Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Sana’a University Journal of Applied Sciences and Technology (SUJAST) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct at every stage of the publication process. We adhere to the core principles and best practices outlined by international committees, such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved: authors, editors, and reviewers.

1. Journal's Ethical Commitment

SUJAST is dedicated to ensuring the originality, validity, and reliability of the scholarly record. We will take all necessary steps to identify and prevent publication malpractice, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and authorship misconduct.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

• Originality & Plagiarism: Authors must submit entirely original work. Any text, data, or ideas from other sources must be properly cited and quoted. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
• Authorship: The authorship of the paper should accurately reflect individuals' contributions to the research. All listed authors must have made significant intellectual contributions and approved the final version for submission.
• Data Access and Integrity: Authors may be asked to provide raw data related to their manuscript for editorial review and must be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
• Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is unethical.
• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the work.
• Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error in their own published work, it is their obligation to promptly notify the journal editor to retract or correct the paper.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

• Fair Play & Editorial Independence: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual merit, without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, or institutional affiliation.
• Confidentiality: Editors and editorial staff must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential and must not disclose any information to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher.
• Decision-Making: The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for making final publication decisions based on the validity of the work, its importance, and the reviewers' comments.
• Conflict of Interest: Editors will recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a personal, financial, or professional conflict of interest.
• Investigation of Ethical Concerns: Editors, in cooperation with the publisher, will take responsible measures when ethical concerns are raised regarding a submitted or published paper.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may help the author improve the paper.
• Objectivity & Constructiveness: Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clear supporting arguments. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.
• Confidentiality: Any manuscript received for review is a confidential document. Reviewers must not share or discuss its content with others.
• Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors. Any substantial overlap with other published papers should be reported.
• Conflict of Interest & Promptness: Reviewers with conflicts of interest should decline to review. They should also complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or inform the editor of any delay.

5. Procedures for Dealing with Unethical Behavior

1. Identification: Misconduct may be identified and brought to the attention of the editor by anyone.
2. Investigation: The editor will initiate a fair, objective investigation, seeking clarification from all involved parties.
3. Outcomes: Depending on the severity of the misconduct, outcomes may include:
• Informing the author or reviewer of a minor misunderstanding.
• A formal letter of warning.
• Retraction of the published article.
• A ban on future submissions for the author(s).
• Informing the author's institution.
• Reporting the case to a formal regulatory body.

6. Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts found to have a significant overlap with other published works (beyond accepted similarity indices for methods or common phrases) will be rejected immediately. In cases of plagiarism discovered after publication, the journal will follow COPE guidelines for retraction.

7. Contact for Ethics Concerns

Anyone who believes there has been a violation of publication ethics concerning a SUJAST article should contact the Editor-in-Chief directly at: [eic.sujast@su.edu.ye]. All concerns will be treated with confidentiality and investigated thoroughly.