1. Introduction

The International Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology (IJAET) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and preventing malpractice in research and scholarly publishing. This policy is aligned with the principles and guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics's (COPE) Guidelines On Good Publication Practice and the Core Practices. The aim is to ensure the integrity, credibility, and transparency of the journal's publications.

2. Authors' Responsibilities

2.1. Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submitted work is original and has not been published previously in any form. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. Proper citations and references to prior work must be provided.

2.2. Authorship: All individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research must be listed as authors, and those who have participated in a minor way should be acknowledged appropriately. The corresponding author should ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission.

2.3. Data Integrity: Authors must present accurate and reliable research findings. Data manipulation, fabrication, and falsification are unacceptable practices. Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such, if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

2.4. Multiple Publication: An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

2.5. Acknowledgement of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

2.6. Acknowledgment of Funding Sources: Sources of funding for the research reported in the article should be duly acknowledged at the end of the article.

2.7. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

2.8. Fundamental errors in published works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

3. Editorial Responsibilities

3.1. Fair Review Process: The journal is committed to providing a fair, unbiased, and timely peer review process. Editors and reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based on their scholarly merits, without any bias related to the authors' identity, affiliation, or other characteristics.

3.2. Conflicts of Interest: Editors and reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their judgment during the review process. They should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in cases where such conflicts exist.

3.3. Confidentiality: The editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher.

3.4. Decision on the Publication of Articles: The Editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The Editor may be guided by the policies of the journal and subjected to such legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The Editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

4. Reviewers' Responsibilities

4.1. Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. The content and findings of the manuscript should not be shared or discussed with others except with the journal's editorial team.

4.2. Timeliness and Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide timely and constructive feedback to authors. Personal criticism or any form of disrespectful language is unacceptable.

4.3. Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should not review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

5. Handling Complaints and Appeals

IJAET is committed to addressing complaints and appeals in a fair and timely manner. Authors, reviewers, or readers who have concerns about a published article or the peer review process should contact the editorial office. Complaints will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken. Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions, and appeals will be handled by a separate editorial team member not involved in the initial decision.

6. Conflicts of Interest / Competing Interests

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest or competing interests that could influence the research or its interpretation. Conflicts of interest could include financial relationships, personal connections, or institutional affiliations that may impact objectivity. Transparency is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the publication process.

7. Data Sharing and Reproducibility

IJAET encourages authors to share their data and research materials to promote transparency and reproducibility. Authors should provide sufficient details to allow other researchers to verify and build upon their work. Proper citation of sources, including data sources, is essential.

8. Ethical Oversight

When human or animal subjects are involved in the research, authors must provide evidence of ethical approval from an appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee. Informed consent must be obtained from participants, and their privacy and rights should be protected.

9. Intellectual Property

Authors submitting to IJAET should ensure that their work is original and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others. Plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. Proper citations and references must be provided for all sources used in the manuscript.

10. Handling of Misconduct

10.1. Plagiarism and Fabrication: If instances of plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification are detected, the manuscript will be rejected or retracted. Authors found guilty of such misconduct may be barred from submitting to the journal in the future.

10.2. Authorship Disputes: Any disputes related to authorship should be resolved among the involved parties. The journal will follow COPE's guidelines for handling such cases.

10.3. Corrections and Retractions: If errors or inaccuracies are identified in published work, the journal will consider issuing corrections, errata, or retractions based on COPE's guidance.

11. Post-Publication Discussions

11.1. Open Dialogue: IJAET provides options for post-publication discussions, corrections, and retractions. If errors are identified in published articles, the journal will work with authors to issue corrections or retractions as necessary. Readers are encouraged to engage in constructive discussions through comments and letters to the editor.

12. Reporting and Investigation

12.1. Allegations of Misconduct: The journal will handle allegations of misconduct in accordance with COPE's guidelines. An investigation will be initiated to assess the validity of the claims, involving relevant parties.

13. Conclusion

The International Journal of Architectural Engineering Technology is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. This policy reflects our dedication to promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability across all stages of the publication process. Adherence to these ethical principles is essential to uphold the reputation and credibility of both the journal and the broader academic community.