Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The ARAI Journal of Mobility Technology (AJMT) is dedicated to advancing engineering and mobility research and technology. AJMT is a peer-reviewed journal. This statement clarifies the ethical behavior of all parties engaged in the process of publishing an article in our journal, including the authors, editors, peer-reviewers, and publisher. This statement is based on the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

The publishing of a paper in a peer-reviewed Journal of Mobility Technology (AJMT) is an important step toward establishing a cohesive and accepted network of information. It reflects the quality of the authors' work and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed papers promote and embody the scientific method. As a result, it is critical to establish ethical norms for all parties engaged in the publication process, including authors, journal editors, peer reviewers, publishers, and society.

The Journal of Mobility Technology (AJMT) takes its role as publisher very seriously, and we understand our ethical and other responsibilities. We are dedicated to ensuring that advertising, reprint, and other commercial revenue have no impact or influence on editorial decisions. In addition, the Editorial Board will assist in discussions with other journals and/or publishers as needed.

The ARAI Journal of Mobility Technology is committed to meeting and keeping the highest ethical standards throughout the publication process and the information published. In addition, the journal follows to its guidelines for dealing with acts of misconduct, agreeing to examine claims of misconduct in order to maintain the integrity of research. When conducting research, publishing papers, and throughout the peer-review process, the journal requires the highest ethical standards from its authors, reviewers, and editors.

1. The ARAI Journal of Mobility Technology is committed to meeting and keeping the highest ethical standards throughout the publication process and the information published.
2. Every contribution should be accompanied by a declaration that the article is unique and has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
3. All articles submitted will be double-blind reviewed. Acceptance of articles is contingent on the review panel's recommendation and subsequent approval by the editor-in-chief.
4. Every article that is accepted will be copy-edited. The Editorial Board reserves the right to make any necessary text revisions in accordance with the journal style sheet and standard.
5. Every author will receive a free copy of the issue in which his or her paper appears.
6. The editor-in-chief along with advisory chairman is in-charge of deciding which articles should be published in the journal.
7. The editorial board will be guided by the journal's policies and bound by legal requirements regarding copyright infringement and plagiarism.
8. In making this decision, members of the editorial board will consult with one another and refer to the recommendations of the reviewers.

Publication Decisions

The editors of the AJMT journal decide which articles should be published. Such decisions must always be driven by the validity of the work in question, as well as its value to scholars and readers. The editors may be led by the journal's editorial board policies while also being bound by any legal requirements that may be in effect at the time including libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editors may consult with other editors or reviewers to make the decision.

Fair Play

An editor can examine papers at any moment for their intellectual value, regardless of the authors' color, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic background, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

The editor and any editorial staff are not permitted to divulge any information about a submitted article to anybody other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, if applicable.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript may not be used in the editor's own research without the author's express written agreement.

Duties of Reviewers

1. Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review helps the editor make editorial decisions, and the editorial interacts with the author can help the author improve the manuscript.
2. Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to examine the research provided in a manuscript or understands that prompt review is impossible should tell the editor and withdraw from the review process.
3. Confidentiality: Manuscripts submitted for review must be handled as confidential materials. They may not be shown or discussed with others unless allowed by the editor.
4. Standards of Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is not appropriate. Referees should convey their opinions clearly and with supporting arguments.
5. Source Acknowledgement: Reviewers should highlight relevant published material that the authors did not cite. Any claim that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously published should be accompanied by the appropriate citation. A reviewer should also bring to the editor's attention any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper about which they are personally aware.
6. Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Any privileged information or ideas gained through peer review must be kept confidential and not exploited for personal gain. Reviewers should not accept manuscripts that have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or affiliations with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the articles.
7. Reviewers can find more details at Guidelines for Reviewers page

Duties of Authors

1. Reporting standards: Authors of original research reports should provide an accurate summary of the work completed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. A paper should provide enough information and references to allow others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or willfully inaccurate remarks are unethical and unprofessional.
2. Data Access and Retention: Authors are asked to provide raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and they should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if possible, and to retain such data for a reasonable period of time after publication.
3. Originality and Plagiarism: The authors should ensure that their works are wholly original, and that if they have used the work and/or words of others, they have properly cited or quoted them.
4. Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: An author should avoid publishing submissions that describe essentially the same study in more than one journal or principal publication. It is unethical and improper to submit the same paper to many journals at the same time.
5. Source Acknowledgement: It is always necessary to properly acknowledge the efforts of others. Authors should cite publications that influenced the character of the reported work.
6. Authorship of the Paper: The paper's authorship should be limited to those who made a major contribution to the conception, design, implementation, or interpretation of the reported study. Everyone who has made important contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who contributed to certain substantive areas of the study endeavor should be acknowledged or identified as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all suitable co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the article, and that all co-authors have viewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and consented to its publication.
7. Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects: If the work involves chemicals, techniques, or equipment that have any unusual hazards associated with their usage, the author must fully state these in the paper.
8. Disclosure & Conflicts of Interest: All authors must disclose in their submission any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that could be interpreted as influencing the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of funding for the project should be mentioned.
9. Fundamental errors in published works: If an author discovers a substantial error or inaccuracy in his or her own published work, the author must promptly tell the journal editor or publisher and work with the editor to retract or correct the publication.
10. Authors can find more details at Guidelines for Authors page

Duties of Editors

1. Reviewing and Editing Content: Editors analyze written, visual, and multimedia content to ensure correctness, clarity, coherence, and compliance with editorial standards and guidelines. They edit information for grammar, punctuation, spelling, style, and consistency, and offer constructive feedback and suggestions to improve the material's quality.
2. Managing Editorial Operations: Editors manage editorial operations, which include assigning and scheduling material, managing deadlines, and communicating with other departments such as production, marketing, and distribution. They ensure that the publication or organization achieves its goals and objectives while maintaining high levels of quality and integrity.
3. Upholding Ethical Standards: Editors play an important role in maintaining ethical standards and procedures in journalism and publishing. They verify material, review sources, and guarantee that content is correct, fair, balanced, and free of plagiarism and conflicts of interest.
4. Staying Informed and Adapting to Trends: Staying Informed and Adapting to Trends: Editors stay up to date on industry trends, technology breakthroughs, and changes in audience preferences in order to tailor their plans and methods. They may attend conferences, workshops, and training programs to stay current on innovations in journalism, communication, and media.
5. Editors can find more details at Guidelines for Editors page

COPE Guidelines References

Code_of_conduct_for_journal_editors.pdf (publicationethics.org)

What does an editor do? - CareerExplorer

COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics | Promoting integrity in scholarly research and its publication

Ethical guidelines for peer reviewers | COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics

43_Guidelines (publicationethics.org)