{"id":2170,"date":"2026-02-11T12:22:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T04:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/?page_id=2170"},"modified":"2026-04-09T15:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T07:24:13","slug":"ethics-legality","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/?page_id=2170","title":{"rendered":"Ethics & Legality"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Publication Ethics Policy<\/strong><\/h5>

The Journal of Sustainable Civil Engineering & Technology (JSCET)<\/strong> is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and professionalism in scholarly publishing. JSCET aspire to become a scientific publication platform that adheres to a process where publication ethics are highly practiced, as stated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) ( http:\/\/publicationethics.org). This is to ensure that the process follows a high level of professional conduct to meet the aim of positive contribution towards knowledge enhancement. The code of ethics to be followed by all personnel involved in the publishing process of JSCET are as stated. The journal follows the standard best practices and expects all parties involved in the publication process (authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher) to adhere to these ethical standards at every stage.<\/p>

This policy aims to ensure the credibility of published research, prevent misconduct, and promote responsible academic communication within the civil engineering and sustainability research community.<\/p>

Responsibilities of Authors<\/strong><\/h5>

Authors submitting manuscripts to JSCET must adhere to the following ethical principles:<\/p>

  1. Originality and Exclusivity
    <\/b>\u2022 Manuscripts must be original and must not have been published previously or be under consideration by another journal at the same time.
    \u2022 Submissions must not contain plagiarism, redundant publication, or fabricated data.
    \u2022 If the manuscript is derived from a thesis, conference paper, or prior work, this must be clearly disclosed in the cover letter with supporting documentation.<\/li>
  2. Authorship Criteria
    <\/b>Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work. Each listed author must have:
    \u2022 Contributed significantly to the research design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
    \u2022 Participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
    \u2022 Approved the final version to be submitted.
    \u2022 Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

    Individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.<\/p><\/li>

  3. Data Integrity and Reporting Standards
    <\/b>\u2022 Authors must present accurate, honest, and verifiable data.
    \u2022 Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
    \u2022 Authors should retain raw data and be prepared to provide it if requested by the editorial team.<\/li>
  4. Citation and Plagiarism
    <\/b>\u2022 Proper citation of sources is mandatory (American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition<\/b> referencing and citation style).
    \u2022 All borrowed ideas, text, or data must be appropriately acknowledged.
    \u2022 Excessive self-citation or bulk referencing intended to manipulate metrics is unacceptable.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>
  5. Corresponding Author Responsibilities
    <\/b>\u2022 One author must be designated as the corresponding author.
    \u2022 The corresponding author is responsible for:
    \u00a0 \u00a0o Managing all communication with the journal.
    \u00a0 \u00a0o Ensuring all co-authors approve the submission.
    \u00a0 \u00a0o Coordinating responses to reviewer comments.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>

    \u00a0<\/p><\/li>

  6. Copyright and Permissions
    <\/b>\u2022 Authors must comply with copyright laws and obtain permission for any copyrighted material used.
    \u2022 A signed Copyright Transfer Agreement must be submitted before publication.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>

    \u00a0<\/p><\/li>

  7. \u00a0Corrections and Retractions
    <\/b>\u2022 Authors must promptly notify the editor if any significant error is discovered in a published article.
    \u2022 Authors must cooperate with the editorial office in issuing corrections, retractions, or updates.<\/li>
  8. Ethical Compliance in Research<\/strong>
    Where applicable, authors must:
    \u2022 Comply with the ethical standards and policies of JSCET, including originality of work, proper citation, conflict of interest disclosure, funding transparency, clear authorship contributions,\u00a0 responsible use of AI, data availability, and copyright compliance as stated in the manuscript guideline.<\/strong>
    \u2022 Obtain the necessary approvals for research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data.
    \u2022 Declare any potential conflicts of interest and funding sources.
    \u2022 Include a mandatory Ethics Statement<\/strong> in the manuscript.
    \u2022 Select and adapt the appropriate ethics declaration based on the nature of the study.
    <\/span><\/li><\/ol>
    \u00a0<\/div>
    For studies that do not involve human or animal subjects, authors must include a statement such as:<\/strong><\/div>
    \u00a0<\/div>
    \u201cThe authors declare that this research did not involve human or animal subjects. All experimental procedures were performed in accordance with the institutional Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) protocols of [Insert Institution Name].\u201d<\/em><\/div>
    \u00a0<\/div>
    For studies involving human participants, animals, bio-engineering, toxicity testing, or social surveys, authors must include a statement such as:<\/strong><\/div>
    \u00a0<\/div>
    \u201cThis study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of [Insert Institution Name] (Approval No: XXXX\/202X). All procedures involving human participants\/animal subjects were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and data anonymity was strictly maintained throughout the study.\u201d<\/em><\/div>
    \u00a0<\/div>
    Failure to include an appropriate Ethics Statement may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for correction before the review process.<\/div><\/div>
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      Responsibilities of Reviewers<\/strong><\/h5>

      Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the scientific quality and credibility of the journal.<\/p>

      1. Confidentiality<\/strong>
        \u2022 Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.
        \u2022 Reviewers must not share or discuss the manuscript with others without permission from the editor.

