Policy 1. Journal Profile and Publication Schedule

1.1. The University of Baguio Multidisciplinary Research Journal (UBMRJ) is the official open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the University of Baguio, published by the RIECO Office. It carries e.ISSN 3116-4129 and is indexed with Crossref.

1.2. The UBMRJ publishes original research articles across multiple disciplines, including but not limited to education, health sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business, public administration, social sciences, and humanities.

1.3. The journal is published quarterly, corresponding to the following periods: January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December. Special proceedings issues may be published as warranted, including those arising from the Regional Student Research Colloquium, National Research Colloquium, and International Research Colloquium hosted by the University.

1.4. The UBMRJ is published open access under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License. All published articles are freely accessible to the public for any lawful, non-commercial purpose.

1.5. The journal is managed by the RIECO Office through the Managing Editor, under the oversight of the UB Editorial Board and the University Research Board (URB). The Managing Editor is the primary point of contact for all authors and editorial communications.

Policy 2. Eligibility of Contributors

1.1. The following individuals are eligible to submit manuscripts to the UBMRJ:
a. Faculty members and academic service faculty of the University of Baguio (priority contributors);
b. Non-teaching staff and administrative personnel of UB whose research is aligned with institutional priorities;
c. UB retirees, alumni, and former employees;
d. External researchers from other HEIs, government agencies, or research organizations, when collaborating with a UB-affiliated author;
e. Graduate students of UB whose thesis or dissertation work has been completed and defended, submitted in coordination with their thesis or dissertation adviser.

1.2. External contributors without a UB co-author may submit at the editorial board’s discretion, provided the research is relevant to the journal’s aims and scope and shall pay the author processing fee.

Policy 3. Research Agenda Alignment

3.1. All submitted manuscripts must demonstrate alignment with at least one of the following:
a. The University of Baguio Research Agenda, including school-level research priority areas;
b. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations;
c. The National Higher Education Research Agenda (NHERA – III) anchored on ACHIEVE;
d. The National Harmonized Research and Development Agenda (NHURA).

3.2. Topics that do not fall directly under the above priority areas may still be considered, provided they meaningfully address current and emerging issues, contribute to societal needs, and demonstrate clear relevance to at least one SDG, NHERA thematic area, or NHURA sectoral priority.

3.3. Authors must explicitly state the SDG alignment and research agenda linkage in their cover letter upon submission.

Policy 4. Authorship Standards

4.1. Authorship in the UBMRJ follows the ethical standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authorship credit must be based on the fulfillment of all three of the following criteria:
a. Substantial Intellectual Contribution. Each author must have made meaningful contributions to the conception and design of the study, acquisition and/or analysis of data, development of tools or methods, or interpretation of findings;
b. Critical Intellectual Input. Each author must have been involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
c. Approval and Accountability. Each author must have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the research, including its accuracy and integrity.

4.2. Only individuals who meet all three criteria may be listed as authors. Individuals who contributed but do not meet all criteria must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgment section.

4.3. The following authorship practices are strictly prohibited: honorary (gift) authorship, ghost authorship, surprise authorship, and pseudo-authorship.

4.4. Co-authorship shall not be used as a substitute for faculty members to fulfill their required research or teaching loads.

4.5. For manuscripts with multiple authors, one author must be designated as the Corresponding Author, who shall handle all communications with the Managing Editor and ensure that all administrative and ethical requirements are fulfilled.

4.6. The University of Baguio mandates that the Corresponding Author provide a registered ORCID iD upon submission. Co-authors are strongly encouraged to register and link their ORCID iDs to the submission. All provided ORCID iDs will be published alongside the article.

Policy 5. Manuscript Preparation Standards

5.1. Manuscripts must be written exclusively in English. Authors are responsible for the quality, grammar, punctuation, and spelling of their submissions. The manuscript must be written in an academic, professional tone, free from demeaning or inflammatory content.

5.2. Manuscripts must be organized using the following major sections: Title; Author/s and Affiliation; Abstract (not more than 300 words, followed by five keywords); Introduction; Materials and Methods (for experimental studies) or Methodology (for non-experimental studies); Results and Discussion; Conclusions; Acknowledgments (if applicable); Conflicts of Interest Statement; and References.

