Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) is an independent scholarly publisher established by a group of international professors, researchers, and scientists with the objective of advancing the dissemination of high-quality, peer-reviewed research and promoting the global exchange of scientific knowledge.
FMDB publishes peer-reviewed, Open Access journals across a broad range of disciplines, including Science, Engineering, Technology, Management, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, and related interdisciplinary fields. The publisher is committed to supporting researchers, institutions, and the wider academic community by providing an ethical, transparent, and accessible platform for scholarly communication.
Our Mission
FMDB's mission is to promote the dissemination of reliable, high-quality research through rigorous editorial standards, responsible publishing practices, and unrestricted access to scholarly knowledge. The publisher seeks to enhance research visibility, encourage international collaboration, and contribute to scientific and academic advancement.
Our Publishing Principles
FMDB develops its editorial and publication policies in accordance with:
The publisher is committed to:
Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions are not influenced by commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, or Article Processing Charges (APCs).
Open Access
All FMDB journals operate under a fully Open Access publishing model. Published articles are made immediately and permanently available online without subscription barriers. Authors retain copyright in their work, and articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.
Quality and Research Integrity
FMDB maintains rigorous editorial procedures designed to ensure the quality and integrity of published research. Submitted manuscripts undergo editorial assessment, similarity screening using Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate, and independent double-blind peer review conducted by qualified experts in the relevant field. The publisher has established policies addressing authorship, conflicts of interest, plagiarism, data integrity, research misconduct, corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions in accordance with COPE guidance.
Digital Publishing
Each published article receives a permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref, facilitating reliable citation and long-term discoverability. Published content is preserved through trusted digital preservation services to ensure the continued accessibility of the scholarly record.
Transparency and Accountability
FMDB is committed to maintaining transparency in all aspects of scholarly publishing, including ownership, governance, editorial policies, publication ethics, Article Processing Charges (APCs), peer review, copyright, licensing, and research integrity. The publisher continuously reviews and updates its policies to reflect internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing.
Our Commitment
FMDB strives to provide an ethical, transparent, and inclusive publishing environment that supports authors, reviewers, editors, librarians, institutions, and readers worldwide. Through responsible scholarly publishing, FMDB seeks to contribute to the advancement of research, innovation, and global knowledge sharing.
B. FMDB Policy
Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through ethical, transparent, and responsible editorial practices. FMDB develops its publishing policies in accordance with the COPE Core Practices, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and internationally recognized standards for research integrity and publication ethics. The publisher is dedicated to ensuring that all editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope.
FMDB publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed, Open Access journals that promote the global dissemination of scientific knowledge across diverse disciplines. All manuscripts undergo a rigorous editorial assessment and independent double-blind peer review before any publication decision is made. Editorial independence is maintained throughout the publication process, and Article Processing Charges (APCs), commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, or other financial considerations do not influence editorial decisions. FMDB is committed to promoting research integrity at every stage of the publication process. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to comply with established ethical standards regarding authorship, conflicts of interest, originality, plagiarism, duplicate publication, data integrity, human and animal research ethics, informed consent, and responsible reporting of research. All submitted manuscripts are screened using Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate, and suspected cases of research misconduct are handled in accordance with the relevant COPE guidance and internationally accepted best practices.
As an Open Access publisher, FMDB supports the unrestricted dissemination of scholarly knowledge while respecting authors' intellectual property rights. Authors retain copyright in their published work and grant FMDB a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, archive, and identify itself as the original publisher. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence, enabling lawful non-commercial reuse with appropriate attribution and the application of the ShareAlike requirement to derivative works. FMDB encourages the principles of Open Science by supporting research transparency, reproducibility, and the responsible sharing of research outputs. Authors are encouraged, where appropriate and consistent with ethical, legal, and disciplinary requirements, to share research data, methodologies, software, and supplementary materials that facilitate verification and reproducibility. Published articles are preserved through trusted long-term digital preservation services to ensure the continued accessibility and integrity of the scholarly record.
