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Policies

Contents

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Editorial Policies

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal adheres to the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing.

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Submission of a manuscript to BJME implies that all listed authors have read and approved the manuscript, agree with its content, and confirm that it complies with the journal’s ethical standards and policies.

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Advertisements

BJME does not accept advertisements from third parties.

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Author Affiliations

All authors must provide complete and accurate institutional affiliations, clearly identifying the institutions or organizations involved in approving, funding, or conducting the research.

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Appeals and Complaints

Appeals

BJME welcomes well-founded appeals against editorial decisions.

Complaints

Complaints concerning the editorial or publication process may include authorship disputes, conflicts of interest, concerns about peer review, procedural fairness, or issues raised after publication.

First Point of Contact

Appeals and complaints should be submitted to the Editorial Office at

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Acknowledgment

Manuscripts must acknowledge individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria.

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Authorship Policy

Authorship signifies substantial intellectual contribution and accountability. To qualify as an author, individuals must:

  1. Make substantial contributions to the conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation.
  2. Participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
  3. Approve the submitted and final versions of the manuscript.
  4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Funding acquisition, general supervision, or data collection alone does not justify authorship.

Changes to the authorship list before or after publication require written consent from all authors and must include a justified explanation. Post-publication changes will be documented through a formal notice.

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Author Contributions

Authors are encouraged to clearly describe each contributor’s role (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, data analysis, experimentation, manuscript drafting, review, editing). Contribution statements will be published with the article.

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Citations and Reference Integrity

All submissions must include relevant, current, and verifiable references. Excessive self-citation or citation manipulation is considered unethical and will be handled according to COPE guidance.
Non-research articles must provide balanced and unbiased references.

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Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to the manuscript, including institutional or commercial affiliations that may influence the research outcomes.

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Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

BJME is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of the scholarly record. When concerns are identified after publication, the journal will assess the matter and take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidance and accepted publishing best practices.

Corrections: A correction may be issued when an article contains an error that affects the accuracy, clarity, or presentation of the published record but does not invalidate the overall results or conclusions of the work. Corrections will clearly explain the nature of the amendment and will be permanently linked to the original article to ensure transparency for readers.

Expressions of Concern: An expression of concern may be published when there are serious and credible concerns regarding a published article, but the available evidence is not yet sufficient for a final decision, or an investigation is still ongoing. In such cases, the notice will inform readers of the concern while the matter is being examined further.

Retractions: A retraction may be issued when a published article is found to be unreliable, whether as a result of research misconduct, such as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism, or because of a significant honest error that invalidates the findings. Retractions may also be issued in cases of duplicate publication, unethical research practices, or other serious breaches of publication ethics. Retraction notices will clearly state the reason for the retraction and will be permanently linked to the original article. The original article will remain part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as retracted.

In all cases, decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are made by the Editors-in-Chief in accordance with relevant COPE guidance and, where appropriate, in consultation with authors, reviewers, and affiliated institutions. All such notices will be made openly available as part of the journal’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and publication integrity.

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Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Access is restricted to editorial staff, reviewers, and relevant editors.

In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal may share information with appropriate ethics committees or institutions, following COPE procedures.

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Philosophy

BJME is committed to promoting open scientific exchange while protecting authors’ intellectual property rights. The journal supports responsible knowledge dissemination aligned with its Aims & Scope.

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Who Can Submit?

Any researcher may submit an original manuscript to BJME, provided they hold the copyright to the work or have obtained proper authorization from the copyright holder(s). Authors retain copyright ownership of their work prior to publication.

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User Rights

BJME is a fully open-access journal. Authors retain copyright of their published work.
All articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits users to read, download, copy, distribute, transmit, adapt, and use the work for any purpose, including commercial use, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated. Full license details are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Open Access Policy

All published content is freely accessible immediately upon publication. Users may reuse the material under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license with proper attribution.

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Author Rights

While authors retain full copyright, they grant the Publisher a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the article.

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Research Data Policies

Data Sharing Policy

BJME promotes transparency and reproducibility in research. Authors are strongly encouraged to share the data supporting their findings whenever possible, unless this is prevented by ethical, legal, confidentiality, or other justified restrictions.