5.3. The APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition format is the primary reference guide for citations and references. References should substantially consist of articles and studies published in scientific and peer-reviewed journals. Unpublished materials such as theses and dissertations are not allowed.

5.4. The technical specifications for manuscript preparation are as follows:
a. File format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx);
b. Paper size: 8.5 x 13 inches (Legal);
c. Margins: 0.6 inches on all sides;
d. Font: Times New Roman, 11pt;
e. Alignment: Justified; first line indented 5-character spaces from left margin;
f. Spacing: Single-spaced within paragraphs; double-spaced between paragraphs or headings;
g. Maximum length: Ten (10) pages, excluding references;
h. Abbreviations: Spelled out at first mention; metric/SI units only;
i. Tables and figures: Numbered and labeled; figures submitted in JPEG or PNG format, original and not electronically enhanced.

Policy 6. Similarity Check and Plagiarism Policy

6.1. Prior to submission, authors must conduct a Similarity Check using Turnitin or the Turnitin Draft Coach (accessible via UB Mail credentials in Google Docs under the “Add-Ons” tab). The similarity check report must be submitted together with the manuscript.

6.2. The maximum allowable similarity score is fifteen percent (15%). Manuscripts exceeding this threshold will be returned to the author for revision before editorial assessment.

6.3. Sections with legitimate quotations or properly cited references appearing in the similarity report must be annotated by the author.

6.4. Self-plagiarism – the verbatim republication of an author’s own previously published work without appropriate attribution – is prohibited and will be treated as a form of research misconduct.

Policy 7. Submission of Research Article

7.1. Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the UBMRJ Online Submission System at journal.ubaguio.edu/ubmrj. Authors must register or log in to the system before submitting.

7.2. Before submitting, authors must ensure the following:

1. The manuscript represents original work not previously published and not under consideration elsewhere;
2. All co-authors have been informed of and have agreed to the submission and publication terms;
3. All funding sources and potential conflicts of interest have been disclosed;
4. Permissions have been secured for all third-party materials (photos, datasets, instruments) used in the manuscript;
5. The data presented is authentic, accurate, and free from fabrication or misrepresentation;
6. The Turnitin similarity report has been generated with a score not exceeding 15%;
7. Ethics clearance or waiver has been secured where applicable, particularly for studies involving human subjects, vulnerable populations, or indigenous communities;
8. The Corresponding Author’s ORCID iD is available.

7.3. The submission package shall include:

1. the complete manuscript in .doc or .docx format;
2. a cover letter stating the title, authors, SDG alignment, and agenda linkage;
3. the Turnitin similarity check report;
4. ethics clearance or waiver, if applicable; and
5. any permissions for third-party materials.

7.4. For submission inquiries, authors may contact the Managing Editor at the RIECO Office, University of Baguio, General Luna Road, Baguio City, or by phone at (074) 442.3071 local 232.

Policy 8. Editorial and Peer Review Process

8.1. Upon receipt, all submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment (desk review) by the Managing Editor and/or Editor-in-Chief to assess compliance with the journal’s aims and scope, manuscript preparation standards, technical specifications, and similarity threshold. Manuscripts failing to meet minimum standards will be desk-rejected and returned with feedback.

8.2. Manuscripts passing the desk review will be sent for double-blind peer review, wherein the identities of both authors and reviewers are concealed from each other. Qualified internal and external reviewers with expertise in the relevant disciplines are engaged.

8.3. Reviewers assess manuscripts based on: originality and significance; clarity and coherence of research design; soundness of data analysis and interpretation; quality of discussion; accuracy of citations; and adherence to ethical standards.

8.4. Reviewers are given 3 working days to inform the editor-in-chief of his or her decision whether or not to accept the review assignment. The reviewer is given seven working days to review the manuscript.

8.5. Reviewer recommendations may include:
a. Accept as submitted;
b. Accept with minor revisions;
c. Major revisions required (resubmit for review); or
d. Reject.

8.6. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Board.

8.7. Authors required to revise their manuscripts and shall submit the revised manuscript and a point-by-point response letter addressing all reviewer and editor comments within the timeframe specified by the Managing Editor. Failure to comply may result in the manuscript being treated as a new submission.

