The Engineering Journal of Satbayev University is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics to ensure the integrity, quality, and credibility of scholarly research. Our editorial policies are based on internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including those outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

As an academic publisher, we recognize that publishing serves not only as a medium for disseminating research but also as a key component of building and maintaining trust within the global scientific community. All participants in the publication process – authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher – are expected to adhere to ethical principles that promote transparency, accountability, and fairness.

1. Editorial responsibilities

1.1. Decision on publication

The editorial board is responsible for evaluating submitted manuscripts based on their scientific merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical standards. Decisions are made through a structured peer-review process, ensuring fairness, objectivity, and scientific rigor.

Manuscripts are accepted for publication solely based on academic quality and contribution to the field. The editorial team does not discriminate against authors based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religious beliefs, or political views.

Editorial decisions are made independently, free from external influence by sponsors, advertisers, or affiliated institutions. If a submitted manuscript does not meet the journal’s standards, authors receive constructive feedback and guidance for potential resubmission.

1.2. Ethical standards and prevention of misconduct

To ensure integrity in research publication, the journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, data fabrication and falsification, image manipulation and duplicate publication:

All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using the Similarity Check service powered by iThenticate before peer review. If significant plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be rejected without review, and the authors may be prohibited from submitting future work.

Authors must provide accurate research data. Any detected fabrication or falsification will result in immediate rejection or retraction of the published article.

The manipulation of images, figures, or graphs to misrepresent data is strictly prohibited. Authors must disclose any necessary image adjustments in their manuscript.

Submitting the same article to multiple journals is not allowed. Articles that have been previously published in any form (except as a conference abstract or preprint with proper attribution) will be rejected.

The editorial board actively works to identify and prevent research misconduct, cooperating with authors’ institutions and relevant organizations in cases where violations occur.

The journal follows the best practices recommended by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to ethical guidelines established by the international research community.

1.3. Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Information about submitted manuscripts, including their content, authorship, and peer review status, is not disclosed to anyone except the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, potential reviewers, and editorial board members.

The journal adheres to a single-blind peer-review process, where the identities of reviewers remain confidential, while authors’ identities are disclosed to reviewers for transparency.

Editors and reviewers are prohibited from using any unpublished material from submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal benefit.

Editors are prohibited from using generative AI tools to evaluate manuscripts. Editorial decisions must be based on human judgment to ensure integrity, confidentiality, and critical evaluation of scholarly work.

1.4. Conflict of interest

Editorial board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to a submitted manuscript. Conflicts of interest may arise from financial relationships, professional collaborations, institutional affiliations, or personal connections.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists. In such cases, an alternative editor will be assigned to oversee the review process.

2. Responsibilities of reviewers

2.1. Contribution to editorial decisions

Peer reviewers play a vital role in the publication process by providing objective evaluations of manuscripts. Their feedback helps editors determine the suitability of submissions for publication and assists authors in improving their research.

Reviewers are expected to assess manuscripts fairly, constructively, and without bias, provide clear, well-reasoned recommendations supported by evidence, maintain professionalism, and refrain from personal or hostile criticism.

2.2. Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not discuss or share their content with unauthorized individuals. If a reviewer wishes to involve a colleague in the review process for a co-review, prior approval must be obtained from the editorial office. Additionally, if a reviewer suspects ethical misconduct, such as plagiarism or data manipulation, they should immediately notify the editorial office.

Reviewers are prohibited from using generative AI tools to evaluate manuscripts. Humans must conduct peer review to preserve confidentiality, critical reasoning, and scholarly rigor. If a reviewer wishes to involve any tool or third party in the review process, they must first obtain approval from the editorial office.

2.3. Ethical responsibility

Reviewers should notify the editorial board if they suspect ethical violations, such as:

– Plagiarism or duplicate publication.

– Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

– Misrepresentation or manipulation of data.

If a reviewer identifies significant overlap between the submitted manuscript and previously published work, they should report it immediately.

2.4. Conflict of interest

Reviewers must decline review invitations if they have a personal, financial, or professional relationship with any of the authors that could bias their judgment. If a potential conflict arises after accepting a review assignment, the reviewer must notify the editorial office immediately.

3. Responsibilities of authors

3.1. Authorship and contributions

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the research, including:

– Conceptualization and design of the study.

– Data collection, analysis, or interpretation of results.

– Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.

The Engineering Journal of Satbayev University follows the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to ensure transparency in author contributions. Authors must specify their roles in the manuscript submission, selecting from the CRediT categories.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors meet authorship criteria, have approved the final version, and have agreed to submission. Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.

Requests for changes in authorship after submission must be justified and approved by all co-authors before being considered by the editorial office.

3.2. Originality and plagiarism prevention

Authors must submit entirely original work and properly acknowledge all sources. If prior research is referenced, it must be appropriately cited and acknowledged.

Plagiarism in any form – including copying text, images, or ideas without proper attribution and self-plagiarism (reusing one’s previously published work without citation) – is strictly prohibited.

3.3. Data integrity and transparency

Authors must ensure that their research data is accurate, complete, and reproducible. Research findings should be presented transparently, with a detailed methodology that allows for replication of results.

Authors are expected to:

– Ensure that all reported findings are reliable and verifiable.

– Provide a clear and comprehensive methodology to facilitate reproducibility.

– Retain raw data and be prepared to submit it for editorial verification upon request.

If errors or inconsistencies are discovered post-publication, authors are obligated to notify the journal immediately so that appropriate corrections or retractions can be issued.

