Journal Management

1. Introduction

Jurnal Bios Logos (JBL) is committed to transparent, ethical, and efficient journal management. The journal aims to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed research that is openly accessible to the global academic community while maintaining editorial independence and integrity. This policy outlines the governance structure, operational procedures, financial arrangements, and ethical commitments that guide the management of JBL. The journal adheres to the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

2. Description

Journal management encompasses the strategic, operational, editorial, and financial activities necessary for the sustainable and ethical operation of JBL. These activities include governance and ownership, editorial independence, financial management, manuscript processing and publication, editorial board management, and the implementation of ethical standards throughout the journal's operations. JBL is committed to maintaining transparent procedures, accountable management, and responsible publishing practices in support of its mission to disseminate scientific knowledge in biological sciences.

3. Policy

3.1. Governance and Ownership

Jurnal Bios Logos (JBL) is owned and published by the Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sam Ratulangi, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The journal receives institutional support from Universitas Sam Ratulangi, while its editorial activities are managed by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board to safeguard academic integrity, editorial accountability, and the quality of published research.

3.2. Editorial Independence

JBL upholds the principle of editorial independence. Decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection are based on scholarly merit, scientific validity, originality, methodological rigor, clarity, relevance to the journal's aims and scope, and compliance with applicable ethical standards. These decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief and designated editors without inappropriate influence from the journal's owner, institutional supporters, funders, advertisers, or other commercial, political, or personal interests. The Editor-in-Chief retains responsibility for the journal's editorial content and ensures that publication decisions are made in accordance with established editorial policies. Payment of publication charges, where applicable, does not guarantee acceptance or influence editorial decisions.

3.3. Financial Management and Revenue Sources

JBL is an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal committed to disseminating high-quality research in biological sciences and related disciplines. All published articles are freely accessible to readers without subscription or access fees.

JBL applies an Article Processing Charge (APC), subject to the officially established rates and effective date. The APC is payable only after a manuscript has successfully completed the peer-review process and has been formally accepted for publication. The charge supports editorial administration, peer-review management, manuscript preparation and production, DOI registration, digital preservation, website maintenance, and other publication-related activities. Information regarding APC rates, payment procedures, applicable exemptions, and the effective date must be publicly available on the journal's official website.

Universitas Sam Ratulangi, through the Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, provides institutional support for JBL's publishing activities. Subject to available institutional resources, this support may include journal hosting, plagiarism detection software, language and grammar checking tools, DOI registration services, and other infrastructure necessary for journal operations. Institutional support and financial arrangements do not compromise editorial independence or influence manuscript evaluation and publication decisions.

3.4. Open Access and Licensing

JBL provides immediate and unrestricted open access to all its published articles, allowing readers to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to the full texts without subscription or access fees.

Articles published under the journal's current licensing policy are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license permits users to share, redistribute, and adapt published materials for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source, a link to the license is provided, and any modifications are indicated. The applicable licensing terms are clearly displayed on the journal's website and associated with published articles.

3.5. Editorial Board and Editorial Team

JBL maintains an active and appropriately qualified Editorial Board comprising academics and researchers with expertise relevant to biological sciences and the journal's aims and scope. These areas may include ecology, biodiversity, conservation biology, zoology, botany, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, and environmental biology. The qualifications, roles, responsibilities, and terms of service of editorial personnel are defined in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

The full names, institutional affiliations, and editorial roles of the Editor-in-Chief, editorial staff, and Editorial Board members are publicly available on the JBL website. Editorial appointments are based on relevant academic qualifications, subject expertise, research experience, and commitment to publication ethics.

Editorial team members affiliated with Universitas Sam Ratulangi may receive institutional support in accordance with applicable university policies. Other national and international Editorial Board members and reviewers generally contribute on a voluntary basis, unless otherwise formally agreed. These arrangements must not influence editorial independence, peer-review outcomes, or publication decisions.

3.6. Operational Processes and Editorial Systems

JBL maintains efficient, documented, and transparent procedures for manuscript submission, initial editorial assessment, peer review, editorial decision-making, copyediting, production, and online publication. These processes are supported by appropriate journal management software and digital tools to facilitate manuscript tracking, communication, recordkeeping, and timely publication.

The journal's operational procedures are designed to ensure consistency, accountability, confidentiality, and compliance with its published editorial policies. Detailed information about manuscript evaluation and peer-review procedures is provided in the journal's Peer Review Policy.

3.7. Training and Ethical Development

JBL encourages the continuing professional development of editorial staff, editors, and Editorial Board members. Relevant guidance and training may cover publication ethics, peer-review practices, editorial decision-making, conflicts of interest, research integrity, journal policies, and the use of editorial management systems. The journal refers to recognized publication ethics resources, including relevant COPE guidance, to support responsible and consistent editorial practices.

3.8. Advertising and Marketing

JBL currently does not accept paid advertising on its website or within its published articles. If advertising is introduced in the future, the journal will establish a clear and transparent policy to ensure that advertisements are distinguishable from editorial content and do not influence editorial decisions.

