The Bulletin of the Kyushu Institute of Technology is firmly committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethics in academic publishing. We follow the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expect all stakeholders authors, reviewers, and editors to adhere to the principles of integrity, transparency, and responsible conduct.
Our ethics policy is aligned with the COPE Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
For full reference, visit: COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics
🔷 Duties of Authors
Publication Fees
There are no charges for submission. A nominal Article Processing Charge (APC) is applicable only after acceptance to cover open-access hosting, DOI assignment, and digital archiving. This fee may be covered by the author, institution, or funding agency. All charges are transparently stated on the journal website.
Open Access Policy
All articles are published under open access, ensuring:
- Free and immediate access to the full text
- Unrestricted reuse with proper citation
Data Access & Retention
Authors may be asked to submit supporting raw data during review or post-publication. Authors should retain such data for a reasonable period.
Reporting Standards
Authors must present accurate, reproducible, and objective descriptions of their research. Fraudulent, manipulated, or knowingly inaccurate data is unethical and unacceptable.
Originality & Plagiarism
Manuscripts must be original. Any use of another’s work must be appropriately cited. Verified plagiarism or data manipulation will result in retraction and notification to relevant institutions or funders.
Multiple or Redundant Submissions
Authors must not submit the same work to multiple journals simultaneously or submit content previously published elsewhere.
Acknowledgment of Sources
All sources that influenced the work must be cited appropriately.
Authorship Criteria
Only those who contributed significantly to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors must disclose all financial or non-financial conflicts of interest and all sources of research funding.
Corrections & Retractions
Authors are responsible for promptly informing the editor about significant errors in their published work and cooperating to issue corrections or retractions.
Research Involving Humans or Animals
If the manuscript involves hazardous materials or experiments on humans or animals, proper ethical approvals and disclosures must be included.
🔷 Duties of Editors
Fair Evaluation
Editors will evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit, regardless of the author’s race, gender, religion, or institutional affiliation.
Confidentiality
Editors will treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential and share details only with appropriate editorial staff, reviewers, and publishing personnel.
Conflicts of Interest
Editors must not use unpublished material for their own work without written permission and must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where a conflict exists.
Publication Decisions
Editors decide which manuscripts to publish based on the significance, originality, and clarity of the work, as well as relevance to the journal’s scope.
Peer Review Oversight
Editors are responsible for initiating a fair and unbiased review process by selecting qualified reviewers and ensuring transparency throughout.
🔷 Duties of Reviewers
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer reviewers help editors make publication decisions and support authors in improving the quality of their manuscripts.
Promptness
Reviewers should notify the editor if they are unable to complete the review within the required timeframe.
Objectivity & Professionalism
Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive criticism and without personal bias or hostility.
Confidentiality
Manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers may not share or discuss manuscripts with third parties.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Reviewers must decline to review if they have a conflict of interest with the authors or institutions involved.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should alert editors to any relevant prior work not cited or any suspected plagiarism or duplicate submission.
Ethical Oversight and Policy Enforcement
All suspected ethical violations are investigated thoroughly and handled in accordance with COPE guidelines. Sanctions may include manuscript rejection, retraction, or institutional notification.