Journal of Sustainable Construction and Management

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

 

Sustainable Construction and Management

1. Ethical Framework

Sustainable Construction and Management is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines and best practices in scholarly publishing, including principles aligned with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).

All parties involved in the publication process — authors, editors, reviewers, and publisher — are expected to adhere to these standards.

2. Duties of Authors

2.1 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit original work. Any use of previously published material must be properly cited.

The journal screens submissions using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with significant similarity or evidence of plagiarism will be rejected.

2.2 Multiple or Concurrent Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.

Manuscripts under consideration elsewhere will be rejected.

2.3 Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to:

  • Research design

  • Data collection

  • Analysis and interpretation

  • Drafting or revising the manuscript

All authors must approve the final version prior to submission.

2.4 Data Integrity

Authors must:

  • Present accurate and truthful data

  • Avoid fabrication, falsification, or manipulation

  • Retain raw data for reasonable verification if requested

2.5 Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research outcomes.

2.6 Acknowledgment of Sources

Proper acknowledgment of all sources is mandatory. References must be accurately cited.

2.7 AI-Generated Content Disclosure

If artificial intelligence tools (e.g., language models, code generators) were used in manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

3. Duties of Editors

3.1 Fair Decision-Making

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on:

  • Academic merit

  • Originality

  • Relevance

  • Scientific rigor

Decisions are independent of the authors’ race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, or political beliefs.

3.2 Confidentiality

Editors must maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and not disclose information to unauthorized individuals.

3.3 Conflict of Interest

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.

3.4 Handling Misconduct

Editors will take appropriate action if ethical concerns arise, including:

  • Investigation

  • Retraction

  • Correction

  • Notification of institutions

4. Duties of Reviewers

4.1 Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents.

4.2 Objectivity

Reviews should be objective, constructive, and free of personal criticism.

4.3 Acknowledgment of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant work not cited by authors and report any suspected plagiarism.

4.4 Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline review if conflicts of interest exist.

5. Publisher Responsibilities

The publisher ensures:

  • Editorial independence

  • Transparent peer-review procedures

  • Ethical oversight

  • No influence of commercial interests on editorial decisions

6. Handling of Ethical Misconduct

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal may:

  • Request clarification from authors

  • Contact authors’ institutions

  • Publish corrections

  • Issue retractions

  • Remove articles if necessary

Retraction notices will remain permanently linked to the original article.

7. Corrections and Retractions

Errors identified after publication will be corrected through:

  • Erratum (minor errors)

  • Corrigendum (author errors)

  • Retraction (serious ethical violations)

All corrections will be clearly documented.

8. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written justification. Appeals will be reviewed independently.

9. Commitment to Transparency

The journal is committed to:

  • Transparent editorial governance

  • Ethical publication practices

  • Academic integrity

  • Responsible dissemination of research