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Editorial Policy of the Journal

EKTU Journal of Engineering Sciences

1. General Provisions

EKTU Journal of Engineering Sciences is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal published by the Non-profit Joint-Stock Company “D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University.” The journal publishes original research articles, review papers, and the results of interdisciplinary studies in the fields of engineering and applied sciences. The publication is focused on highlighting contemporary theoretical, experimental, and applied research aimed at the advancement of engineering science, equipment, and technologies.

The journal is published 4 times a year. Materials are published in electronic format using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

2. Aims and Objectives of the Journal

The editorial policy of the journal is aimed at:

  • ensuring a high scientific standard of published materials;
  • promoting international scientific exchange in the fields of engineering and applied sciences;
  • supporting the publication of original, relevant, interdisciplinary, and methodologically sound research;
  • disseminating scientific results under open access conditions;
  • observing the principles of transparency, objectivity, and academic integrity;
  • facilitating the integration of science, education, and industry;
  • promoting research focused on sustainable development, innovative technologies, and the rational use of natural resources.

The journal is focused on publishing research in the following academic areas:

  • Transport: transport systems and technologies; traffic management and transport planning; intelligent transport systems; road, railway, and urban transport infrastructure; safety, reliability, and risk assessment of transport systems; logistics systems and supply chain engineering; modeling, simulation, and optimization of transport processes.
  • Energy: energy systems and complexes; energy efficiency and energy saving; renewable and alternative energy sources; electrical and thermal engineering processes and systems; modern technologies for sustainable energy supply.
  • Mechanical Engineering: mechanical engineering and machine design; manufacturing processes and technologies; mechatronics and electromechanical systems; engineering solutions and technologies in the context of the digital transformation of industry.
  • Engineering Mechanics: theoretical and applied mechanics; computational engineering mechanics and methods; mechanics of deformable solids; strength, reliability, and durability of machines, structures, and materials; mathematical and computer modeling of mechanical processes.
  • Biomedical Engineering: biomedical instruments, devices, and systems; engineering technologies for medicine and healthcare; biomechanics and modeling of biological systems; digital and intelligent technologies in biomedical applications; engineering solutions for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
  • Environmental Engineering: environmental protection technologies and systems; rational use of natural resources; environmental monitoring and environmental impact assessment; sustainable engineering solutions for industry and urbanized areas; management of waste, water, and air resources.
  • Geology, Geodesy, and Cartography: geology and Earth sciences; engineering geology and geotechnical studies; geomechanics and geotechnologies; hydrogeology, geophysics, and applied geochemistry; geodesy, cartography, and geographic information systems; spatial analysis and geodata technologies.

The journal welcomes interdisciplinary research integrating achievements in engineering sciences, Earth sciences, transport, energy, environmental, and biomedical fields. Special attention is paid to publications devoted to sustainable development, innovative technologies, rational use of natural resources, as well as issues of integrating scientific research, educational activity, and industrial practice.

3. Publication Language and Types of Materials

Manuscripts in Kazakh, Russian, and English are accepted for publication.

The journal considers the following types of materials:

  1. original research articles;
  2. review articles.

4. Core Editorial Principles

The editorial board of the journal is guided by the following principles:

  • scientific significance and novelty of published results;
  • objectivity of editorial evaluation;
  • equality of authors regardless of their citizenship, affiliation, language of origin, gender, race, religious views, or political beliefs;
  • confidentiality of the editorial process;
  • inadmissibility of conflicts of interest;
  • independence of editorial decisions from commercial, administrative, and personal factors.

The decision to publish is made solely on the basis of the scientific quality of the manuscript, its relevance to the journal’s scope, and compliance with ethical standards. This approach is consistent with the principles of editorial and publication ethics published on the journal’s website.

5. Submission and Initial Editorial Evaluation of Manuscripts

All manuscripts are submitted through the journal’s electronic system. Upon submission, the article undergoes an initial editorial screening during which the following are assessed:

  • compliance with the journal’s scope;
  • adherence to formal formatting requirements;
  • quality of the language of presentation;
  • presence of all mandatory structural elements;
  • compliance with publication ethics standards.

At the initial review stage, the editorial office has the right to reject a manuscript without external peer review if the article does not correspond to the journal’s profile, has a low scientific level, is prepared with substantial violations, or contains signs of unethical practice.

6. Peer Review

The journal applies a double-blind peer review model in which the identities of the authors are not disclosed to reviewers, and the identities of reviewers are not disclosed to authors. This ensures objectivity and minimizes bias.

