Crossmark Policy

BIOTROPIA – The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Biology

About Crossmark

Crossmark, a multi-publisher initiative from Crossref, provides a standard way for readers to locate the authoritative and most current version of a scholarly document. BIOTROPIA recognizes the importance of maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and completeness of the scholarly record.

By clicking the Crossmark logo on a BIOTROPIA article, readers can verify whether the document is current or if updates, corrections, or retractions have been issued after publication. The Crossmark record may also include additional publication metadata related to the article.

The presence of the Crossmark logo indicates BIOTROPIA’s commitment to maintaining the content and notifying readers of any changes after publication.

 

Editorial and Peer Review Policies

All manuscripts submitted to BIOTROPIA undergo a rigorous editorial and peer review process prior to publication:

  1. Initial Editorial Screening
    Submissions are evaluated by the Editorial Office for scope, originality, ethical compliance, and adherence to journal guidelines.
  2. Peer Review Process
    • BIOTROPIA applies a double-blind peer review system.
    • Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise.
    • Reviewers assess scientific quality, methodology, originality, clarity, and contribution to the field.
  3. Editorial Decision
    The final decision (acceptance, revision, or rejection) is made by the Editor-in-Chief or Section Editors based on reviewers’ recommendations.

Guidelines for editors and reviewers follow internationally accepted best practices to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and objectivity throughout the review process.

 

Publication Ethics and Author Responsibilities

Authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to comply with recognized ethical standards in scholarly publishing. BIOTROPIA adheres to principles and recommendations from:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
  • Crossref publishing ethics guidelines
  • International standards for research integrity

Authors must ensure:

  • Originality of submissions
  • Proper citation and acknowledgment of sources
  • Ethical approval for studies involving humans, animals, or sensitive data
  • Disclosure of conflicts of interest

Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical research practice is strictly prohibited.

 

Reporting Concerns or Issues

Readers, authors, or reviewers who identify potential issues with published content (e.g., errors, ethical concerns, data integrity problems, or suspected misconduct) are encouraged to report them to the Editorial Office.

Reports should be submitted via:

  • Email: biotropia@biotrop.org
  • Subject: “Publication Ethics Concern – BIOTROPIA”

All reports will be handled confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.

 

Post-Publication Updates and Corrections

BIOTROPIA is committed to correcting the scholarly record when necessary. Articles may be updated after publication under the following circumstances:

  • Honest errors that affect interpretation but not the overall validity
  • Author or publisher mistakes
  • Ethical or integrity concerns requiring formal action

Post-publication changes are clearly documented and linked through Crossmark.

 

Crossmark Content Status and Updates

BIOTROPIA uses the following publication update categories:

Addendum

A publication providing additional information or results related to a previously published article.

Erratum / Corrigendum

A notice correcting errors in a published article.

  • Erratum: Publisher error
  • Corrigendum: Author error

Retraction

Issued when the findings are unreliable due to misconduct or major error.

  • The article text is retracted.
  • HTML versions are replaced with a retraction notice.
  • PDF versions remain available but are clearly watermarked as Retracted.

Duplicate Publication

Applied when an article has been accidentally published elsewhere.

  • The article is retracted.
  • HTML pages are replaced by a notice.
  • PDF versions remain with a watermark indicating duplication.

Cases of duplicate publication are handled through retraction in accordance with Crossref guidelines.

Removal

Used only in exceptional cases (e.g., legal issues or serious ethical violations).

  • The article text is completely removed.
  • A citation record and explanation page replace the content.

 

Availability of Corrected or Retracted Articles

  • Corrected articles remain accessible with clear links to correction notices.
  • Retracted articles remain part of the scholarly record, with transparent labeling and explanation.
  • Removed articles are replaced by a citation page explaining the reason for removal.
  • Original DOIs are preserved to ensure citation continuity and transparency.

 

DOI: 10.11598/biotropia-crossmark