1. Introduction

The Journal of Research Technology and Engineering (JRTE) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and research quality. These ethical guidelines are established to ensure that all stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and publishers, adhere to internationally accepted principles of responsible research and scholarly publishing.

JRTE follows the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and internationally recognized scholarly publishing standards.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JRTE shall:

2.1 Originality and Authenticity

• Submit only original work that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
• Ensure that all data, results, figures, and interpretations presented are genuine and accurately reported.
• Avoid fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or selective reporting of research data.

2.2 Authorship

• Include as authors only individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the research.
• Obtain approval from all co-authors before manuscript submission.
• Avoid guest, honorary, or ghost authorship.

2.3 Citation and Referencing

• Properly acknowledge all sources, ideas, datasets, software, figures, and previously published work.
• Ensure accurate and complete referencing according to the journal’s prescribed format.

2.4 Research Ethics

• Obtain necessary ethical approvals for studies involving humans, animals, personal data, or sensitive information.
• Clearly indicate ethical approval numbers and institutional review board approvals where applicable.

2.5 Conflict of Interest

• Disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research.

3. Similarity and Plagiarism Policy

JRTE adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism.

3.1 Similarity Threshold

All submissions will be screened using recognized plagiarism detection software.

The following limits apply:

• Overall Similarity Index: Maximum 15%
• Similarity from a Single Source: Maximum 3%
• Excluded Sections:
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • Standard methodology descriptions
  • Common technical terminology

3.2 Forms of Plagiarism

The following are considered unethical:

• Direct plagiarism
• Mosaic plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Duplicate publication
• Data plagiarism
• Figure or image plagiarism
• Translation plagiarism

3.3 Actions

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject manuscripts regardless of similarity percentages if plagiarism is detected.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

JRTE recognizes the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research and writing. However, authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.

4.1 Permitted Uses of AI

Authors may use AI tools for:

• Language editing
• Grammar correction
• Readability improvement
• Coding assistance
• Data visualization support
• Literature organization

4.2 Prohibited Uses of AI

Authors shall not:

• Generate entire manuscripts using AI without substantial human intellectual contribution.
• Fabricate references, citations, data, images, results, or experimental findings using AI.
• Use AI to create misleading or fraudulent research content.
• List AI systems as authors.

4.3 AI Disclosure Requirement

Authors must disclose AI usage in a dedicated statement, such as:

“The authors used [Tool Name] solely for language editing and manuscript preparation. All scientific content, analysis, interpretations, and conclusions were developed and verified by the authors.”

4.4 AI-Generated Content Screening

JRTE may use AI-detection tools and editorial assessment procedures to identify excessive AI-generated content.

Where substantial AI-generated content is suspected without proper disclosure, the manuscript may be rejected or withdrawn.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers shall:

• Conduct reviews objectively and constructively.
• Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts.
• Avoid personal criticism.
• Declare conflicts of interest.
• Evaluate originality, methodology, significance, and scientific rigor.
• Identify potential ethical issues, plagiarism, or duplicate publication.
• Complete reviews within the stipulated review period.

Reviewers shall not:

• Use unpublished information for personal benefit.
• Share manuscripts with unauthorized individuals.
• Contact authors directly.

6. Responsibilities of Editors and Editorial Board Members

Editors and Editorial Board Members shall:

• Make decisions based solely on academic merit.
• Ensure fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review.
• Prevent discrimination based on nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, or institutional affiliation.
• Manage conflicts of interest appropriately.
• Investigate allegations of misconduct.
• Preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Editorial decisions shall be based on:

• Scientific quality
• Originality
• Methodological rigor
• Relevance to journal scope
• Ethical compliance

7. Peer Review Policy

JRTE follows a Double-Blind Peer Review process.

Review Procedure

1. Editorial Screening
2. Similarity Check
3. Scope and Quality Assessment
4. Double-Blind Peer Review
5. Editorial Decision
6. Revision and Re-evaluation
7. Final Acceptance

Each manuscript shall normally be evaluated by a minimum of two independent reviewers.

Where reviewer recommendations conflict significantly, an additional reviewer may be appointed.

8. Research Misconduct

Research misconduct includes:

• Plagiarism
• Fabrication
• Falsification
• Duplicate publication
• Citation manipulation
• Data manipulation
• Ethical approval fraud
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest
• AI-generated fraudulent content

Allegations will be investigated according to COPE guidelines.

Possible sanctions include:

• Rejection
• Retraction
• Publication bans
• Notification of affiliated institutions