global and regional economic practices. IJBMFI encourages interdisciplinary research, theoretical advancements, and practical applications that contribute to the development of business and financial strategies. The journal serves as a platform for academics, researchers, and professionals to share knowledge, explore trends, and propose innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

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Aim & Scope

Aims/Objectives
IJBMFI aims to:

• Promote cutting-edge research in business, management, and financial studies

• Encourage interdisciplinary approaches that connect theory with real-world business practices

• Facilitate the exchange of ideas among academics, researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers

• Support innovation and strategic thinking in organizational development and financial decision-making

Scope
IJBMFI welcomes submissions that contribute to the understanding and advancement of the following (but not limited to) areas:

• Business Strategy and Policy

• Financial Markets and Institutions

• Corporate Finance

• Entrepreneurship and Innovation

• Organizational Behavior and Leadership

• Marketing and Consumer Behavior

• Human Resource Management

• International Business

• Operations and Supply Chain Management

• Economics and Econometrics

• Accounting and Auditing

• Business Ethics and Corporate Governance

• Risk Management and Financial Planning

• E-Business and Digital Transformation

• Sustainable Business and CSR

• Public Sector Management and Policy

• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development

Through a multidisciplinary lens, IJBMFI encourages theoretical advancements, empirical studies, and practical applications that contribute to effective business and financial practices. The journal serves as a vital platform for sharing insights, exploring emerging trends, and proposing solutions to complex challenges in today’s dynamic economic environment.

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Open Access Policy

The International Journal of Business, Management & Financial Insight is a fully open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to users and their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.  All published articles are immediately and permanently available online without subscription or access barriers.

All content is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.

Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.

IJBMFI does not impose any embargo period on published content.

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Plagiarism Policy

Introduction

The International Journal of Business, Management & Financial Insight (IJBMFI) is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism, in any form, is a serious violation of scholarly ethics and undermines the credibility of academic research. To preserve the authenticity and originality of published work, IJBMFI enforces a strict anti-plagiarism policy.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves using someone else’s work, ideas, or expressions without proper attribution, thereby misrepresenting them as one’s own. It includes, but is not limited to:

• Verbatim Copying: Reproducing text from any source without quotation marks and appropriate citation

• Improper Paraphrasing: Rewriting ideas from another work without crediting the original author

• Data Misuse: Using figures, tables, images, or datasets without permission or proper acknowledgment

• Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one's own previously published work without disclosure or citation

Plagiarism Threshold

• IJBMFI Standard: The similarity index of a manuscript must not exceed 19%. Manuscripts above this limit may be rejected or returned for major revision.

• Reference Benchmark: While the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan permits up to 19% similarity, IJBMFI adheres to a more rigorous threshold to ensure originality and academic excellence.

Detection and Responsibility

• Plagiarism Detection: All manuscripts are checked using reliable plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) prior to peer review.

• Author Responsibility: Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality of their submissions and proper citation of all sources. Submissions must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.

Handling of Plagiarism

• Initial Assessment: If plagiarism is suspected, the editorial team conducts an initial review to assess its extent.

• Verification: Suspected content is cross-verified with original sources. Authors may be contacted for clarification or explanation.

Decisions Based on Severity:

All authors are required to submit a Statement of Originality, confirming that:

• The work is original and free of plagiarism

• All sources are properly cited

• The manuscript is not under review elsewhere and has not been previously published

Appeals Process

Authors may appeal plagiarism-related decisions by submitting a formal request to the editorial board. Appeals will be reviewed impartially, and a final decision will be communicated following a detailed assessment.

Transparency and Retractions

In the event of a confirmed plagiarism case, IJBMFI will issue a formal retraction notice, publicly documenting the reason for the retraction to uphold transparency and preserve the academic record.

Use of AI-Generated Content

IJBMFI maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward AI-generated content in academic manuscripts. Submissions generated or significantly written with the aid of artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard, etc.) are not acceptable. Authors must ensure that all work reflects original human scholarship and critical thinking. Any violation of this policy will be treated with the same seriousness as traditional forms of plagiarism.