8.8. Reviewers with a conflict of interest with the authors or subject matter must declare such conflicts and recuse themselves. The Managing Editor will assign a replacement reviewer.

Policy 9. Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

9.1. All authors, reviewers, and editors of the UBMRJ are expected to adhere to the highest standards of publication ethics as prescribed by COPE. The following forms of research misconduct are prohibited:
a. Fabrication – making up data or results and recording or reporting them;
b. Falsification – manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data such that the research is not accurately represented;
c. Plagiarism – appropriation of another’s ideas, processes, results, or words without appropriate credit, including self-plagiarism;
d. Deception – not disclosing the purpose of the research or procedures to participants;
e. Breach of privacy – disclosing the identity of research participants or unpublished results without authorization, in violation of R.A. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012).

9.2. Allegations or instances of ethical violations will be addressed in accordance with COPE guidelines. The RIECO Office reserves the right to retract published articles, issue corrections, or publish expressions of concern where misconduct is established.

9.3. For research involving human subjects, written informed consent must be obtained and documented. Studies involving indigenous communities in the Cordillera Administrative Region must comply with R.A. 8371 (Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act) and secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) through the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

Policy 10. Intellectual Property and Copyright

10.1. The UBMRJ is published under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. Readers may freely access, download, copy, distribute, and print published articles for lawful, non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate attribution is given and no derivative works are created.

10.2. Authors retain copyright over their work. By submitting to the UBMRJ, authors grant the University of Baguio, through the RIECO Office, a non-exclusive license to publish, archive, and distribute the manuscript in print and electronic form.

10.3. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all third-party materials included in their manuscripts are properly attributed and that necessary permissions have been secured in accordance with Intellectual Property Laws in the Philippines. The RIECO Office reserves the right to refuse publication where intellectual property concerns have not been adequately addressed.

Policy 11. Data Privacy and Confidentiality

11.1. Personal information of authors, reviewers, and other parties collected through the UBMRJ online submission system will be used exclusively for journal purposes and will not be shared with third parties without the individual’s consent, consistent with R.A. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012).

11.2. Submitted manuscripts shall be treated as confidential documents throughout the review process. Reviewers and editors are prohibited from disclosing, sharing, or using the content of manuscripts under review for any purpose other than the conduct of the review.

Policy 12. Open Access Policy

12.1. The UBMRJ is committed to open access. All published articles are freely available to the public without charge, consistent with the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License.

12.2. There shall be a $45.00 article processing charges (APCs) imposed on external authors while for UB faculty, non-teaching employees, and students, the University of Baguio subsidizes the cost of publication as part of its commitment to making research accessible to educators, policymakers, practitioners, and the broader academic and research community.

Policy 13. Post-Publication Responsibilities

13.1. Authors who discover significant errors in their published work must promptly notify the Managing Editor. Depending on the nature and severity, the UBMRJ may publish a correction notice, a retraction, or an expression of concern.

13.2. In cases of serious legal or ethical violations, the UBMRJ reserves the right to remove the article from the online platform and notify relevant parties. The bibliographic metadata of retracted articles will be retained for scholarly record.

13.3. Authors remain responsible for their published work following acceptance and publication, including responding to post-publication queries regarding accuracy and integrity.

Policy 14. Research Publication Incentives

14.1. UB faculty and employees who publish in the UBMRJ shall be entitled to publication incentives as provided under the University’s Research Completion policy, and consistent with existing policies on research honoraria and grants.

14.2. Publication in the UBMRJ shall be credited in faculty performance evaluation, faculty or non-teaching employee ranking, professional development records, and research load documentation, subject to existing University policies on faculty workload and performance assessment.

Policy 15. Violations and Sanctions

15.1. Any violation of this policy, including but not limited to research misconduct, authorship fraud, breach of confidentiality, or non-disclosure of conflicts of interest, shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with University policies on academic misconduct.

15.2. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to: withdrawal or rejection of the manuscript; retraction of published articles; suspension of publication privileges; written reprimand; and referral to the appropriate disciplinary authority. The severity of the sanction shall be commensurate with the nature and gravity of the violation.