Data Availability Statement

All manuscripts are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement, specifying, where applicable, what data are available, where they can be accessed, and under what conditions. Examples include:

  • Public Repository: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in [repository name/link].
  • Available on Request: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
  • Included in the Article / Supplementary Material: The data supporting the findings of this study are included within the article and/or its supplementary materials.
  • Restricted Access: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to [ethical/legal/confidentiality] restrictions, but may be available from the corresponding author or another appropriate source under certain conditions.
  • No Data Generated or Analyzed: No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

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Desk Rejection Policy

BJME may reject submissions prior to peer review if they:

  • Fall outside the journal’s scope
  • Contain ethical violations or plagiarism
  • Lack novelty or scientific contribution
  • Exhibit serious methodological flaws
  • Have unclear research objectives
  • Are poorly structured
  • Demonstrate inadequate language quality
  • Fail to comply with submission guidelines

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Funding Disclosure

Authors must clearly disclose all sources of funding for the research, including the name of the funding body and, where applicable, the grant number. Under the journal’s updated policy, all new submissions must also state the role of funders in the research. If funders had no involvement, this must be explicitly stated.

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Images and Figures Policy

Images and figures must:

  • Be directly relevant to the research
  • Accurately represent the original data
  • Not be subject to misleading or inappropriate modification

Minor, uniform adjustments, such as brightness or contrast changes applied to the entire image, are acceptable if they do not alter or obscure the original scientific information and, where appropriate, are disclosed. Any manipulation that affects the scientific interpretation of the image is prohibited.

Authors must obtain written permission for any third-party material and must provide original, unprocessed images upon request.

Misconduct Policy

BJME takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and will handle such cases in accordance with relevant COPE guidance. The journal is committed to protecting the integrity of the scholarly record and to ensuring that all concerns are assessed fairly, consistently, and confidentially.

Types of Misconduct

Misconduct includes any action or omission that compromises the reliability of the research record or the integrity of the editorial and peer-review process. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Plagiarism: The use of another person’s words, ideas, data, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.
  • Data Fabrication and Falsification: The invention, manipulation, or selective alteration of data, results, or findings. Authors must ensure the accuracy and integrity of all data presented and must retain original data for possible review.
  • Image Manipulation: Any inappropriate alteration of images, figures, or graphical data that misrepresents the original information or affects scientific interpretation.
  • Citation Manipulation: The use of inappropriate or excessive citations intended to influence citation-based metrics.
  • Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest: Failure to disclose relationships or interests that could influence, or appear to influence, the work or its evaluation.
  • Duplicate Submission or Redundant Publication: Submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time, or publication of substantially overlapping material without proper disclosure.
  • Improper Authorship Attribution: Inclusion of individuals who did not contribute significantly, or exclusion of those who did.
  • Peer-Review Manipulation: Any attempt to interfere with the integrity of the peer-review process.

Translated or Secondary Publications

Translated or secondary publication may be considered only where full disclosure is made to the Editor, the original publication is clearly acknowledged, and any necessary permission has been obtained from the original publisher.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

When an allegation of misconduct is received, the journal will conduct an initial assessment and, where appropriate, request explanations, original data, or supporting documentation from the authors. The journal may also consult editorial board members, independent experts, institutions, or ethics bodies where necessary. All allegations of misconduct will be assessed and handled in accordance with relevant COPE guidance and flowcharts, with due regard for confidentiality, fairness, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

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Publication Ethics

BJME follows relevant COPE guidance in all matters relating to publication ethics.

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Duties of Editors

Editors must:

  • Make fair and unbiased publication decisions
  • Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and the peer-review process
  • Avoid and appropriately manage conflicts of interest
  • Ensure that published content complies with ethical standards
  • Take appropriate action when ethical concerns arise
  • Correct the scholarly record promptly where necessary

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback
  • Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and the peer-review process
  • Declare any conflicts of interest and withdraw where appropriate
  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited
  • Decline or withdraw from review if they are not suitably qualified or unable to provide a timely review

Duties of Authors

Authors must:

  • Ensure that submitted work is original
  • Avoid plagiarism and other forms of improper overlap
  • Report data accurately and honestly
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest
  • Include all legitimate co-authors and exclude those who do not meet authorship criteria
  • Notify the journal promptly if a significant error is discovered and cooperate in correcting the published record

Peer Review Process

1. Review Mechanism and Transparency

All submissions to the journal undergo a double-blind peer review process. This ensures that the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are kept confidential throughout the evaluation to prevent any bias. The process is managed through our integrated editorial management system to ensure a secure and documented audit trail.

2. Reviewer Selection and Criteria

Reviewers are selected by the Section Editors or the Editor-in-Chief based on their specific expertise, academic track record, and H-index in the relevant field. We maintain a diverse database of international experts to ensure a global perspective. Every manuscript is typically assigned to at least two (2) independent external reviewers.

3. Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality

All reviewers must adhere to strict confidentiality guidelines; they are prohibited from using or sharing any unpublished data from the manuscripts. Reviewers are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, or personal) before accepting the invitation. If a conflict is identified, a new reviewer is immediately assigned.

4. Timelines and Editorial Decision-Making

We are committed to a timely review process. The expected timeline for the initial review is approximately 40 days on average. The final decision to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript rests with the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor, based on reviewer reports and editorial assessment. The Editor-in-Chief retains overall responsibility for the journal’s editorial standards and published content. Decisions are categorized as:

  • Accept without changes
  • Minor Revision
  • Major Revision
  • Reject and Resubmit
  • Reject

In cases of conflicting reviewer reports, the Editor-in-Chief or a third senior expert acts as an adjudicator to make the final determination.

5. Ethical Oversight and COPE Compliance

Our procedures strictly follow the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing. In cases involving significant ethical, societal, or technical implications, the journal reserves the right to seek additional consultation from our International Advisory Board or specialized ethics committees.

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Plagiarism Policy

BJME maintains a strict anti-plagiarism policy. The use of others’ ideas, text, figures, or data without proper acknowledgment is strictly prohibited.

Manuscripts containing plagiarism, substantial unattributed overlap, redundant publication, or undisclosed text recycling may be rejected. Content previously posted in recognized preprint repositories is not considered duplicate publication.

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Similarity reports are assessed by the editorial team on a case-by-case basis, and manuscripts containing problematic overlap may be declined. The corresponding author is responsible for the integrity of the manuscript throughout the review and publication process.

Preprints Policy

Authors may share their manuscripts on recognized preprint servers before submission, at submission, or during the peer-review process. Authors should disclose any preprint posting, including the DOI or other identifier, at the time of submission. Upon publication, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with the full citation and DOI link to the final published article. Where permitted by the journal’s archiving policy, authors may also update the repository record with the accepted manuscript.

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BJME requires all submitted research to comply with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements. For studies involving human participants, animals, or regulated biological materials, authors must provide the relevant ethics approval details in the manuscript or, where formal ethics approval was not required, explain the basis for that determination. Failure to meet applicable ethical requirements may result in rejection or other appropriate editorial action.

Protection of Privacy and Participant Rights

Identifiable personal information, images, recordings, or other materials that may reveal the identity of a research participant must not be published unless their inclusion is scientifically justified and written informed consent for publication has been obtained from the individual or, where applicable, from a parent, legal guardian, or next of kin. If the individual is deceased, consent should be obtained from the next of kin where appropriate. Authors are responsible for obtaining and securely retaining the relevant consent documentation and must include a statement in the manuscript confirming that informed consent for publication was obtained. Individuals providing consent should be informed that the material may be published online in an open-access journal under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

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Studies Involving Human Participants

Research involving human participants, identifiable human data, or identifiable human material must comply with applicable ethical standards and relevant institutional and national requirements. Where applicable, manuscripts must state that ethics approval was obtained before the study began, name the approving committee, and provide the approval or reference number. Manuscripts must also confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants, or explain why consent was not required or was formally waived.

Studies Involving Animals

Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international requirements for animal welfare and ethical review. Manuscripts must provide ethics approval details, identify the species used, justify the use of animals where relevant, and describe the measures taken to minimize pain, suffering, and distress, including anesthesia, analgesia, and euthanasia procedures where applicable.

Studies Involving Plants and Biological Materials

Research involving plants or plant-derived biological or genetic materials must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international regulations. Where collection, transfer, or use of regulated material requires permits, approvals, or other compliance measures, authors must confirm that these requirements were met and provide relevant details in the manuscript where appropriate.

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Special Issues

Purpose and Thematic Focus

Special Issues of BJME are intended to highlight emerging, rapidly developing, or particularly significant areas of research within the journal’s scope. These thematic collections are designed to bring together high-quality contributions on focused topics of current relevance to the mechanical engineering community. Proposals for Special Issues may be initiated by the editorial team or submitted by prospective Guest Editors. All proposals are subject to editorial evaluation and must receive formal approval from the journal before development proceeds.

Call for Submissions

For each approved Special Issue, the journal will announce a call for papers setting out the theme, aims, scope, and submission requirements. Calls may be published through the journal website and other appropriate academic communication channels. Authors wishing to contribute must ensure that their manuscripts are clearly relevant to the announced theme and comply with the journal’s general submission and ethical requirements.

