Ethics policy
Scientific Ethics and Integrity
Authorship and Author Contributions (CRediT)
The journal Biodiversidade Brasileira adopts the CRediT Taxonomy (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) to identify and provide transparency regarding the individual contributions of each author. This internationally recognized standard describes the different roles performed in conducting research and preparing a manuscript, including study conceptualization, methodology, data collection and curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, project administration, software development, validation, data visualization, original draft writing, and manuscript review and editing.
The declaration of contributions is mandatory and aims to properly recognize each author's participation, promote transparency in authorship attribution, and prevent practices such as ghost authorship or the omission of contributors who effectively participated in the work. Contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in the Acknowledgements section.
Originality, Plagiarism, and Redundant Publication
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal.
The journal does not accept manuscripts containing plagiarism, self-plagiarism without appropriate citation, duplicate publication, inappropriate fragmentation of results from the same study (salami publication), or any other practice that compromises the originality and integrity of scientific production.
All manuscripts are subject to similarity screening using specialized software. If evidence of irregularities is identified, the editorial team may request clarification from the authors, require corrections, reject the manuscript, or notify the authors' affiliated institution for further investigation.
If misconduct is identified after publication, the journal may take appropriate measures to preserve the integrity of the scientific record, including the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or article retractions, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Research Ethics and Legal Authorizations
Research submitted to Biodiversidade Brasileira must comply with ethical principles and applicable legislation relevant to the subject of study.
Authors are responsible for obtaining, prior to conducting the research, all approvals, authorizations, permits, licenses, and registrations required by the competent authorities, and for reporting these approvals in the Materials and Methods section of the manuscript.
When applicable, the manuscript must include:
- The approval number issued by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) and the corresponding registration with the National Research Ethics Commission, including the Certificate of Ethical Review Submission, for research involving human participants, including interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, participant observation, and other forms of personal data collection.
- The protocol number approved by the Animal Ethics Committee for studies involving animals and, when required, permits issued by biodiversity or environmental authorities.
- Registration in the Genetic Heritage Management System for research involving access to genetic heritage or associated traditional knowledge.
- Any other legal authorizations necessary for conducting the research.
The absence of mandatory approvals or authorizations may result in rejection during the formal assessment stage. The editorial team may request supporting documentation at any time to verify the ethical and legal compliance of the research.
Confidentiality
The journal Biodiversidade Brasileira ensures the confidentiality of all information related to submitted manuscripts throughout the editorial process.
Editors, reviewers, editorial staff members, and other collaborators involved in manuscript handling must treat all information as confidential and use it exclusively for evaluation and editorial decision-making purposes.
Manuscripts, review reports, and the information contained therein may not be disclosed, shared, or used for personal benefit or for the benefit of third parties prior to publication, except when authorized by the authors or required by law.
Reviewers must not use unpublished data, results, methodologies, or ideas obtained during the review process in their own research or publications, nor discuss manuscript content with unauthorized individuals.
The identities of authors and reviewers will be protected according to the review model adopted by the journal, and all personal information collected during the editorial process will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy laws.
Confidentiality may be exceptionally breached only when necessary to investigate suspected scientific misconduct or when legally required, always in accordance with the principles of ethics, transparency, and due process.
Data, Image, and Results Integrity
Authors are fully responsible for the authenticity, accuracy, and integrity of the data, images, analyses, and results presented in the manuscript.
Biodiversidade Brasileira does not accept data fabrication or falsification, inappropriate manipulation of images, graphs, or results, deliberate omission of relevant information, or any practice that may compromise the reliability of the research.
Whenever indications of inconsistencies or irregularities arise, the editorial team may request raw data, spreadsheets, databases, original images, georeferencing files, analytical code, or other documents necessary to verify the integrity of the information presented.
Failure to provide the requested materials, or confirmation of inappropriate manipulation, may result in manuscript rejection or, when applicable, the adoption of post-publication editorial measures, including corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions, in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