The publisher maintains transparent policies relating to editorial processes, peer review, publication ethics, copyright, licensing, Article Processing Charges, conflicts of interest, corrections, retractions, complaints, appeals, advertising, direct marketing, and data protection. These policies are publicly available and are reviewed periodically to ensure continued alignment with evolving international publishing standards and best practices. FMDB values diversity, inclusion, academic freedom, and equal opportunity in scholarly publishing. The publisher does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, age, institutional affiliation, political beliefs, or other protected characteristics. All manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic quality and contribution to scholarly knowledge.
To maintain the integrity of the scholarly record, FMDB is committed to issuing corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or article removals where appropriate and in accordance with its publication ethics policies and relevant COPE guidance. Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders are encouraged to report ethical concerns or suspected research misconduct, which will be investigated confidentially, fairly, and objectively. FMDB continuously reviews and updates its publishing policies to reflect developments in scholarly communication, publication ethics, Open Science, and international best practices. Through these commitments, FMDB strives to provide a trusted, transparent, and responsible publishing environment that advances high-quality research and supports the global academic community.
C. Article Processing Charges (APC)
FMDB is committed to providing high-quality Open Access publishing while maintaining transparency in its publication fees. To support editorial operations and ensure the long-term sustainability of its journals, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is applied to manuscripts that are accepted for publication.
The APC covers the costs associated with:
The applicable Article Processing Charge (APC) for each journal is published on the respective journal website. No payment is required at the time of manuscript submission. The APC becomes payable only after a manuscript has successfully completed the peer review process and has been formally accepted for publication. The applicable APC is the fee published on the journal website at the time of manuscript submission, unless otherwise specified by the journal. Editorial decisions are made independently and are based solely on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal's scope, and the recommendations of independent peer reviewers.
Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are made independently of Article Processing Charges (APCs), commercial interests, sponsorship, advertising revenue, and any other financial considerations. The ability or inability of authors to pay the APC does not influence editorial evaluation, peer review, or the final publication decision.
Open Access Funding Support
FMDB recognizes that publication fees may present challenges for some researchers. Authors are encouraged to explore funding opportunities provided by their:
Where institutional publishing agreements or partnerships exist, eligible authors may benefit from alternative payment arrangements in accordance with the applicable agreement.
FMDB Publication Fee Assistance Program (FPFAP)
FMDB offers the FMDB Publication Fee Assistance Program (FPFAP) to support authors who demonstrate genuine financial need and have limited access to publication funding. Fee assistance applications are evaluated confidentially on a case-by-case basis using the eligibility criteria established by FMDB. Applicants are encouraged to seek available institutional or research funding before applying for fee assistance. Authors may be asked to disclose available funding sources, including institutional support, research grants, or external funding, as part of the evaluation process. Applications should normally be submitted at the time of manuscript submission or before the final publication decision. The Editorial Office aims to communicate its decision within approximately 10–15 working days. Editors responsible for editorial decisions and peer reviewers are not informed of fee assistance applications, ensuring that editorial decisions remain completely independent of financial considerations.
Eligible Countries
Fee assistance may be available to authors from eligible low-income (Full APC waiver) and lower-middle-income (GDP below $200 billion (USD): 50% APC discount) countries, as determined by FMDB's eligibility criteria. The list of eligible countries is provided below and may be updated periodically.
Low-income locations: Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Madagascar, Somalia, Central African Republic, Malawi, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Togo, Congo (Democratic Republic), Mozambique, Uganda, Eritrea, Namibia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Niger, Yemen, Gambia.
Lower-middle-income locations: Angola, Jordan, Sao Tome and Principe, Benin, Kenya, Senegal, Bhutan, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Bolivia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Lebanon, Tanzania, Comoros, Lesotho, Timor-Leste, Congo (Republic), Mauritania, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Micronesia, Uzbekistan, Djibouti, Morocco, Vanuatu, Eswatini, Nepal, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Nicaragua, Haiti, Palestinian Territories, Honduras, Papua New Guinea.
Refund Policy
Article Processing Charges become payable only after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.
Once payment has been received and publication procedures have commenced, APCs are generally non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or in exceptional circumstances determined by FMDB.
Payment Confirmation
An official payment receipt and confirmation will normally be issued within three to five business days, subject to banking and payment processing times.
D. Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of the Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) website, journals, and related services. By accessing or using the FMDB website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, together with the Privacy Policy and any other applicable policies published on the website. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, you should discontinue use of the website.
