Introduction

Scientific Journal of Civil Engineering – SJCE is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. This Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aims to ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

Fair and Objective Decision-Making: The Editorial Board ensures that manuscript evaluations are based solely on scholarly merit, without bias regarding race, gender, nationality, religious belief, or institutional affiliation of the authors.

Confidentiality: Editors must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, or other editorial advisers.

Conflicts of Interest: Editors must not use unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research without the author’s explicit written consent.

Handling of Misconduct: The Editorial Board is responsible for investigating and addressing ethical complaints concerning submitted or published manuscripts. Appropriate action will be taken in cases of misconduct, which may include retraction, correction, or other necessary measures.

Responsibilities of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and appropriately cite or quote the work and/or words of others. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Data Accuracy and Integrity: Authors should provide an accurate account of the research performed, present data truthfully, and avoid fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data.

Authorship and Acknowledgment: All individuals who have made significant contributions to the research should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged appropriately.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the research or interpretation of results.

Multiple or Redundant Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting the same research to multiple journals constitutes unethical behavior.

Corrections and Retractions: If an author discovers a significant error in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction if necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Confidentiality: All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared or discussed with others without authorization from the editor.

Objectivity and Constructive Criticism: Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear and constructive feedback that helps authors improve their work.

Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any substantial similarity or overlap with other published work should be reported to the editor.

Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors.

Ethical Oversight and Misconduct Handling

Scientific Journal of Civil Engineering – SJCE follows a strict ethical policy to identify and address potential misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, and improper authorship attribution. The journal will take necessary corrective actions, including issuing corrections, retractions, and informing relevant institutions if misconduct is detected.

Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right to first publication. Articles are published under an open-access license unless otherwise specified, allowing broad dissemination and use.

Compliance with Ethical Guidelines

By submitting to the Scientific Journal of Civil Engineering – SJCE, authors, reviewers, and editors agree to adhere to the ethical principles outlined in this statement. The journal reserves the right to take appropriate actions in case of ethical violations.