KBR Research Ethics Regulations

2007. 09. 12. Enacted
2019. 05. 20. Revised
2021. 10. 15. Revised
2025. 07. 00. Revised

Chapter 1. General Provisions

KBR is an academic journal that aims to share research and related information on business education among members of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration (KASBA), promote creative and useful new approaches to business education, develop and utilize teaching cases that contribute to business education and practice, develop and utilize more meaningful research methodologies closely aligned with business realities, and innovate business education through collaboration between academia and industry.

Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of these Research Ethics Regulations (hereinafter referred to as "Ethics Regulations") is to establish standards for ensuring the research ethics and integrity of members of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration (KASBA) (hereinafter referred to as "members"), preventing research misconduct, and fairly verifying whether misconduct has occurred.

Article 2 (Scope of Application) These Ethics Regulations apply to all persons involved with KBR. They also apply mutatis mutandis to members of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration (KASBA), the KBR Editorial Board, and non-members who wish to submit manuscripts.

Chapter 2. Research Integrity and Social Responsibility

Article 3 (Research Integrity)

1. Authors must conduct all research activities (research proposals, research execution, reporting and presentation of research results, research review and evaluation, etc.) honestly and truthfully.
2. Authors must describe the content and significance of their research objectively and accurately, and must not arbitrarily delete or add research results.
3. Authors must ensure that all research activities are carried out without bias or preconception.
4. Research involving human subjects must comply with relevant regulations, including IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval.

Article 4 (Obligation to Record, Preserve, Report, and Disclose Research Information)

1. All research information must be reported accurately and must be recorded, processed, and preserved clearly and accurately to enable interpretation and verification.
2. Authors must use appropriate research methods and statistical techniques and, when necessary, disclose them.

Chapter 3. Fairness in Researcher Relationships

Section 1. Responsibilities and Obligations of Authors

Article 5 (Collaborative Research) When conducting collaborative research with other researchers, authors must clearly define their roles and mutual relationships and fulfill their respective responsibilities. Prior to commencing research, mutual agreement and understanding must be established regarding the objectives and expected outcomes of the research project, each participant's role in the collaboration, methods for data collection, storage, and sharing, criteria for determining authorship and author order, selection of the principal investigator, and issues related to intellectual property rights and ownership.

Article 6 (Responsibilities and Obligations of Authors)

1. Authors shall assume responsibility as authors only for research they have actually conducted or contributed to, and shall receive credit accordingly.
2. The corresponding author or principal author bears overall responsibility for the paper's data and authorship attribution, and is also responsible for overseeing the research of co-authors.
3. Authors must comply with requests to provide evidence of their contributions.
4. Editorial board members shall not be involved in the review or decision-making process for manuscripts in which they are listed as authors.

Article 7 (Corresponding Author)

1. The corresponding author must be a person who can bear overall responsibility for the research results and their verification.
2. The corresponding author bears the burden of proof regarding the order of authorship and the designation of co-authors.

Section 2. Criteria for Authorship Determination and Author Attribution

Article 8 (Criteria for Authorship Determination)

1. The order of authors must accurately reflect academic contributions to the research content or results, regardless of relative position or status. Being in a certain position alone does not justify being listed as an author or being credited as the first author.
2. Persons who have not made academic contributions to the research content or results must not be included as authors for reasons of gratitude or courtesy. However, contributions such as data collection or entry, translation into other languages, and other forms of assistance may be acknowledged in a footnote expressing appreciation.

Article 9 (Determining Author Order) The order of authorship must be determined fairly among all authors through mutual consultation, reflecting each author's contribution to the research.

Article 10 (Institutional Affiliation of Authors) As a general rule, the author's institutional affiliation stated in the manuscript should be the affiliation at the time the research was conducted. However, established practices in fields where different conventions prevail may be followed.

