Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

EKTU Journal of Engineering Sciences is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. All stakeholders in the publication process — editors, authors, reviewers, and readers — are expected to adhere to ethical principles to ensure transparency, fairness, and academic honesty.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• Decision-making: Making publication decisions based solely on the manuscript’s originality, scientific quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
• Fairness: Ensuring unbiased and confidential handling of all manuscripts. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed appropriately.
• Integrity: Maintaining the integrity of the academic record, correcting errors, and retracting articles when necessary.
• Ethical Oversight: Acting according to COPE guidelines and other recognized ethical standards.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

• Submit original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under review by another journal.
• Ensure accuracy and validity of reported data, methods, and results.
• Disclose all conflicts of interest, funding sources, and contributions of co-authors.
• Properly cite all sources, including text, figures, tables, and datasets.
• Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or redundant publication.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

• Conduct fair, objective, and timely evaluations.
• Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts and information.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest and decline reviews when appropriate.
• Provide constructive feedback to authors to improve the quality of research.

Handling Misconduct

The journal takes allegations of publication and research misconduct seriously. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Plagiarism: Presenting others’ work or ideas as one’s own without proper attribution.
• Fabrication and falsification: Making up data or manipulating research results.
• Duplicate submission/publication: Submitting the same work to multiple journals without disclosure.
• Unethical behavior: Violating ethical standards in research involving humans or animals.

Upon detecting or receiving credible reports of misconduct, the journal will:

1. Investigate the issue thoroughly.
2. Notify all relevant parties, including authors, reviewers, and institutions if needed.
3. Apply corrective actions, such as errata, corrigenda, retraction, or expression of concern, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Transparency and Accountability

All stakeholders are expected to act responsibly and ethically to uphold the quality and trustworthiness of published research. The journal promotes open communication, transparency in editorial processes, and accountability for maintaining academic integrity.