Changes to these Terms: FMDB reserves the right to amend or update these Terms and Conditions at any time. Revised versions become effective immediately upon publication on the website unless otherwise stated. Users are encouraged to review this page periodically to remain informed of any changes. Continued use of the website following publication of revised Terms constitutes acceptance of those changes.
Use of the Website: Users agree to use the FMDB website only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms and all applicable laws and regulations. Users must not use the website in any manner that could interfere with its security, integrity, functionality, or availability.
Users must not upload, submit, or distribute any material that:
FMDB reserves the right to suspend or terminate access to the website for users who violate these Terms or applicable laws.
User Accounts: Where user accounts are available, users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and for all activities conducted through their accounts. Users must notify FMDB promptly of any unauthorized access or suspected security breach. FMDB is not responsible for losses resulting from a user's failure to maintain the confidentiality of account credentials.
Intellectual Property: Unless otherwise stated, the website design, trademarks, logos, and other proprietary materials are the property of FMDB or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Copyright in published scholarly articles remains with the authors in accordance with the applicable Creative Commons licence specified by the journal. Use of published content is governed by the applicable licence terms.
Payments: Where applicable, payments for Article Processing Charges (APCs) and other publication-related services are processed in accordance with the journal's APC Policy. Submission of a manuscript does not require payment unless expressly stated. APCs become payable only after formal acceptance of a manuscript. Payment services may be provided by independent third-party payment processors. Users are responsible for complying with the applicable terms and conditions of those providers.
Compliance with Applicable Laws: Users are responsible for ensuring that their use of the website complies with all applicable local, national, and international laws and regulations. FMDB reserves the right to refuse services or transactions where required to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations, including international sanctions and export control regulations.
Limitation of Liability: FMDB makes reasonable efforts to maintain the accuracy and availability of the website. However, the website and its content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, except where required by applicable law. To the fullest extent permitted by law, FMDB shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, the website or its services.
Privacy: FMDB processes personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy. By using the website, users consent to the collection, processing, and use of personal information as described in that policy.
Governing Law: Unless otherwise specified, these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws applicable to the jurisdiction in which FMDB operates, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protection laws that may apply.
Contact: Questions regarding these Terms and Conditions may be directed to the FMDB Editorial Office through the contact information provided on the official website.
E. Privacy Policy
Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how FMDB collects, uses, stores, protects, and processes personal information when you access our website, submit manuscripts, participate in peer review, or use our publishing services. By using the FMDB website, you acknowledge and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Collection of Personal Information
FMDB may collect personal information that users voluntarily provide when submitting manuscripts, registering an account, acting as reviewers or editors, subscribing to journal alerts, contacting the Editorial Office, or using other publishing services.
The information collected may include:
Use of Personal Information
FMDB uses personal information solely for legitimate publishing and operational purposes, including:
FMDB does not sell, rent, or trade personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
Cookies and Website Analytics: The FMDB website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality, remember user preferences, analyze website traffic, and enhance the user experience. Users may disable cookies through their browser settings; however, some website functions may not operate properly if cookies are disabled.
Payment Information: Where Article Processing Charges are applicable, payments are processed through secure third-party payment service providers. FMDB does not intentionally store complete credit or debit card information on its servers. Payment processing is subject to the privacy and security policies of the respective payment provider.
Disclosure of Information
FMDB may disclose personal information only where necessary for legitimate publishing activities, including:
Personal information is disclosed only to the extent necessary for these purposes.
Data Security: FMDB implements appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Although reasonable security measures are employed, no method of electronic transmission or internet storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Data Retention: FMDB retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil editorial, publishing, legal, archival, and administrative purposes, or as required by applicable laws and publishing standards.
Third-Party Websites: The FMDB website may contain links to third-party websites or services. FMDB is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites they visit.
User Rights: Subject to applicable laws, users may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal information where appropriate. Requests relating to personal information may be submitted to the FMDB Editorial Office using the contact information provided on the website.
Changes to this Privacy Policy: FMDB may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in legal requirements, publishing practices, or website functionality. Updated versions become effective upon publication on the FMDB website. Users are encouraged to review this page periodically to remain informed of any updates.
Contact: Questions regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of personal information may be directed to the FMDB Editorial Office through the official contact details published on the FMDB website.
