Author Responsibilities and Legal Policies

Authors submitting manuscripts to Sustainable Trends and Business Research (STBR) are expected to adhere to the highest standards of scholarly integrity, legal compliance, and professional conduct. Submission of a manuscript to STBR signifies that the authors have read, understood, and agreed to comply with the journal’s ethical and legal requirements.

The policies outlined below clarify the responsibilities of authors in relation to authorship, originality, funding transparency, third-party permissions, and legal accountability.

1. Authorship Criteria and Author Contributions

Authorship carries both academic credit and responsibility. All individuals listed as authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work.

To qualify for authorship, contributors should have participated meaningfully in at least one of the following aspects of the research:

  • Conceptualization or design of the study;
  • Data collection, analysis, or interpretation;
  • Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for significant intellectual content;
  • Approval of the final version prior to submission;
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria — such as those providing technical assistance, language editing, or general supervision — should be acknowledged appropriately but not listed as authors.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

  • All eligible contributors are listed as authors;
  • No individual who does not meet authorship criteria is included;
  • All co-authors have approved the submitted version of the manuscript;
  • Any changes to authorship after submission are justified and agreed upon by all co-authors.

Disputes regarding authorship are the responsibility of the authors and their institutions. STBR reserves the right to request written confirmation from all co-authors in cases of dispute.

2. Originality, Exclusivity, and Prior Publication

By submitting a manuscript to STBR, authors confirm that:

  • The work is original and has not been previously published in its current or substantially similar form;
  • The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal;
  • The submission does not infringe upon any existing copyright or intellectual property rights.

If the manuscript includes material that has been previously presented (e.g., conference papers, working papers, or preprints), authors must clearly disclose this at the time of submission and ensure that the submitted work represents a substantially expanded or revised contribution.

Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is strictly prohibited. If a manuscript is found to be under consideration elsewhere during review, it may be rejected immediately.

3. Funding Disclosure and Transparency

Transparency regarding research funding is essential for maintaining trust in scholarly communication.

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support related to the research, including:

  • Research grants;
  • Institutional funding;
  • Corporate sponsorship;
  • Consultancy arrangements;
  • Any other financial relationships relevant to the study.

The funding statement should clearly describe the role of the funder, if any, in:

  • Study design;
  • Data collection;
  • Data analysis;
  • Interpretation of findings;
  • Manuscript preparation;
  • Decision to submit for publication.

If the research received no external funding, authors must explicitly state that no external funding was received.

Failure to disclose relevant funding relationships may result in editorial investigation and corrective action.

4. Permissions for Third-Party Content

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce any material that is not their original work and is not covered under permissible use or public domain provisions.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Figures, tables, charts, or illustrations from previously published sources;
  • Extensive quotations;
  • Photographs or images;
  • Proprietary datasets or copyrighted instruments.

Permissions must grant the right to reproduce the material in both print and electronic formats and for global distribution.

Authors must provide appropriate acknowledgment and citation of the original source within the manuscript.

STBR will not publish articles containing third-party material without documented permission where required. Responsibility for copyright clearance rests entirely with the author(s).

5. Research Involving Human Participants and Sensitive Data

Authors conducting research involving human participants must ensure that their work complies with recognized ethical standards and applicable institutional, national, and international regulations.

Where required, authors must obtain prior approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Committee, or equivalent authority. The manuscript must clearly state:

  • The name of the approving body;
  • The approval reference number (where applicable);
  • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants.

Authors must ensure that participation in research was voluntary and that participants were adequately informed of:

  • The purpose of the study;
  • The nature of their involvement;
  • Any potential risks or benefits;
  • The handling and confidentiality of their data.

In studies involving vulnerable populations or sensitive personal information, authors must demonstrate heightened ethical safeguards. STBR reserves the right to request documentation of ethical approval and consent where necessary.

Failure to comply with ethical research standards may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the article.

6. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors are responsible for ensuring that any personal, confidential, or proprietary information included in their manuscript complies with applicable data protection regulations.

Manuscripts must not contain identifiable personal data unless explicit written consent has been obtained. Where anonymization is required, authors must ensure that individuals cannot be indirectly identified through contextual information.

For research involving organizational data or non-public information, authors must confirm that appropriate permissions have been obtained for disclosure and publication.

STBR respects data protection principles and expects authors to adhere to relevant data privacy regulations applicable in their jurisdiction.

7. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

The opinions, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in published articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of STBR, the Editorial Board, reviewers, or ResearchApt.

While the journal undertakes rigorous peer review and editorial oversight, STBR does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose of published content.

Neither STBR nor ResearchApt shall be held legally responsible for:

  • Errors or omissions in published articles;
  • Consequences arising from the use of information contained in published material;
  • Claims resulting from alleged research misconduct by authors.

Responsibility for the content of published work rests solely with the authors.

8. Privacy and Personal Data Policy

STBR collects and processes personal information — such as names, institutional affiliations, and contact details — solely for editorial and publication purposes.

Personal data submitted to the journal through the manuscript submission system are used exclusively for:

  • Editorial communication;
  • Peer review coordination;
  • Publication processing;
  • Indexing and metadata dissemination.

STBR does not sell, distribute, or disclose personal information to third parties except where required for publication, indexing, or legal compliance.

The journal uses secure editorial management systems and reasonable technical safeguards to protect personal information.

By submitting a manuscript to STBR, authors consent to the use of their professional information for legitimate editorial and publication purposes.

Policy Review and Updates

These Author Responsibilities & Legal Policies are subject to periodic review to ensure alignment with evolving international standards in scholarly publishing, legal compliance, and research governance. STBR reserves the right to update or revise these policies as necessary. Any substantive changes will be reflected on the journal website.