        <\/li>
      2. \u00a0Objectivity and Professionalism<\/strong>
        \u2022 Reviews must be conducted objectively, fairly, and constructively.
        \u2022 Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

        <\/li>
      3. Conflict of Interest<\/strong>
        \u2022 Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest.
        \u2022 If a conflict exists or the reviewer is unqualified, they must decline the review promptly.

        <\/li>
      4. Timeliness<\/strong>
        \u2022 Reviewers are expected to complete their evaluations within the timeframe specified in the journal\u2019s editorial policy. For JSCET, the first round of the double-blind review process is normally allocated 14 days from the date the manuscript is assigned to the reviewer.
        \u2022 If a second round of review is required following authors\u2019 revisions, reviewers are generally given a shorter review period of 7 days to reassess the manuscript.
        \u2022 Reviewers should adhere strictly to these timelines to ensure an efficient editorial process and timely publication decisions.
        \u2022 If a reviewer anticipates any delay or is unable to meet the assigned deadline, they must inform the editor immediately so that alternative arrangements, such as deadline extensions or reassignment to another reviewer, can be made.

        Prompt and timely reviews are essential to maintain the journal\u2019s publication schedule, uphold editorial standards, and provide authors with fair and efficient feedback.

        <\/li>
      5. Ethical Vigilance<\/strong>
        Reviewers should:
        \u2022 Identify possible plagiarism, redundant publication, or data falsification.
        \u2022 Report any ethical concerns directly to the editor.
        \u2022 Refrain from using unpublished material for personal research.<\/li><\/ol>

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        Responsibilities of Editors<\/strong><\/h5>

        Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, transparent, and ethical editorial process.<\/p>

        1. Editorial Decision-Making<\/strong>
          \u2022 Decisions to accept or reject manuscripts must be based on:
          \u00a0 \u00a0o Originality
          \u00a0 \u00a0o Scientific merit
          \u00a0 \u00a0o Clarity
          \u00a0 \u00a0o Relevance to the journal scope
          \u2022 Decisions must not be influenced by:
          \u00a0 \u00a0o Authors\u2019 race, gender, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

          <\/li>
        2. Confidentiality<\/strong>
          \u2022 Editors must maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts.
          \u2022 Information about submissions must not be disclosed to anyone except relevant stakeholders.

          <\/li>
        3. Conflict of Interest<\/strong>
          \u2022 Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.

          <\/li>
        4. Reviewer Selection<\/strong>
          \u2022 Editors must assign qualified and unbiased reviewers.
          \u2022 The review process must be fair, timely, and transparent.

          <\/li>
        5. Handling Ethical Issues<\/strong>
          Editors must:
          \u2022 Respond promptly to allegations of misconduct.
          \u2022 Investigate cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes.
          \u2022 Work with the publisher and authors to resolve issues appropriately.

          Editors must not use unpublished data from submitted manuscripts for their own research.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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          Responsibilities of the Publisher<\/strong><\/h5>

          The publisher supports the ethical integrity of the journal by:<\/p>

          1. Policy Enforcement<\/strong>
            \u2022 Ensuring that all stakeholders follow established ethical policies.
            \u2022 Supporting the editorial team in maintaining high publication standards.<\/li>
          2. Integrity of the Publication Process<\/strong>
            \u2022 Verifying publication rights and licensing agreements.
            \u2022 Facilitating indexing, dissemination, and archiving of published articles.<\/li>
          3. Addressing Misconduct<\/strong>
            \u2022 Investigating suspected cases of:
            \u00a0 \u00a0o Plagiarism
            \u00a0 \u00a0o Fraudulent research
            \u00a0 \u00a0o Ethical violations
            \u2022 Working closely with the Chief Editors to resolve issues.<\/li>
          4. Non-Discrimination and Inclusivity<\/strong>
            JSCET and its publisher:
            \u2022 Do not discriminate based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any personal characteristic.
            \u2022 Promote inclusive and equitable scholarly communication.<\/li>
          5. Policy Review and Updates<\/strong>
            \u2022 The publisher is responsible for periodically reviewing and updating journal policies to reflect evolving ethical standards.<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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            Publication Ethics Policy The Journal of Sustainable Civil Engineering & Technology (JSCET) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and professionalism in scholarly publishing. JSCET aspire to become a scientific publication platform that adheres to a process where publication ethics are highly practiced, as stated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_theme","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2170","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2170"}],"version-history":[{"count":155,"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2665,"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2170\/revisions\/2665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joscetech.uitm.edu.my\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}