F. Publication Ethics
Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence, and responsible scholarly publishing. FMDB develops its editorial and publication policies in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and internationally recognized standards for scholarly publishing. All participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher staff, are expected to adhere to these ethical principles throughout the submission, peer review, publication, and post-publication stages.
Conflicts of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived to influence the research, its interpretation, or publication. Reviewers and editors are likewise required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest and must decline or withdraw from handling manuscripts where impartiality could be compromised.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Funding Disclosure
Authors must disclose all sources of financial support for the research, including funding agency names, grant numbers (where applicable), and the role of the funder in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation, and publication decision.
Research Misconduct
FMDB considers the following practices to constitute research or publication misconduct:
All submitted manuscripts are screened using Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate. Similarity reports are evaluated by the Editor, who considers the context, extent, and nature of any overlap before making an editorial decision. Any suspected misconduct may result in editorial investigation and appropriate actions, including manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, removal of published content where legally required, notification of institutions or funding agencies where appropriate, and other actions consistent with FMDB's publication ethics policies.
Authorship and Contributorship
All listed authors must have made substantial scholarly contributions to the work and must approve the final version before submission. Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged. Changes to authorship after submission require the written consent of all authors and approval by the Editor. Ghost authorship, guest authorship, honorary authorship, and purchased authorship are considered unethical and are not permitted.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools where such tools have materially assisted manuscript preparation. AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity, originality, or accuracy of scholarly work. Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content, including any material generated or assisted by AI technologies.
Research Involving Human Participants: Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards, including approval by an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board where required. Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants when applicable and that patient privacy and confidentiality have been protected.
Research Involving Animals: Studies involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international regulations governing animal welfare and ethical research. Authors should identify the approving ethics committee and confirm compliance with recognized animal research guidelines where appropriate.
Clinical Trials: Clinical trials should be registered in a publicly accessible clinical trial registry before participant recruitment where registration is required by applicable standards or regulations. Registration details should be provided within the manuscript.
Data Availability and Reproducibility: FMDB encourages authors, subject to ethical, legal, and disciplinary requirements, to share research data, software, code, protocols, and supplementary materials that support the reproducibility and verification of published findings. Authors are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement describing where supporting data may be accessed or explaining any legitimate restrictions on availability.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: FMDB is committed to providing an inclusive scholarly publishing environment. Editorial decisions are made without discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.
Corrections, Expressions of Concern, Retractions and Removals
FMDB is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Where appropriate, the journal may publish:
Post-publication actions are undertaken in accordance with FMDB's publication ethics policies and the relevant COPE guidance.
Appeals and Complaints: Authors may submit a reasoned appeal against an editorial decision by contacting the Editorial Office. Appeals are considered independently by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated editor. Authors, reviewers, readers, and other stakeholders may also submit complaints regarding editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, or research misconduct. All appeals and complaints are handled confidentially, fairly, and in accordance with FMDB's established procedures.
Reporting Research Misconduct: Anyone who suspects research or publication misconduct involving an FMDB publication is encouraged to contact the Editorial Office. Reports will be treated confidentially, investigated objectively, and managed in accordance with FMDB's publication ethics policies and the relevant COPE guidance.
Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial interests, advertising, sponsorship, and Article Processing Charges (APCs). Manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal's scope, and the recommendations of independent peer reviewers.
G. Open Access
Fernando Martins De Bulhão Publishing (FMDB) is committed to the principles of Open Access and the unrestricted dissemination of scholarly knowledge. All articles published in FMDB journals are made immediately and permanently available online without subscription or access charges, ensuring that readers worldwide can freely access, read, download, copy, distribute, and cite published research.
Open Access Licence
Unless otherwise stated, all articles published by FMDB are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.
Under this licence, users may:
Users must provide appropriate attribution to the original authors and source, include a link to the licence where applicable, indicate whether changes have been made, and comply with all licence conditions.
Copyright
Authors retain copyright in their published work. By publishing with FMDB, authors grant the publisher a non-exclusive licence to publish, distribute, archive, preserve, and identify itself as the original publisher of the article.
Benefits of Open Access
FMDB believes that unrestricted access to scholarly research promotes the global exchange of knowledge and increases the visibility, accessibility, and impact of published research. Open Access supports:
Research Transparency and Open Science
FMDB supports the principles of Open Science by encouraging transparency, reproducibility, and responsible sharing of research outputs, where appropriate and consistent with ethical, legal, and disciplinary requirements.