Chapter 4. Research Misconduct and Other Unethical Research Practices

Section 1. Citation Methods and Principles

Article 11 (Citation Methods and Principles)

1. Authors may cite portions of others' works verbatim or in translation in their own works for purposes of introduction, reference, commentary, or other similar uses.
2. Authors must ensure accuracy in source citations and reference lists. Authors should verify all elements of a citation (author names, journal volume/issue numbers, pages, publication year, etc.) directly from the original paper rather than relying on secondary sources. However, when unavoidable, authors may cite through secondary sources provided this is clearly indicated.
3. Authors must cite in a reasonable manner, in accordance with the principle of good faith, so that the cited work is clearly distinguishable from the citing work.
4. As a general rule, authors should cite published works. If unpublished academic materials are obtained through manuscript review, research proposal review, or personal contact, the consent of the relevant researcher must be obtained before citation.
5. When authors adapt and introduce theories or ideas contained in papers previously published by others, they must clearly indicate the source.
6. When extensively borrowing from a single source, authors must write in a manner that allows readers to clearly distinguish which ideas are their own and which ideas originated from the referenced source.
7. Authors must include in the reference list all significant published literature that had a major influence on determining the direction of the research or that may help readers understand the research content, except where such literature can be reasonably expected to be known by researchers in the relevant field on theoretical or empirical grounds.
8. Authors should avoid citing journal articles in the reference list while actually having relied on abstracts for the literature review, or citing the published version of a paper while actually having used an earlier or preliminary version published in conference proceedings.

Article 12 (Citation of Common Knowledge)

1. When using another person's ideas or factual information they have provided, the source must be identified. However, an exception is made for information that is common knowledge or known to readers.
2. When there is any doubt whether a concept or fact constitutes common knowledge, it is advisable to cite it.

Section 2. Research Misconduct

Article 13 (Definition of Research Misconduct) "Research misconduct" refers to fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, improper authorship attribution, duplicate publication, and similar acts occurring throughout the entire research process (including research proposals, research execution, reporting and presentation of research results, research review and evaluation, etc.).

1. "Fabrication" refers to the act of creating non-existent data or research results fraudulently.
2. "Falsification" refers to the act of artificially manipulating the research process or arbitrarily altering or deleting data, thereby distorting the research content or results. ("Deletion" herein refers to the act of intentionally excluding data that hinders the derivation of expected research results and selectively using only favorable data.)
3. "Plagiarism" refers to the act of using another person's copyrighted work, research ideas, hypotheses, theories, or other research results without proper authorization or citation, as if they were the author's own research results or claims.
4. "Improper authorship attribution" refers to the act of denying authorship to a person who has made academic contributions to the research content or results without justifiable reason, or granting authorship to a person who has not made academic contributions.
5. "Duplicate publication" refers to submitting and publishing a manuscript that is completely or substantially identical to a previously published paper by the same author in another journal, without informing the editor or readers of the existence of the previously published paper.

Article 14 (Idea Plagiarism)

1. "Idea plagiarism" refers to the act of appropriating another person's ideas (explanations, theories, conclusions, hypotheses, metaphors, etc.), in whole or in part, either verbatim or with superficial modifications, without giving credit to the original creator.
2. Authors have an ethical obligation to identify the source of ideas, typically through footnotes or reference citations.
3. Authors must not appropriate others' ideas obtained through peer review of research proposals or submitted manuscripts without proper source attribution and citation.

Article 15 (Text Plagiarism) "Text plagiarism" refers to the act of copying a portion of another person's published text without identifying the author.

Article 16 (Mosaic Plagiarism) "Mosaic plagiarism" refers to the act of combining portions of another person's published text, adding or inserting words, or replacing words with synonyms while failing to identify the original author and source.

Article 17 (Duplicate Publication) Authors shall not submit or attempt to publish previously published research (including research scheduled for publication or under review), whether domestic or international, as if it were new research.

1. Even if the text of a subsequently published paper presents a somewhat different perspective or viewpoint, or includes a somewhat different analysis of the same previously published data, it constitutes duplication if the main content is identical to a previously published paper by the same author.
2. When an author wishes to publish using a previously published paper, the author must provide the KBR Editor-in-Chief with information about the publication and obtain permission after confirming whether it constitutes duplicate publication or dual publication.

Article 18 (Caution Against Research Misconduct and Copyright Infringement)

1. The copyright of papers published in KBR belongs to the paper's authors; however, if a copyright transfer agreement is submitted separately at the time of submission, the copyright shall be vested in the KBR Editorial Board.
2. Authors should exercise caution as duplicate publication may constitute copyright infringement.
3. Authors should note that even when quotation marks are properly used or proper paraphrasing is employed, extensively quoting text from copyrighted sources may still constitute copyright infringement.