3.4. Conflict of interest declaration

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial) that could influence the interpretation of their research.

All sources of funding, institutional affiliations, and relevant financial support must be clearly stated in the manuscript.

3.5. Multiple, redundant or concurrent submissions

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously. Duplicate submissions violate ethical publishing standards and will result in rejection.

Secondary publication may be considered only under exceptional circumstances (e.g., translations, conference proceedings) and must be explicitly justified and approved by the editorial board.

3.6. Use of generative AI tools

The Engineering Journal of Satbayev University acknowledges the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the research and writing process. While these tools can support language editing and idea generation, their use must comply with ethical and scholarly standards.

If generative AI tools were used in any part of manuscript preparation (e.g., text drafting, image generation, code writing), this must be clearly disclosed in the “Acknowledgments”.

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authorship implies accountability and the ability to take responsibility for the content – something AI cannot provide.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content generated with AI tools. The use of AI must not lead to plagiarism, misinformation, or breach of copyright.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in manuscript rejection or retraction after publication.

4. Peer review process

The peer review process for the Engineering Journal of Satbayev University is a rigorous and systematic evaluation conducted by experts in the field to ensure the quality, originality, and validity of submitted manuscripts. The journal follows a single-blind peer review model, where the reviewers remain anonymous to the authors while the authors’ identities are disclosed to the reviewers.

4.1. Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscripts electronically through the journal’s online submission system. The submission package includes the main text, figures, tables, and supplementary materials.

4.2. Initial editorial screening

The editorial team conducts a preliminary review to ensure compliance with the journal’s guidelines, ethical standards, and scope.

Manuscripts that do not meet basic requirements (e.g., improper formatting, ethical concerns, or lack of relevance to the journal’s scope) may be returned to authors without review.

4.3. Reviewer selection

The editor-in-chief or assigned handling editors select qualified reviewers based on their expertise, experience, and relevance to the manuscript’s subject area.

The journal typically assigns two independent reviewers per manuscript. If needed, additional reviewers may be invited.

4.4. Manuscript evaluation

Reviewers assess the manuscript based on originality and scientific significance, methodological rigor and data accuracy, clarity and coherence of presentation, adherence to ethical and academic standards.

Reviewers provide detailed comments and constructive feedback for authors to improve their work.

4.5. Reviewer recommendations

Based on their evaluation, reviewers provide one of the following recommendations:

– Accept (suitable for publication as is).

– Minor revisions (requires small corrections before publication).

– Major revisions (substantial improvements are needed).

– Reject (manuscript does not meet the journal’s standards).

Reviewers may also provide feedback on the suitability of the manuscript for the journal’s readership.

4.6. Editorial decision

The editor-in-chief or handling editor considers the reviewers’ comments and makes a final decision. The decision and reviewer feedback are communicated to the authors.

4.7. Revision and resubmission (if applicable)

If revisions are requested, authors must address the reviewers’ comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript.

The revised manuscript may undergo further review, depending on the extent of changes.

4.8. Final acceptance and publication

Once a manuscript is accepted, it moves to the production phase for final formatting, proofreading, and publication.

The peer-reviewed content is then made publicly accessible to the scientific community.

4.9. Transparency and integrity in peer review

The journal strives to complete the peer review process within 4-8 weeks, depending on reviewer availability and manuscript complexity.

All reviewed manuscripts are treated as confidential documents.

Reviews are conducted objectively and without bias, ensuring that all submissions receive equal and fair evaluation.

5. Retraction policy

The Engineering Journal of Satbayev University is committed to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the published scientific record. As such, the journal reserves the right to retract published articles in cases where serious ethical violations or research misconduct are identified.

A published article may be retracted if:

– Plagiarism, data fabrication, or falsification is discovered.

– The article was previously published elsewhere without proper disclosure (duplicate publication).

– Undisclosed conflicts of interest that could have influenced the research findings are identified.

– The article contains significant errors that undermine its scientific validity or mislead readers.

– Research findings are later found to be unreliable due to methodological flaws, data manipulation, or ethical concerns.

Retracted articles will remain accessible on the journal’s website to maintain transparency, but they will be clearly marked as “RETRACTED”, including the date of retraction and a statement explaining the reason for retraction.

Retraction decisions are made by the editorial board, in consultation with relevant experts, ethical committees, and the publisher. The journal follows COPE guidelines in handling retraction cases, ensuring a fair and transparent process.

6. Publisher responsibilities

The publisher of the Engineering Journal of Satbayev University is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic publishing by ensuring transparency, integrity, and ethical rigor throughout the publication process.

The publisher’s key responsibilities include:

– Ensuring full editorial independence, with no interference from commercial interests, sponsors, or external entities. All editorial decisions are made based solely on scholarly merit and ethical considerations.

– Maintaining high ethical standards in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines, including those set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

– Supporting editors, reviewers, and authors by providing resources, guidance, and infrastructure to uphold best practices in scholarly publishing.

– Safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record by ensuring that published research meets rigorous quality and ethical standards.

– Implementing fair and transparent procedures for handling ethical violations, misconduct, and disputes related to authorship, peer review, and conflicts of interest.

The publisher has a zero-tolerance policy for research misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, fabrication, and unethical authorship practices. In cases where violations occur, the publisher will collaborate with the editorial board, authors’ institutions, and relevant regulatory bodies to investigate and take appropriate corrective actions, such as issuing retractions, corrections, or editorial statements.

To promote responsible research dissemination, the publisher continuously works to enhance publishing policies, improve editorial workflows, and adopt industry-leading ethical standards.