Authors are encouraged to:
Long-Term Preservation
To ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of the scholarly record, published articles are digitally preserved through trusted archival services, including Portico, in accordance with the publisher's digital preservation policy.
Editorial Independence
Open Access publishing does not influence editorial decisions. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit, originality, scientific quality, ethical compliance, relevance to the journal's scope, and the recommendations of independent peer reviewers. Editorial decisions are made independently of Article Processing Charges (APCs), commercial interests, advertising, or sponsorship.
Commitment to Ethical Open Access
FMDB develops its Open Access publishing policies in accordance with the COPE Core Practices, the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and internationally recognized standards for ethical scholarly publishing. The publisher is committed to maintaining transparency in licensing, copyright, publication fees, editorial processes, and research integrity.
The rise of generative AI (the type of AI used varies from journal to journal) was the first reason for these policies (If you have any questions, please get in touch with the specific journal directly). AI-assisted technologies were expected to be used more and more by researchers, and they have now been updated to reflect best practices. The goal of these policies is to make things clearer and easier for authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and contributors. Fernando Martins De Bulhão (FMDB) will keep an eye on how things are changing in this area and will change or improve policies as needed.
For Authors
An overview of the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation, FMDB sees the promise of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies ("AI Tools") when used responsibly to help researchers work more quickly, get important insights, and get better results. More and more, these tools, like AI agents and deep research tools, are helping researchers put together complicated literature, give an overview of a field or research question, find research gaps, come up with new ideas, and offer personalized help with tasks like organizing content and making it easier to read and understand. Authors writing a manuscript for an FMDB journal can get help from AI Tools. But you should never use these tools instead of your own critical thinking, knowledge, and judgment. AI tools should always be used under supervision and with human control. In the end, writers are in charge of what they write and are responsible for it. This means being responsible for:
Responsibly using AI tools: Authors must read the terms and conditions of any AI Tool they use to ensure that their data and inputs, including unpublished manuscripts, are safe and private. You should be extra careful with any data that could be used to identify you. You can't create images that copy or reference copyrighted images, real people, or other people's identifiable products or brands. You also can't make any likeness of a person's voice. Authors should look for mistakes in facts and any signs of bias. Authors should also read the terms and conditions of any AI Tool they intend to use to ensure that they grant the AI Tool only the right to use their materials to provide the service to them. They should not give the AI Tool any other rights to the materials they put into the AI Tool, such as the right to train the AI Tool on those materials. They must also ensure that the AI Tool doesn't impose any limits on how its outputs can be used that could prevent the article from being published later.
Authors must include a separate AI declaration statement in their manuscript when they submit it to let others know that they used AI tools to write it. This statement will also be in the published work. Authors must record their use of AI, specifying the name of the AI tool used, the rationale for its use, and the degree of supervision. When authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors declare that they are using AI Tools, it builds trust and openness among them and makes it easier to follow the rules for using those tools. No declaration is needed for basic checks of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The methods section should state that AI was used in the research process and explain its use in detail.
Authorship: Authors should not use AI Tools as an author or co-author, or cite AI Tools as an author. Being an author means having duties and tasks that only people can do and be responsible for. Each (co-)author is responsible for ensuring that any questions about the work's accuracy or integrity are properly investigated and resolved. Authors must also approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission. Authors must also make sure that the work is original and has not been published before, that the listed authors are qualified to be authors, and that the work does not violate the rights of others. Before submitting, they should read FMDB's Ethics in Publishing policy. FMDB does not allow the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to make or change images in submitted manuscripts. This could mean improving a specific part of an image or figure, hiding it, moving it, removing it, or adding it. You can adjust brightness, contrast, or color balance, as long as it doesn't hide or alter any of the information in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software may be utilized on submitted manuscripts to detect suspected image anomalies.
