Sponsorship and Advertising

Purpose and Scope:

Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) Sponsorship and Advertising Policy lays down the principles, general standards, and processes to be followed in all matters pertaining to sponsorship, advertising, and commercial support of the Journal. The policy applies to the journal website, submission system, electronic publications, special issue/niche sites, newsletters, conference material, and any other online communication channels of the Journal.

The fundamental aim of this policy is to ensure that all sponsorship and advertising activities are conducted in a manner that preserves the Journal's academic integrity, editorial independence, and reputation for scholarly excellence.

Editorial Independence:

The Journal has complete editorial independence at all times. Sponsorships and advertisements have no impact on editorial decisions, including (but not limited to) article selection, acceptance, or rejection; peer review; article promotion; and any form of publication decision.

Editors, members of the editorial boards, reviewers and authors play no part in such activities - neither in the initiation nor in the approval of a particular agreement regarding potential advertising or sponsorship. Editorial procedures and commercial concerns are rigorously separated.

Acceptable Sponsorship and Advertising:

Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) may consider sponsorships or advertisements that are suitable for its academic audience and consistent with the Journal's objectives in business, management, economics, and related fields. Possible satisfactory categories are, but not restricted to:

  • Academic publishers and research institutions.
  • Universities and business schools.
  • Professional associations and scholarly societies.
  • Investigate software, database and analytical tools.
  • Conferences, workshops, and academic events.
  • Provider of educational courses and executive programs.

All advertising and sponsorship content must be accurate, professional, lawful, and clearly identifiable as commercial material.

Prohibited Sponsorship and Advertising:

The Journal does not accept sponsorship or advertising-related activities that:

  • Are misleading, deceptive, or unsubstantiated.
  • Interference with a Journal’s academic purpose or ethical values.
  • Incitement of illegal activities, discrimination, and harmful practices.
  • Weakening public confidence in academic research or educational institutions.
  • Attempt to influence the editorial content or peer review process of these publications.
  • Are political, ideological or advocacy focused.

Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) reserves the right to reject or remove any sponsorship or advertisement at its sole discretion without obligation to provide justification.

Transparency and Disclosure:

All sponsorships and adverts will be clearly labelled as such and separate from editorial content. Sponsored content will be clearly labelled so as not to be mistaken for peer-reviewed articles or editorial commentary.

When appropriate, explanations for the nature of the sponsor's involvement will be included, especially with regard to sponsored supplements, special issues or events. Such disclosures will be couched in plain and easy-to-understand language.

Sponsored Content and Supplements:

All sponsored content, including sponsored supplements, should ensure the same scholarly quality standards as all the other journal content. This involves peer review, ethical compliance and editorial scrutiny.

Sponsors have no input into author or reviewer selection, nor into editorial decision-making regarding sponsored content. Editorial responsibility continues to be that of the Journal.

Conflicts of Interest:

All individuals involved in editorial decision-making must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest concerning sponsors or advertisers. In the event of any conflicts, appropriate procedures will be followed to resolve them, or the relationship with sponsors or advertisers will be managed and/or eliminated from editorial oversight.

Advertising Placement and Presentation:

Placement of advertisements is at the discretion of Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) management; still, the advertisers are assured that the content of their advertisements will not interfere with the readability, accessibility and scholarly value of the journal content. Advertisements will not appear interspersed with peer-reviewed articles or in a way that implies editorial endorsement.

Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) does not have pop-up ads or interfering promotion types, which will interrupt the reader experience with anything else.

Data Protection and User Privacy:

Sponsors or advertisers do not have access to personal information regarding authors, reviewers, readers, or holders of subscriptions. Studies in Business and Economics Journal (SBE) does not share mailing lists, usage data or user analytics with sponsors or advertisers.

Review and Policy Updates:

This policy is subject to periodic review to ensure continued alignment with best practices in academic publishing, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements. Updates to the policy will be published on the Journal’s website and take effect upon publication.