Section 3. Inappropriate Writing Practices

Article 19 (Inappropriate Writing Practices) The following constitute inappropriate writing practices:

1. Inappropriate source citation
2. Distortion of references
3. Relying on abstracts while citing published papers
4. Citing works that have not been read or understood
5. Extensively borrowing from a single source while only partially disclosing the source
6. Text recycling

Article 20 (Prohibition of Reference Distortion)

1. References must include only literature directly related to the content of the paper. Literature of questionable relevance must not be intentionally included in the references for the purpose of manipulating citation indices of journals or papers, or for the purpose of increasing the likelihood of manuscript acceptance.
2. Authors must not selectively include only literature favorable to their data or theories in the references. Authors have an ethical obligation to cite literature that may contradict their own perspectives.

Article 21 (Text Recycling)

1. "Text recycling" refers to the reuse of portions of text that the author has already used in their other published works.
2. Text recycling is contrary to ethical writing standards and should be avoided. When unavoidable, standard citation practices must be followed, such as using quotation marks or appropriate paraphrasing, and care must be taken to ensure that no copyright infringement occurs.

Chapter 5. Fairness in the Review Process

Section 1. Responsibilities and Obligations of Reviewers

Article 22 (Responsibilities and Obligations of Reviewers)

1. Reviewers must diligently evaluate manuscripts commissioned by the KBR Editorial Board within the 30-day period prescribed by the review regulations, and notify the editorial board member(s) of the evaluation results. If a reviewer determines that they are not the appropriate person to evaluate the manuscript, they must immediately notify the Editorial Board.
2. Reviewers must respect the author's dignity and independence as a professional intellectual. The evaluation opinion should state the reviewer's judgment on the manuscript, and for areas deemed to require supplementation, detailed explanations of the reasons should also be provided.
3. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscripts under review. Unless specifically seeking advice for the purpose of manuscript evaluation, it is inadvisable to show the manuscript to others or discuss its contents with others.
4. Reviewers who have a conflict of interest with the manuscript under review must immediately notify the Editorial Board and recuse themselves from the review.

Section 2. Unethical Conduct by Reviewers

Article 23 (Unethical Conduct in the Review Process)

1. Reviewers must not exploit specific information obtained during the review of research proposals or manuscripts for research in which the reviewer is directly or indirectly involved, without the consent of the original author.
2. The following actions may constitute unethical conduct in the review process and should be avoided:
   1. Delegating a commissioned manuscript review to students or third parties
   2. Discussing the contents of a manuscript under review with department or academic colleagues
   3. Retaining copies of reviewed materials without destroying them after the review is completed
   4. Making defamatory remarks or personal attacks during the review of submitted manuscripts
   5. Reviewing and evaluating manuscripts without reading them

Section 3. Personal and Intellectual Conflicts of Reviewers

Article 24 (Personal Conflicts) Reviewers must avoid personal bias in manuscript review. If a conflict of interest exists, including personal conflicts, the reviewer must immediately notify the Editorial Board.

Article 25 (Intellectual Conflicts) Reviewers must evaluate fairly based on objective standards, setting aside personal academic beliefs. A manuscript must not be rejected solely because it conflicts with the reviewer's own perspective or interpretation.

Chapter 6. Fairness in Manuscript Management

Section 1. Responsibilities and Obligations of Editorial Board Members

Article 26 (Responsibilities and Obligations of Editorial Board Members)

1. Editorial board members bear full responsibility for deciding whether to publish manuscripts submitted to KBR, verify the integrity of the review process, and supervise participants in the editorial process.
2. Editorial board members must respect the dignity and independence of authors as scholars, and must clearly disclose the review process for manuscripts and cases upon request.
3. Editorial board members must treat manuscripts submitted for journal publication impartially, based solely on the quality of the manuscript and compliance with submission guidelines, regardless of the author's gender, age, or institutional affiliation.
4. Editorial board members must commission the evaluation of submitted manuscripts to reviewers who possess expert knowledge in the relevant field and the ability to evaluate objectively and fairly. However, if the evaluations of reviewers for the same manuscript diverge significantly, the editorial board member may seek advice from an expert in the relevant field.
5. Editorial board members must not disclose information about the author or the contents of the manuscript to anyone other than the reviewers until the publication decision is made.
6. When reviewing submitted manuscripts, editorial board members must select reviewers who are not affiliated with the same institution as the author(s) (including authors, co-authors, and corresponding authors).

