Publication Ethic

The Journal of Applied Civil Engineering and Environment (JACEE) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in all stages of the publication process. The journal adheres strictly to the guidelines and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all parties involved—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to commit to ethical behavior. This section outlines the ethical responsibilities for all stakeholders.

1. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS

• Accuracy and Integrity of Research Reporting: Authors are expected to present an accurate and precise account of the research conducted, along with an objective discussion of its significance. The manuscript should contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the work. Deliberate false statements or plagiarism constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and any use of others’ work or words is properly cited. Plagiarism in any form—whether it involves copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s work without attribution—will not be tolerated.
• Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications: Authors should avoid publishing manuscripts that describe essentially the same research in more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors must appropriately acknowledge all sources of data and information used in their research. Contributions of others should be recognized, and references should be cited correctly to give credit where it is due.
• Authorship and Contribution: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. All significant contributors should be listed as co-authors, and others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged.
• Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors should disclose any financial or other significant conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
• Correction of Errors: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their responsibility to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in retracting or correcting the paper.

2. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS

• Publication Decisions: The editorial board of JACEE is responsible for deciding which of the submitted manuscripts should be published. Editors should make decisions based on the manuscript’s intellectual content and its relevance to the journal’s scope, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
• Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts. Manuscripts must not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and other editorial advisors, as necessary.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors.
• Ethical Oversight: Editors have a duty to ensure that the publication record is accurate and to act upon any suspected or proven misconduct. They should take responsive measures when ethical concerns are raised regarding a submitted or published paper.

3. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF REVIEWERS

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer reviewers play a critical role in assisting the editorial decision-making process. Reviewers should provide constructive feedback that is objective, unbiased, and focused on improving the quality of the manuscript.
• Timeliness: Reviewers are expected to complete their reviews within the time agreed upon. If a reviewer feels unqualified to review a particular manuscript or knows that they cannot provide a timely review, they should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.
• Confidentiality: Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers must not share the manuscript or its content with others except as authorized by the editor.
• Objectivity and Fairness: Reviews should be conducted objectively, with observations clearly articulated and supported by evidence. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate and unacceptable.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which the reviewer has personal knowledge should be reported to the editor.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper. Privileged information or ideas obtained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.