Sections
⇓ Ethics of Publication
⇓ Peer Review and Manuscript Acceptance
⇓ Authorship and Contribution Policy
⇓ Complaints and Appeals Procedure
⇓ Policy on Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests
⇓ Data Sharing and Reproducibility Policy
⇓ Ethical Oversight Policy
⇓ Open Access and Copyright Policy
⇓ Policy on Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections
⇓ Funding Disclosure Policy
Ethics of Publication
Civil Engineering Science and Technology Journal (CESTJ) adheres to ethical publishing standards in line with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Authors must confirm that their engineering and scientific submissions meet these standards and were carried out ethically, without unethical research practices, bias, plagiarism, improper authorship attribution, redundant publication, or failure to disclose conflicts of interest.
Similarly, peer reviewers must maintain the secrecy of the review process and report any possible conflicts of interest.
In accordance with COPE’s Code of Conduct, Any claims of unethical activity will be properly investigated. CESTJ maintains the right to conduct investigations involving connected research institutes, employers, funding sources, or appropriate legal authorities. To discover linguistic similarities or probable plagiarism, the journal screens submitted publications using EDAS software. According to the aforementioned guidelines, writers are expected to fully collaborate with the editorial staff, answer to any inquiries, and stay available even after publication to resolve any post-publication issues or offer extra material as needed.
CESTJ invites authors to make supporting research data openly available via relevant repositories. This encompasses raw and processed data, software, algorithms, techniques, and materials. Authors should add a data availability statement and a direct link to the repository, which will appear alongside their paper.
Peer Review and Manuscript Acceptance
All articles submitted to CESTJ are initially evaluated by the editorial board to verify that they are in line with the journal’s scope, comply to its principles, and have scientific value and ethical integrity. Following this preliminary evaluation, the paper moves on to the peer review process, which uses a single-blind review methodology. The final acceptance is reliant on the input and recommendations supplied by the appointed reviewers. For further information, please refer to the journal’s Peer Review Policy.
Authorship and Contribution Policy
Manuscripts submitted to the journal must include all contributing authors’ full names, institutional affiliations, and contact information. The order of authors should be chosen collectively by the contributors, typically based on characteristics such as the quantity of intellectual input, idea development, academic qualifications, or other mutually agreed-upon criteria. All mentioned authors must have contributed significantly to the study and accept collective responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and rigor of the published results. Each author should be prepared to answer to queries about the manuscript’s substance, whether from fellow scholars, academic bodies, or other interested parties.
Furthermore, throughout the paper submission procedure through the EDAS platform, authors’ names, institutional affiliations, and contact information must be supplied electronically. All writers will get confirmation after they have successfully registered. When conflicts emerge or the rules of authorship are breached, authors have the opportunity to file a formal complaint for settlement.
Complaints and Appeals Procedure
The policy below covers how the journal handles appeals against editorial decisions, procedural inefficiencies (such as excessive delays in article processing), and publishing ethics problems. In general, such issues are handled by the editor-in-chief or the journal’s designated editor. If the issue involves one of these persons, writers may reach out directly using the contact emails provided. ammardakhil@cestj.edu.iq , as listed on the Contact Page.
Appeals Regarding Editorial Rejections (Scientific Content)
When a rejection is disputed, the editor-in-chief or responsible editor will consider the authors’ rationale, confer with the original reviewer as needed, and determine whether:
• The original decision should remain unchanged,
• A second independent review is warranted, or
• The appeal merits reconsideration.
The complaint will be advised of the decision, along with an explanation if needed. All judgments on appeals are final. New submissions will be given priority over reconsideration appeals.
Operational Complaints (e.g., Delays in Processing)
Concerns about the efficiency of journal operations, including as review time, will be investigated by the editor-in-chief, maybe in conjunction with the managing editor. Complainants will get a response, and input will be shared with appropriate individuals to improve editorial processes.
Ethical Complaints (e.g., Author or Reviewer Conduct)
For concerns about ethical conduct, such as suspected misconduct by authors or reviewers, the editor-in-chief or editor will follow the journal’s Publication Ethics rules. In difficult or ambiguous circumstances, they may contact the publisher using the provided contact information. The complaint will be informed of the final judgment and any associated feedback.
Policy on Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests
The CESTJ adheres to the definition of conflicts of interest/competing interests as outlined by the COPE. The journal values transparency and expects authors to declare any ties, financial interests, or other affiliations that may be perceived to influence the content or interpretation of their study. Such disclosures are required when the interest is directly relevant to the topic of the paper.