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Archiving Policy

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Peer Review Policy

Overview

The International Journal of Business, Management & Financial Insight (IJBMFI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence through a rigorous, impartial, and ethically guided peer review process. Every manuscript submitted is evaluated for its originality, methodological rigor, practical relevance, and contribution to the fields of business, management, finance, and related disciplines. The peer review system is fundamental to preserving the journal's integrity and scholarly impact.

Review Model: Double-Blind Peer Review

To ensure fairness and eliminate potential biases, IJBMFI operates a double-blind peer review system:

• Author Anonymity: Reviewers are not given access to the identities or affiliations of the authors.

• Reviewer Anonymity: Authors are not informed of the identities of the reviewers.

This model guarantees that submissions are assessed solely on academic merit.

Peer Review Workflow

1. Initial Editorial Screening

• Manuscripts are submitted via the IJBMFI online submission system.

• The editorial team conducts a preliminary check to confirm scope alignment, formatting compliance, ethical standards, and baseline academic quality.

• Submissions that do not meet these criteria may be desk-rejected without external review.

2. Reviewer Assignment

• Submissions passing the initial screening are assigned to at least two independent experts with relevant subject expertise.

• Reviewers are selected based on qualifications, research background, and absence of conflicts of interest.

3. Evaluation Process

• Reviewers assess manuscripts based on originality, clarity, theoretical grounding, methodological soundness, contribution to practice, and scholarly relevance.

• Recommendations fall into the following categories:

  • Accept without revision

  • Accept with minor revisions

  • Major revisions and resubmission required

  • Reject

4. Editorial Decision

• The editorial team reviews the reports and makes a final decision.

• For revise-and-resubmit decisions, authors are expected to respond to reviewer comments and submit a revised version within the specified timeframe.

• Revised manuscripts may be re-evaluated by the same or additional reviewers.

• Authors are informed of the final decision with detailed reviewer feedback.

Timelines

• The standard peer review timeline is 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the submission and reviewer availability.

• The journal endeavors to expedite the process while maintaining quality.

Reviewer Ethics and Responsibilities

Reviewer Selection

• Reviewers are selected based on expertise in relevant domains of business, economics, management, and finance.

• Diversity and objectivity are key criteria in reviewer recruitment.

Confidentiality

• Manuscripts under review are confidential and must not be shared or discussed without explicit permission from the editorial office.

Integrity and Professionalism

• Reviewers are expected to provide balanced, constructive, and respectful evaluations.

• Any potential conflict of interest must be disclosed immediately.

• Reviewers must recuse themselves from reviewing if impartiality cannot be guaranteed.

Appeals Process

Authors who believe their manuscript was unjustly rejected may submit a formal appeal to the editorial office. The appeal must include:

• A detailed rationale for the appeal

• Responses to reviewer concerns (where applicable)

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and/or an independent expert. The editorial decision following the appeal is final.

Commitment to Publication Ethics

IJBMFI follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines to ensure ethical conduct at all stages of the review process. All stakeholders—editors, reviewers, and authors—are expected to maintain integrity, confidentiality, and academic professionalism.

Reviewer Recognition

IJBMFI values the vital role of peer reviewers in upholding scholarly standards. To acknowledge their contributions:

• An annual list of reviewers is published on the journal's website (with permission).

• Certificates of appreciation are issued upon request.

Conclusion

The peer review process is central to IJBMFI’s mission of publishing high-impact, high-quality research. By adhering to transparent and ethically robust review practices, the journal ensures that only well-founded, meaningful contributions are disseminated to the academic and professional community.

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Copyright & Licensing Policy

Copyright Policy

The copyright policy of IJBMFI is based on a non-exclusive publishing agreement, according to which the journal retains the right of first publication, but the author(s) are free to publish their work subsequently. The copyright of all work rests with the author(s).

Licensing Policy

All articles published by IJBMFI are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0  (CC BY 4.0).

Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.

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Repository Policy

IJBMFI  permits authors to deposit all versions of their work in institutional or other repositories like Research Gate, ORCID, Academia, ArXiv, etc.  without embargo, including:

• Preprint (submitted version)

• Author’s Accepted Manuscript (AAM)

• Published Version (Version of Record)

Proper citation to the original published article is required.