Publication Ethics

Ethical Standards and Editorial Responsibilities

The Journal of Engineering Research and its editorial board are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Adhering to principles outlined by organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal ensures transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the publication process.

Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial board evaluates all submitted manuscripts based on scholarly merit, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions are made impartially without bias toward authors' nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion. Editors ensure confidentiality, disclose manuscript information only to those directly involved, and avoid using unpublished content for personal research without explicit consent. Financial support sources must be transparently disclosed. The journal maintains an unbiased peer-review process, preventing conflicts of interest, especially for submissions from editorial board members. Reviewers assist in identifying ethical concerns, and editors address intellectual property issues, issuing corrections or retractions when necessary to uphold credibility.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers provide objective evaluations to enhance manuscript quality while avoiding personal criticism. They must decline assignments if unqualified or conflicted due to affiliations, collaborations, or personal relationships with the authors. All reviewed materials must remain confidential and cannot be used for personal advantage. Proper citation of prior research is essential, and any instances of uncredited sources, overlapping content, or suspected plagiarism must be reported to the editor for further investigation.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure the accuracy and transparency of their research, presenting data truthfully and retaining raw data for at least two years post-publication. Manuscripts must be original, properly attribute all sources, and adhere to ethical publishing practices. Plagiarism in any form is prohibited, and simultaneous submission to multiple journals constitutes a breach of ethics. Authors must disclose financial or institutional conflicts of interest, reserve authorship for significant contributors, and acknowledge others appropriately. In the event of errors, authors must promptly inform the editorial team and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions.

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process, ensuring confidentiality of both authors and reviewers. The final decision on acceptance or rejection rests with the editorial board, based on reviewers’ evaluations. For submissions involving complex ethical, security, or societal concerns, additional expert input may be sought beyond standard peer review.

Plagiarism

The journal enforces a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism, prohibiting the use of others’ ideas, words, or work without proper attribution. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, duplicate submissions, redundant publication, or self-plagiarism will be rejected. All submissions undergo plagiarism screening using professional detection software, and those with unacceptable similarity indices will be immediately rejected.

Preprints Policy

Authors are free to share preprints on any platform. Upon acceptance, they are encouraged to link their preprint to the final published version using its Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Authors may also update preprints on repositories like arXiv or RePEc with the accepted manuscript version.

Research Ethics and Consent

All original research involving humans, animals, plants, biological material, or protected datasets must include a written statement under an Ethics Approval section, detailing the ethics committee(s) involved, approval numbers, and informed consent from participants.

Special Issues

Special Issue topics are determined by the editorial team, and submissions follow the same process and guidelines as regular issues. Calls for submissions are typically included in the current year’s special issue release.

Appointment of Guest Editors

Guest Editors are selected based on expertise, academic reputation, and editorial experience. They define the scope, draft calls for papers, manage submissions, oversee peer review, and make final decisions in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief.

Setup of Special Issues

A detailed proposal, including theme, objectives, target audience, potential Guest Editors, and timeline, must be submitted and approved by the editorial board. Once approved, a call for papers is announced and promoted through various channels.

Editorial and Review Process for Special Issues

Manuscripts for special issues are submitted through the online system, undergo initial screening by Guest Editors, and proceed to double-blind peer review. Authors revise based on feedback, and Guest Editors recommend acceptance or rejection with final approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

Publication Timing & Review Process

Submissions are accepted on an ongoing basis and considered for publication once ready. The journal publishes twice annually, and all issues, including special ones, follow the same editorial and review process.

Standards of Reporting

Authors are encouraged to present research transparently to facilitate verification and reproducibility. Detailed accounts of research rationale, protocols, methodologies, and analyses should be provided.

Use of Third-Party Material

Authors must obtain necessary permissions to reuse third-party materials, including text, images, tables, data, or audio. Short excerpts may be used without permission for purposes like criticism or review, adhering to fair use guidelines.

TJER Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

The Journal of Engineering Research (TJER), published by Sultan Qaboos University, recognises the potential benefits of generative AI (GenAI) and AI-assisted technologies when used responsibly to support authors in manuscript preparation, such as improving language readability or organising content. TJER permits such use under strict human oversight, with authors remaining fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted and published content.

Permitted Uses and Responsibilities: TJER allows GenAI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) for non-substantive tasks like grammar checks or basic readability enhancements, but authors must verify all outputs for factual accuracy, biases, and completeness, including checking AI-generated references, which may be fabricated. Authors are responsible for protecting confidentiality by reviewing tool terms to avoid uploading unpublished manuscripts or sensitive data to external AI platforms. Basic grammar/spelling tools require no disclosure, but any substantive AI assistance must be declared.

Disclosure Requirements: Authors must include a dedicated declaration statement at the end of the manuscript, immediately before references, titled Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies in the Writing Process. Use this format: "During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] in order to [REASON, e.g., 'improve language clarity']. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication." This statement will be published to promote transparency. AI use in research methods (e.g., data analysis) must be detailed in the Methods section.

Authorship and Prohibited Uses: GenAI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, as authorship requires human accountability, final approval, and ethical responsibility. TJER prohibits GenAI in peer review and editorial processes to safeguard manuscript confidentiality. Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring originality, avoiding plagiarism, and complying with COPE guidelines already followed by TJER.

Images, Figures, and Artwork: GenAI or AI-assisted tools are not permitted to create, generate, or alter images, figures, or artwork in submissions, except when integral to research methods (e.g., AI-generated simulations described transparently in Methods). Standard adjustments like brightness or contrast are allowed if they do not obscure data; image forensics may be applied for verification.

TJER's Publishing Process: TJER does not use GenAI in editorial decisions, peer review, or production to maintain human oversight and research integrity. This policy, modelled on Elsevier's guidance, supports Scopus expectations for transparent, publicly accessible statements and will be updated as GenAI evolves.