Relevant competing interests include, but are not limited to, owning patents or stock, participating on a company’s board of directors or advisory committees, and receiving consultancy fees or honoraria from connected organizations. The presence of a possible conflict does not exclude a submission from being considered for publication. Rather, correct disclosure promotes transparency for both reviewers and readers, supporting the journal’s reputation and ethical norms.
Authors who have no relevant conflicts to declare must explicitly state this in the manuscript’s designated conflict of interest section. The following standard statement may be used: “The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this article.”
Data Sharing and Reproducibility Policy
The CESTJ fosters openness and reproducibility in scientific research by encouraging authors to make their data publicly available. This contains raw and processed datasets, software, algorithms, experimental methods, approaches, and pertinent resources. Authors must provide a data availability statement in their work, along with a link to the data repository where the material is maintained. This declaration will be published alongside the publication to permit verification, replication, and future study.
Ethical Oversight Policy
The CESTJ adheres to the COPE guidelines concerning ethical oversight . As defined by COPE, ethical oversight encompasses policies related to informed consent for publication, research involving vulnerable groups, ethical treatment of human and animal subjects, confidentiality of sensitive data, and responsible commercial or marketing practices.
The editorial staff at CESTJ is dedicated to respecting these ethical standards and ensuring that all published work adheres to established ethical norms. The journal will evaluate any official communications from the Ethics and Oversight Committee about professional or scientific misconduct or ethical breaches by authors. Furthermore, CESTJ is willing to consider other ethical issues, provided that they are recognized (not anonymous) and substantiated by good evidence.
Open Access and Copyright Policy
All articles published in the CESTJ are made freely accessible under an open access model, allowing readers to immediately read, download, and distribute content under the terms of a Creative Commons license.
The copyright for published research stays with the author(s). By submitting to CESTJ, writers offer the journal a non-exclusive license to publish the work while acknowledging the original source. Furthermore, writers allow third parties to use, share, and distribute the information as long as the piece is unchanged and correct credit is given to the original authors, along with complete citation details and acknowledgement of CESTJ as the publisher.
Policy on Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections
TThe CESTJ adheres to strict publishing ethical standards and takes any claims of misconduct or fraud seriously. In compliance with COPE rules, the journal will investigate any potential ethical infractions. If such concerns are confirmed, the journal will contact the relevant authors at their registered email addresses to resolve the issues raised. Based on the findings, the journal may take the following actions::
- If the manuscript is still under review or in the publication process, it may be rejected and returned to the author.
- For articles already published online, the journal may:
a) Issue a correction or erratum linked to the article,
b) Publish an editorial expression of concern, or
c) Retract the article, particularly in cases of severe ethical breaches.Details and reasoning for any corrective or retraction action will be provided in a notice associated with the affected article. This process may also involve:
• Notifying the author’s affiliated institution,
• Including a note regarding the ethical concerns within the peer-review system and bibliographic records.
Author Name Changes
Authors who want to change their names in published work for reasons like gender transition or religious conversion can seek adjustments to their names, pronouns, or other biographical facts. These adjustments can be done surreptitiously, without public annotation, or via an official correction notice.
Authorship and Correspondence
When submitting an article, authors must include an exact list of all contributions, their order, and the corresponding author. Post-acceptance authorship changes—such as adding, deleting, or reordering authors—are typically not authorized. Changes during the review stage may be permitted only in extreme situations, with editor agreement.
In the event that a co-author dies or becomes incompetent while preparing a manuscript, co-authors may proceed with the approval of a legal representative, such as an immediate family member.
All communication with journal staff—including editors and reviewers—must be kept confidential and shared only with authorized parties or with explicit consent.
Authorship Disputes
The journal does not resolve authorship disputes, either during review or after publication. Authors are solely responsible for settling such issues. CESTJ maintains the authority to suspend the editorial process or send the problem to the authors’ respective institutions for further action.
Article Removal
In extraordinary situations, CESTJ may delete items from its online platform if they are libelous, infringe on legal rights, violate court or government orders, or pose severe health hazards. Metadata such as the article title and author information will be maintained, along with an explanation for their removal. Removal may be temporary or permanent, and it will be carried out only in extraordinary situations.
Throughout all post-publication matters, CESTJ adheres to the ethical framework and procedures outlined by COPE.
Funding Disclosure Policy
The authors must declare all sources of financial support for the research and properly recognize them in the manuscript’s Acknowledgments section. The authors are responsible for correctly identifying and attributing each funding entity. To verify and standardize names, writers are invited to check the Open Funder Registry offered by Crossref : https://www.crossref.org/services/funder-registry/ .