Chapter 7. Implementation of Ethics Regulations

Section 1. Pledge and Compliance with Ethics Regulations

Article 27 (Ethics Regulations Pledge) New members of the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration (KASBA) must familiarize themselves with these Ethics Regulations and pledge to comply with them when conducting research and submitting manuscripts to KBR. Existing members are deemed to have pledged compliance with the Ethics Regulations upon their effective date. To ensure familiarity with the Ethics Regulations, all submitting authors must view the ethics regulations video and submit a mandatory online pledge form when submitting manuscripts to the journal.

Article 28 (Reporting Ethics Violations) If a member becomes aware that another member has violated the Ethics Regulations, they should first attempt to resolve the issue by reminding the member of the Ethics Regulations. However, if the issue is not resolved or a clear violation of the Ethics Regulations is identified, it must be immediately reported to the Ethics Committee.

Section 2. Ethics Committee

Article 29 (Purpose of the Ethics Committee) The Ethics Committee is established to verify research ethics violations based on these Ethics Regulations established by KBR and to conduct appropriate research integrity verification.

Article 30 (Composition of the Ethics Committee) The Ethics Committee consists of five or more members. The authority of the chairperson is held by the Editor-in-Chief, and committee members are appointed by the Editor-in-Chief upon recommendation of the Editorial Board.

Article 31 (Authority of the Ethics Committee) The Ethics Committee conducts comprehensive investigations of reported ethics violations through informants, respondents, witnesses, reference persons, and evidence, and may recommend appropriate sanctions to the president of the Society when a violation of the Ethics Regulations is confirmed.

Article 32 (Investigation and Deliberation by the Ethics Committee) Members reported for violating the Ethics Regulations must cooperate with investigations conducted by the Ethics Committee. Failure to cooperate with the investigation itself constitutes a violation of the Ethics Regulations. However, as a general rule, misconduct reported more than five years prior to the date of receipt of the report shall not be processed even if received.

Article 33 (Protection of Confidentiality of Informants) The Ethics Committee has a duty to protect informants from disciplinary action, disadvantage, undue pressure, or harm resulting from their reporting of misconduct, and must establish necessary measures to this end.

Article 34 (Protection of Confidentiality of Persons Under Investigation) Until a final disciplinary decision is made by the Society regarding an ethics violation, Ethics Committee members must not disclose the identity of the member concerned to the public to prevent damage to their reputation or rights.

Article 35 (Decisions and Sanctions by the Ethics Committee) The verification process for misconduct shall proceed through the stages of preliminary investigation, formal investigation, and decision, and all investigation proceedings must be concluded within six months. However, if it is determined that the investigation cannot be completed within this period, the investigation period may be extended with the approval of the chairperson. If the informant or the person under investigation disagrees with the decision, they may file a written objection within 30 days of receiving notification, and a reinvestigation may be conducted if deemed necessary upon review.

Article 36 (Procedures and Content of Disciplinary Action) When the Ethics Committee recommends disciplinary action, the chairperson shall convene the Editorial Board to make a final decision on whether and what disciplinary action to take. For members found to have violated the Ethics Regulations, the relevant research results shall be removed from the KBR index, and sanctions may include a five-year ban on manuscript submission. In cases of severe ethical violations, sanctions may include warnings, suspension, or revocation of membership, and the results of such disciplinary actions may be communicated to the relevant member's institution and the Society.

Article 37 (Amendment of Ethics Regulations) The procedure for amending the Ethics Regulations follows the procedure for amending KBR's internal operating regulations. When the Ethics Regulations are amended, members who pledged to comply with the previous regulations are deemed to have pledged compliance with the new regulations without requiring an additional pledge.