The sole exception pertains to the incorporation of AI or AI-assisted tools within the research design or methodologies (for instance, AI-assisted imaging techniques utilized to produce or analyze the foundational research data, as observed in biomedical imaging). If this is done, the methods section must explain how to do it in a way that can be repeated. This should include an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used to create or modify the image, along with the model or tool name, version, extension numbers, and the name of the company that developed it. Authors should follow the AI software's usage guidelines and ensure that content is properly attributed. Authors may be requested to submit pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images utilized to produce the final submitted versions for editorial evaluation. You can't use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create art, such as graphical abstracts. In some cases, the author may be allowed to use generative AI to create cover art if they first obtain permission from the journal editor and publisher, demonstrate that they have cleared all necessary rights to use the relevant material, and ensure that the content is correctly attributed.
For Reviewers
Using generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the process of peer review for journals: When a researcher is asked to read another researcher's paper, the paper must be kept secret. Reviewers should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool, as this may violate the authors' confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights. This requirement for confidentiality also applies to the peer review report, which may contain private information about the manuscript and/or the authors. This is why reviewers shouldn't use an AI tool to upload their peer review reports, even if it's just to make them easier to read and understand.
Peer review is the most important part of the scientific ecosystem, and FMDB adheres to the strictest standards of honesty in this process. There are responsibilities that only people can take on when they review a scientific manuscript. Reviewers should not use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies to assist them in reviewing a paper scientifically. This is because these technologies cannot perform the critical thinking and original assessment that peer review requires, and there is a chance they will produce incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The reviewer is responsible for what is in the review report.
FMDB's AI author policy states that authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to help them write their manuscripts before submission, provided they are used with appropriate supervision and disclosure, as explained in FMDB's Guide for Authors. Reviewers can find this kind of information at the bottom of the paper, in a separate section before the list of references. FMDB uses AI-assisted technologies to protect people's identities and adhere to the AI Principles. These technologies are used during the screening process to verify completeness and detect plagiarism, and to identify suitable reviewers. These technologies, whether they are owned by the company or licensed, protect the author's privacy. Our programs undergo extensive testing to ensure they are fair and comply with data privacy and security rules. FMDB supports new AI-driven technologies that help editors and reviewers with their work, and it continues to develop and use technologies that respect the privacy and confidentiality rights of authors, reviewers, and editors, whether developed in-house or licensed.
For Editors
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the editing process of a journal: A submitted manuscript must be kept private. Editors should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool. This could violate the authors' privacy and ownership rights, and if the paper has personally identifiable information, it could also violate data privacy rights. This confidentiality requirement applies to all communication about the manuscript, including any letters of notification or decision, because they may contain private information about the manuscript and/or the authors. Editors shouldn't put their letters into an AI tool, even if it's to improve the language and readability. Peer review is the most important part of the scientific ecosystem, and FMDB adheres to the strictest standards of honesty in this process. The editorial review of a scientific manuscript requires responsibilities that only people can take on. Editors shouldn't use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to evaluate or make decisions about a manuscript. This is because these technologies can't perform the critical thinking and original assessment that this work requires, and there is a chance they will reach wrong, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The editor is in charge of the editorial process, making the final decision, and informing the authors of that decision.
FMDB's AI author policy says that authors can use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to prepare their manuscripts before submission, but only with appropriate supervision and disclosure, as we say in FMDB's Guide for Authors. Editors can find this kind of information at the bottom of the paper, in a separate section before the list of references. If an editor believes an author or reviewer has violated our AI rules, they should notify the publisher. FMDB uses AI-assisted technologies to protect people's identities and adhere to the AI Principles. These are the same technologies used during the screening process to check for completeness and plagiarism, and to find the right reviewers. These technologies, whether they are owned by the company or licensed, protect the author's privacy. Our programs undergo strict checks for bias and comply with all rules on data privacy and security. FMDB uses new AI-driven technologies to help reviewers and editors with the editorial process. FMDB also continues to develop and use technologies, whether made in-house or licensed, that protect the privacy and confidentiality of authors, reviewers, and editors.
Publication Process
FMDB uses AI and AI-assisted technologies throughout the publishing process: we are always looking for new ways to improve the experience for authors, reviewers, and editors of our journals. We want to use the latest technology to help our experts maintain the highest publication quality and keep people trusting the content FMDB publishes. How FMDB currently uses AI to publish:
Our teams use AI tools to help them with:
FMDB is dedicated to ensuring that people are always in charge of their decisions. Our AI tools are a great way for our experts to make smart choices.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us at editors@fmdbpub.com or ethics@fmdbpub.com.