Each manuscript that has passed the initial editorial evaluation is sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant subject area. If necessary, additional reviewers may be involved, including those from other organizations and countries.

During peer review, the following are evaluated:

  • originality and scientific contribution of the research;
  • soundness of the methodology;
  • reliability of the results and conclusions;
  • logic of the structure and clarity of presentation;
  • compliance with the journal’s scope;
  • relevance and sufficiency of the bibliographic base.

Based on the results of peer review, one of the following decisions may be made:

  • accept;
  • accept after minor revision;
  • request major revision and resubmission for further consideration;
  • reject.

The editorial office aims to complete the initial stage of peer review within 4–6 weeks; however, the actual time frame may depend on the topic of the article and the availability of experts.

7. Revision of Manuscripts

Authors are required to submit:

  • a revised version of the manuscript;
  • a detailed response to the reviewers’ comments explaining the changes made.

An insufficient or merely formal response to reviewers’ comments may serve as grounds for rejection.

If necessary, the revised manuscript may be sent for repeated peer review.

8. Requirements for Scientific Quality and Formatting

Only original manuscripts that:

  • have not been previously published;
  • are not under consideration by other journals;
  • comply with the journal’s requirements for text originality
  • are accepted for consideration.

According to the published author guidelines, the minimum level of originality must be at least 65%, and the acceptable level of similarity must not exceed 25%. Manuscripts may be checked using plagiarism detection systems.

The journal recommends the international IMRAD structure and establishes a number of basic requirements:

  • the article length is generally 10–14 pages;
  • in-text citations and the reference list must be formatted according to APA 7th edition;
  • the reference list must contain at least 15 sources, including at least 5 international sources;
  • the level of self-citation must not exceed 20%.

9. Publication Ethics

The journal adheres to international standards of publication ethics and follows COPE recommendations.

Authors are required to:

  • present reliable and accurate research results;
  • properly format borrowings and references;
  • list only actual co-authors;
  • disclose potential conflicts of interest;
  • exclude fabrication, falsification of data, plagiarism, duplicate publication, and other forms of unethical practice.

Reviewers are required to:

  • maintain confidentiality;
  • be objective and well-reasoned;
  • declare any conflict of interest;
  • inform the editorial office of any identified signs of plagiarism, duplication, or other violations.

Editors are required to:

  • ensure fair and impartial consideration of manuscripts;
  • maintain confidentiality;
  • make decisions based on the scientific value of the manuscript;
  • respond to complaints, appeals, and ethical violations.

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence

If generative AI tools are used in the preparation of a manuscript, the author must disclose this information, specifying the name of the tool and the purpose of its use. At the same time, full responsibility for the accuracy, correctness, and scientific integrity of the manuscript remains with the authors.

11. Conflict of Interest, Funding, and Additional Statements

The article must include information on:

  • conflict of interest;
  • sources of funding;
  • ethical approval of the study — where applicable;
  • informed consent — where applicable;
  • data availability;
  • acknowledgements;
  • the use of artificial intelligence technologies — where applicable.

12. Copyright and Open Access

The journal operates under the Open Access model: all articles are made available to readers free of charge immediately after publication, without subscription or access fees.

Copyright to published articles remains with the authors. At the same time, authors grant the publisher the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, and archive materials in electronic and printed form, as well as to place articles in databases, repositories, and indexing systems.

All publications are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits copying, distribution, and adaptation of the material provided that authorship and the source are properly acknowledged.

The journal also allows and encourages self-archiving of the published version of the article, provided that a proper reference to the original source is given.

13. Publication Fee

According to the current author guidelines, after an article is accepted for publication, an Article Processing Charge (APC) of 50,000 KZT is charged for each accepted article. Payment is made only after the manuscript has been accepted by the editorial office.

14. Confidentiality and Personal Data

Names, email addresses, affiliations, and other personal data provided by authors, reviewers, and editors are used solely for the purposes of the editorial process, peer review, publication, indexing, and archiving of materials, as well as for compliance with legal and ethical requirements. Access to such data is restricted to the editorial office and authorized participants in the publishing process.

15. Final Provisions

The editorial policy of the journal is binding on authors, reviewers, editors, and other participants in the publishing process. The policy may be updated by the editorial office in connection with changes in international standards of scholarly publishing, legal requirements, technical procedures, and strategic objectives.