1. Publication Ethics

Journal of Innovative Engineering and Natural Sciences (JIENS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal adheres to internationally recognized ethical standards throughout the editorial and publication process and expects all participants—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—to comply with these principles.

JIENS follows the recommendations and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME. Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of scientific quality, originality, significance, methodological soundness, and relevance to the journal's scope, without discrimination based on nationality, gender, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, or any other personal characteristics.

Scientific misconduct, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, inappropriate authorship practices, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and any other unethical behavior, is not tolerated. Suspected cases are investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts and recommendations. When misconduct is confirmed, the journal may reject a manuscript, publish corrections, retract articles, notify authors' institutions, or take other appropriate editorial actions.

All submitted manuscripts are treated confidentially throughout the peer-review process. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose or use unpublished information obtained during manuscript evaluation for personal advantage or the benefit of others.

International Guidelines

JIENS follows internationally recognized publication ethics guidelines, including:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/
• COPE Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
• ICMJE Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (COPE, DOAJ, OASPA & WAME): https://doaj.org/bestpractice

2. Authorship Policy

2.1 Definition of Authorship

Authorship should accurately reflect individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to a research study. Authorship carries both academic credit and responsibility for the published work. All listed authors are expected to take public responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the manuscript.

JIENS follows the authorship recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

An individual qualifies for authorship only if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
2. Drafted the manuscript or critically revised it for important intellectual content.
3. Approved the final version of the manuscript before submission and publication.
4. Agrees to be accountable for all aspects of the work and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who contribute to the research but do not satisfy all four criteria should not be listed as authors. Their contributions should instead be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section after obtaining their permission.

2.2 Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• ensuring that all listed authors meet the journal's authorship criteria;
• confirming that no eligible contributor has been omitted;
• obtaining approval from all co-authors before manuscript submission;
• serving as the primary contact between the journal and all authors throughout the editorial and publication process;
• ensuring that all required ethical declarations, conflict of interest statements, funding information, and data availability statements are complete and accurate.

2.3 Author Contributions

JIENS encourages authors to describe their individual contributions using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy).

Examples of contribution categories include:

• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Software
• Validation
• Formal Analysis
• Investigation
• Resources
• Data Curation
• Writing – Original Draft
• Writing – Review & Editing
• Visualization
• Supervision
• Project Administration
• Funding Acquisition

The contribution statement should accurately describe each author's role.

2.4 Equal Contribution

When two or more authors have contributed equally to the study, this should be clearly indicated in the manuscript through an equal contribution statement.

2.5 Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately. Such contributions may include technical assistance, language editing, statistical consultation, administrative support, or financial assistance.

Written permission should be obtained from acknowledged individuals before publication.

2.6 Inappropriate Authorship

The journal does not accept any form of unethical authorship practice, including:

• Guest Authorship
• Gift Authorship
• Honorary Authorship
• Ghost Authorship

Any evidence of inappropriate authorship may result in rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article.

2.7 Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after manuscript submission must be submitted in writing by the corresponding author and include:

• a detailed explanation for the requested change;
• written consent from all authors, including any author being added or removed.

The Editor-in-Chief will evaluate all requests according to COPE recommendations. Authorship changes after acceptance will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.

2.8 Responsibility for Published Work

All authors share collective responsibility for the scientific integrity of the published article.

Authors are expected to cooperate fully if questions arise regarding the accuracy, validity, or ethical integrity of their work. When significant errors are identified after publication, authors must promptly notify the journal and collaborate with the editors to publish a correction or, when necessary, a retraction.

3. Research Ethics

All research submitted to JIENS must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards.

Research involving human participants, human data, or human biological materials must have received approval from an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee before the study commenced.

For studies involving animals, authors must confirm compliance with internationally recognized animal welfare guidelines and obtain approval from the relevant ethics committee.

Where applicable, informed consent must be obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with national legislation and international ethical principles, including the Declaration of Helsinki where appropriate.

For studies requiring ethics committee approval, the approval number, institution, and approval date should be clearly stated within the manuscript.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the Journal of Innovative Engineering and Natural Sciences (JIENS) are expected to uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity and publication ethics throughout the research and publication process.

Authors are responsible for:

4.1 Originality

Submitted manuscripts must be original works that have not been published previously and are not under consideration by another journal simultaneously.

Duplicate submission and duplicate publication constitute serious ethical misconduct and are unacceptable.

4.2 Accuracy and Integrity of Data

Authors must present research findings honestly, accurately, and transparently.

Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, inappropriate manipulation of data, images, or results are strictly prohibited.

Authors should retain original research data and provide access to these data if requested by the editors.

4.3 Proper Citation

Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others through accurate citations.

All sources used in the preparation of the manuscript must be properly referenced.

Citation manipulation intended to artificially increase citation counts is considered unethical.

4.4 Plagiarism

Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, verbatim copying without attribution, paraphrasing without citation, or unauthorized use of figures, tables, or data, is unacceptable.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review.

If plagiarism or other unethical publication practices are identified, the manuscript may be rejected or retracted following COPE recommendations.

4.5 Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of their research.

If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state:

"The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest."

4.6 Funding

All financial support received for the study must be disclosed.

The funding statement should include the funding agency and grant number where applicable.

4.7 Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools solely for language editing or writing assistance.

AI tools must not be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, scientific integrity, and final content of the manuscript.

The use of AI must be disclosed in the manuscript when applicable.

4.8 Corrections After Publication

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must immediately notify the editorial office and cooperate in publishing a correction, corrigendum, or retraction when necessary.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the scientific quality of the journal.

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts fairly, objectively, and confidentially.

Reviewers should:

5.1 Confidentiality

Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.

Unpublished information obtained during peer review must not be disclosed or used for personal advantage.

5.2 Objectivity

Evaluate manuscripts solely on scientific merit, originality, methodology, clarity, and relevance.

Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

5.3 Competence

Accept review invitations only when they possess sufficient expertise in the manuscript's subject area.

If reviewers lack adequate expertise, they should decline the invitation promptly.

5.4 Conflict of Interest

Reviewers should decline invitations whenever personal, financial, institutional, or collaborative relationships could influence their judgment.

5.5 Timeliness

Reviews should be completed within the requested period.

If reviewers cannot complete the evaluation on time, they should inform the editor immediately.

5.6 Ethical Concerns

Reviewers should inform the editor if they identify possible:

• plagiarism
• duplicate publication
• fabricated or falsified data
• image manipulation
• unethical research
• inappropriate authorship

5.7 Constructive Review

Reviewer comments should be objective, respectful, constructive, and sufficiently detailed to help authors improve their manuscripts.

6. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the quality, integrity, and credibility of the journal.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific merit.

Editors shall:

6.1 Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made independently without influence from authors, institutions, sponsors, advertisers, or commercial organizations.

6.2 Fair Evaluation

Editors evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political beliefs, or personal characteristics.

6.3 Confidentiality

Editors must preserve the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities throughout the editorial process.

6.4 Reviewer Selection

Editors assign reviewers according to their scientific expertise and avoid conflicts of interest whenever possible.

6.5 Conflict of Interest

Editors must withdraw from handling manuscripts whenever conflicts of interest exist.

Another editor will be assigned to ensure impartial evaluation.

6.6 Ethical Misconduct

Editors are responsible for investigating suspected ethical violations following COPE recommendations.

Appropriate editorial actions may include:

• rejection
• correction
• expression of concern
• retraction
• notification of institutions

6.7 Publication Decisions

Acceptance decisions are based on:

• originality
• scientific contribution
• methodological quality
• ethical compliance
• reviewer recommendations

6.8 Corrections and Retractions

Editors are responsible for publishing corrections, corrigenda, expressions of concern, or retractions whenever necessary to maintain the integrity of the scientific record.

6.9 Appeals

Editors will consider appeals against editorial decisions fairly and objectively.

Appeals should include scientific justification and supporting evidence.

6.10 Continuous Improvement

Editors regularly review and update editorial policies to align with internationally accepted publishing standards and ethical guidelines.

7. Conflict of Interest Policy

All participants in the publication process are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation or interpretation of research.

Conflicts of interest may be:

• financial
• institutional
• academic
• personal
• political

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any relationships that could affect their objectivity.

When conflicts exist, appropriate editorial measures will be taken to ensure an unbiased evaluation process.

If no conflict exists, the following statement should be included:

"The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest."

8. Plagiarism Policy

JIENS maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct.

All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review.

The Editorial Office evaluates similarity reports individually.

A high similarity score does not automatically indicate misconduct, and a low similarity score does not guarantee originality. Editorial judgment considers the nature, context, and source of matching text.

The following practices constitute publication misconduct:

• plagiarism
• self-plagiarism
• duplicate publication
• salami publication
• citation manipulation
• fabricated references

When plagiarism or other unethical practices are confirmed, the journal follows COPE guidelines and may reject, retract, or correct the manuscript as appropriate.

9. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

JIENS recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in scientific writing and research. The journal supports the responsible and transparent use of AI while emphasizing that authors remain fully accountable for the integrity and originality of their work.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language editing, grammar improvement, or manuscript organization. However, AI tools must not be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the content of a scientific publication.

Any use of AI that contributes to manuscript preparation must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript, including the name of the tool and a brief description of how it was used.

Authors remain solely responsible for:

• the accuracy of all information;
• the originality of the manuscript;
• appropriate citations;
• interpretation of results;
• compliance with publication ethics.

The use of AI for generating or manipulating research data, images, figures, or experimental results without appropriate disclosure constitutes scientific misconduct.

10. Data Availability Policy

JIENS encourages transparency and reproducibility in scientific research.

Authors are encouraged to make the data supporting their findings publicly available whenever possible, provided that doing so does not violate ethical, legal, or confidentiality obligations.

Authors should include a Data Availability Statement indicating one of the following:

• the data are publicly available in a recognized repository;
• the data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request;
• the data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality restrictions.

Editors may request access to original research data during the editorial process if necessary to verify the integrity of the study.

11. Copyright and Licensing

Authors retain the copyright of their published work unless otherwise specified by the journal's licensing policy.

By submitting a manuscript, authors grant JIENS the right to publish, archive, index, and disseminate the article electronically.

JIENS is an open-access journal. All published articles are freely accessible immediately after publication without subscription or access fees.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted material owned by third parties.

12. Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern

JIENS is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

When significant errors are identified after publication, appropriate editorial actions may include:

Correction

Minor errors that do not affect the scientific validity of the study may be corrected through an official correction notice.

Retraction

Articles may be retracted in cases involving:

• plagiarism;
• duplicate publication;
• fabricated or falsified data;
• unethical research;
• serious methodological errors;
• inappropriate authorship;
• copyright infringement.

Retraction notices will remain permanently linked to the original article to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Expression of Concern

When an investigation is ongoing but inconclusive, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern until the investigation is completed.

All investigations are conducted in accordance with COPE recommendations.

13. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions if they believe a significant scientific or procedural error has occurred.

Appeals must:

• be submitted in writing;
• provide scientific justification;
• include supporting evidence where appropriate.

Appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or another independent editor when necessary.

Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, or journal procedures are handled confidentially and impartially following COPE guidance.

The Editor-in-Chief's decision after the appeal process is considered final.

14. Publication Malpractice

JIENS does not tolerate any form of publication malpractice.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• plagiarism;
• self-plagiarism;
• duplicate publication;
• simultaneous submission;
• fabricated or falsified data;
• manipulated images;
• inappropriate authorship;
• citation manipulation;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• paper mill submissions;
• fake peer review;
• unethical experimentation.

Whenever publication malpractice is suspected, the Editorial Office follows COPE flowcharts and internationally accepted procedures.

Appropriate actions may include rejection, correction, retraction, notification of institutions, or other necessary editorial measures.

15. Publication Policy

Journal of Innovative Engineering and Natural Sciences (JIENS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published twice a year in January and July.

The journal publishes high-quality research in engineering, natural sciences, interdisciplinary technologies, and related fields.

Article Types

The journal considers the following article types:

• Original Research Articles
• Review Articles
• Short Communications
• Technical Notes
• Letters to the Editor
• Corrigenda and Retractions

Language

Manuscripts may be submitted in English or Turkish.

Peer Review

JIENS employs a double-blind peer-review system.

Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers who are experts in the relevant field.

Editors make the final publication decision after considering reviewer recommendations and the scientific quality of the manuscript.

Manuscript Submission

Submitted manuscripts must:

• be original;
• comply with the journal's formatting requirements;
• follow ethical publishing standards;
• include all required declarations (conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval, data availability, and author contributions where applicable).

Manuscript Withdrawal

Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript before acceptance by submitting a written request explaining the reason for withdrawal.

After acceptance, withdrawal requests are considered only under exceptional circumstances.

Open Access

JIENS provides immediate open access to all published content.

Readers may freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of published articles in accordance with the journal's licensing policy.

Publication Fees

JIENS does not charge authors any submission, processing, or publication fees unless explicitly announced by the journal.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Each accepted article is assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to ensure permanent accessibility and citation.

Archiving

Published articles are archived electronically to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility.

Disclaimer

The opinions and conclusions expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors.

The Editorial Board and Publisher do not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the data, interpretations, or opinions presented in published manuscripts.