Role of Guest Editors

Guest Editors may be appointed where their academic expertise and subject knowledge are well suited to the theme of the Special Issue. The appointment of Guest Editors is at the discretion of the journal, and Special Issues may also be managed directly by the Editorial Board.

When appointed, Guest Editors are responsible for:

  • developing the theme and scope of the Special Issue in consultation with the journal
  • supporting the promotion of the call for papers to relevant research communities
  • assisting in the management of the peer review process in accordance with journal policies
  • identifying suitable reviewers and overseeing revisions where appropriate
  • ensuring that ethical standards, confidentiality, and conflict-of-interest requirements are respected
  • making editorial recommendations based on reviewer reports and the academic merit of the submissions

Guest Editors do not hold independent authority to accept or reject manuscripts. Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor. The Editor-in-Chief retains overall responsibility for the journal’s editorial standards and published content.

Manuscript Submission and Peer Review

Manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue are processed through the journal’s standard submission system and are subject to the same editorial screening, peer review, quality criteria, and ethical standards as regular submissions. Special Issue submissions are handled in accordance with the journal’s peer review policy. Guest Editors or designated editors may oversee the review process and provide recommendations, but final publication decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately designated editor.

Publication and Promotion

Accepted articles in a Special Issue will be published in accordance with the journal’s normal publication procedures and will be clearly identified as part of the relevant Special Issue. The journal may promote Special Issues through its regular communication channels in order to increase their visibility and reach within the research community. The journal may also review the performance and scholarly contribution of Special Issues to inform the planning of future thematic collections.

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Reporting Standards

Authors must present their methods, materials, data, and analysis in sufficient detail to allow the reproducibility and verification of the results. Reported findings should be accurate, complete, and transparent, and authors should provide any additional information required by the editors or reviewers to assess the reliability of the work.

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Use of Third-Party Material

Authors must obtain written permission for any copyrighted third-party material included in their manuscript, unless such material is clearly covered by a licence that permits its reuse. Where applicable, permission must allow publication of the material in an open-access journal under the journal’s licensing terms. Proper acknowledgment of the original source must be provided in the figure legend, table note, or main text, as appropriate.

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Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

Use of AI in Manuscript Preparation

Authors may use generative AI or other AI-assisted technologies for limited editorial support, such as improving language, grammar, clarity, or readability. Such tools must not be used in place of the authors’ own scholarly judgment or intellectual contribution. In particular, AI tools must not be relied upon to generate original research ideas, interpret findings, perform scientific analysis, or formulate conclusions.

Any use of AI-assisted technology remains entirely under the responsibility of the authors. Authors must carefully review and, where necessary, revise all AI-assisted output to ensure that the manuscript is accurate, original, properly referenced, and free from misleading statements, errors, or inappropriate bias. Authors are fully responsible for all content submitted to and published by the journal.

AI tools cannot be named as authors or co-authors, as they are unable to assume responsibility for the work, approve the final manuscript, or meet authorship requirements.

Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of any generative AI or AI-assisted technology that has made a substantive contribution to the text or content of the manuscript. The disclosure should identify the tool used, including the version where available, and briefly explain how and to what extent it was used. Routine tools that do not generate substantive content, such as standard spelling, grammar, or reference-management software, do not need to be disclosed.

Responsible Use, Confidentiality, and Rights

Authors must ensure that any use of AI tools complies with applicable standards relating to confidentiality, privacy, and copyright. Confidential, sensitive, unpublished, or third-party copyrighted material must not be entered into AI systems unless the authors are authorized to do so and appropriate protections are in place.

Figures, Images, and Data Presentation

Generative AI must not be used to create, alter, enhance, or manipulate figures, images, or other visual materials in a way that could misrepresent the underlying data, observations, or results. Where AI-based tools form part of the research methodology, such as in image processing or analytical workflows, their use must be described clearly and transparently in the manuscript, including the name of the tool and the manner in which it was applied.

Use of AI in Peer Review

To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the peer review process, reviewers must not use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to evaluate manuscripts or draft review reports. Manuscripts under review are confidential documents and must not be uploaded, in whole or in part, to external AI platforms for summarization, interpretation, translation, or text generation.

Peer review requires expert human judgment. Reviewers remain fully responsible for the substance, fairness, and quality of their reports.

Policy Development

The journal will continue to monitor developments in generative AI and related technologies and may revise this policy where necessary in order to maintain standards of research integrity, confidentiality, and ethical publishing.

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