The journal's direct marketing activities, including calls for papers, announcements, and communications with prospective authors, reviewers, and readers, must be appropriate, accurate, professional, and non-deceptive. Marketing communications must not contain misleading claims regarding the journal's aims and scope, editorial processes, indexing status, publication timelines, or acceptance rates. JBL does not tolerate deceptive or coercive solicitation practices.

3.9. Archiving and Digital Preservation

JBL is committed to the long-term preservation and continued accessibility of its published content. The journal implements appropriate digital preservation and backup practices to reduce the risk of content loss and maintain access to the scholarly record. Where feasible and appropriate, preservation arrangements may include recognized digital archiving services, institutional repositories, national library services, or other reliable preservation infrastructure supported by Universitas Sam Ratulangi. Information regarding the journal's actual digital preservation arrangements is made available on its official website.

3.10. Journal Metrics and Performance

JBL may periodically report relevant journal performance indicators, including manuscript submission numbers, acceptance rates, and typical peer-review or publication timelines. All reported metrics must be accurate, clearly defined, and presented in an appropriate context. Such information must not be used to make misleading claims about the journal's quality, selectivity, or publication performance.

4. Implementation and Operational Requirements

4.1. Website Transparency

The JBL website serves as the primary platform for communicating the journal's policies, procedures, and publishing practices. The website provides clear, accessible, and up-to-date information regarding journal ownership, publisher details, institutional affiliation, aims and scope, editorial structure, Instructions for Authors, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, open-access arrangements, licensing terms, APC rates, indexing status, digital preservation, and editorial office contact information.

All information presented on the website must be consistent with the journal's actual practices and reviewed periodically to ensure accuracy and transparency.

4.2. Editorial Office Management

The editorial office coordinates the journal's administrative and publication workflows, including manuscript submission, tracking, peer-review management, editorial communication, and production. The editorial office maintains professional and timely communication with authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the publication process.

Established procedures are maintained for handling post-publication concerns, including requests for corrections, allegations of misconduct, expressions of concern, and retractions. Such matters are addressed in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance.

4.3. Selection and Governance of Editorial Personnel

The appointment of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members is based on relevant expertise, academic and research experience, scholarly publishing experience where applicable, and commitment to JBL's aims, scope, and ethical standards. The journal seeks to encourage appropriate disciplinary, institutional, geographic, and professional diversity within its editorial structure.

All editorial personnel are informed of their roles, responsibilities, terms of appointment, confidentiality obligations, and applicable ethical requirements. The journal periodically reviews its editorial structure to ensure that it remains appropriate for the journal's scope and operational needs.

4.4. Management of Editorial Conflicts of Interest

JBL maintains procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing potential conflicts of interest involving the Editor-in-Chief, editors, Editorial Board members, and editorial staff. Editorial personnel must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and refrain from handling manuscripts when their impartiality may reasonably be compromised.

Manuscripts affected by an editorial conflict of interest are assigned to an appropriately independent editor in accordance with the journal's Conflict of Interest Policy. These procedures are intended to safeguard the fairness, objectivity, and credibility of editorial decisions.

4.5. Use of Supporting Software and Digital Tools

JBL uses appropriate software and digital tools to support the quality, efficiency, and integrity of its publishing processes. These tools may include an online journal management system for manuscript submission and peer review, plagiarism detection software to identify potential textual overlap, language and grammar checking tools where appropriate, DOI registration services for persistent article identification, and digital preservation systems for long-term content accessibility.

The use of these tools supports, but does not replace, editorial judgment, expert peer review, and the application of publication ethics policies. Their implementation is subject to availability, institutional arrangements, and the journal's operational requirements.

4.6. Policy Review and Updates

JBL's journal management policies and operational procedures are reviewed periodically by the journal's editorial leadership in coordination with its publisher. Updates may be introduced when necessary to reflect developments in scholarly publishing standards, publication ethics guidance, technology, institutional requirements, or the journal's operational needs.

Revised policies are communicated through the journal's official website, with effective dates provided where appropriate. The journal aims to ensure that its published policies remain accurate, transparent, and consistent with its actual editorial and management practices.

5. Closing Statement

Jurnal Bios Logos (JBL) is committed to maintaining transparent governance, editorial independence, responsible financial management, and ethical publication practices. Through effective journal management and adherence to recognized standards of scholarly publishing, JBL seeks to sustain a credible, accessible, and responsible platform for the dissemination of research in biological sciences.

The journal's management practices are intended to safeguard the integrity of editorial decisions, promote accountability, and support the long-term quality and sustainability of its scholarly contributions.

6. Relevant Resources

The management of JBL is guided by relevant resources from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other recognized scholarly publishing organizations. These include Journal Management — COPE, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, the COPE Ethics Toolkit for a Successful Editorial Office, Developing Processes to Identify Ethical Concerns, Complaints and Appeals, Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers, Editorial Conflicts of Interest, Handling Changes to Authorship Lists, Predatory Publishing, Data and Reproducibility, and Retraction Guidelines.