The International Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICSTI) follows the highest standards of publication ethics, ensuring integrity and transparency in all stages of the publication process. The conference fully adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring that authors, reviewers, and editors uphold ethical behavior. Below are the ethical principles unique to this conference:

1. Authorship and Contribution

• Author Responsibility: All authors listed on a submission must have made a significant contribution to the research, including conception, design, data acquisition, analysis, or interpretation. Each author must take responsibility for their part of the work and should be able to identify the contribution of other co-authors.
• Contributor Transparency: Contributions from individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship (e.g., technical assistance, data collection) should be acknowledged in a separate section. Ghostwriting and guest authorship are strictly prohibited.
• Corresponding Author's Role: The corresponding author is responsible for managing the submission process, communicating with the editorial team, and ensuring all co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

2. Originality and Plagiarism

• Plagiarism Screening: All submissions will undergo plagiarism detection using reliable software before they are sent for review. Plagiarism in any form, including copying substantial parts of another’s work or using ideas without proper citation, is strictly prohibited.
• Original Research: The conference only accepts original research that has not been previously published or is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors are required to confirm that their manuscript is original, free from falsified or manipulated data, and that proper citations are provided for any referenced material.

3. Data Integrity and Transparency

• Data Availability: Authors must ensure the accuracy of the data presented in their papers and provide access to raw data upon request for review purposes. If data cannot be shared for confidentiality reasons, this should be clearly stated in the submission.
• Data Fabrication and Falsification: Any manipulation, falsification, or fabrication of data is unethical and will lead to rejection or retraction of the submission. Authors must clearly document all methods and results to ensure the reproducibility of the research.

4. Conflict of Interest

• Disclosure: Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of the research. This includes financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could affect the integrity of the work.
• Funding Transparency: All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed, and authors must declare any potential conflicts related to the funding of their work.

5. Peer Review Process

• Confidentiality: The ICSTI conference follows a double-blind peer review process to maintain fairness and objectivity. Reviewers and editors must keep all details of the manuscripts confidential and must not use unpublished material for their own research.
• Reviewer Conduct: Reviewers are required to provide objective and constructive feedback to help authors improve their work. They must declare any conflicts of interest and decline the review if they are unable to provide an unbiased evaluation.
• Timeliness: Reviewers and authors are expected to adhere to the established timelines for submission, review, and revisions to ensure the efficient processing of manuscripts.

6. Ethical Research Involving Humans or Animals

• Ethics Approval: Any research involving human participants or animals must have received prior approval from the appropriate institutional ethics committee. Authors must include a statement confirming this approval within their manuscript.
• Informed Consent: For studies involving human subjects, authors must ensure that informed consent has been obtained from all participants, and this should be clearly mentioned in the submission.

7. Handling Misconduct

• Allegations of Misconduct: The conference will investigate any allegations of ethical misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, or conflicts of interest. If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions such as manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification to the author’s institution will be taken.
• Corrections and Retractions: If significant errors or misconduct are discovered post-publication, the conference will issue a correction or retraction as necessary, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

8. Editorial Responsibilities

• Editorial Independence: The editorial team at ICSTI maintains independence and integrity in all decision-making processes. Editors must evaluate submissions based on their academic merit, without being influenced by external factors such as funding sources or the affiliation of the authors.
• Accountability: Editors are responsible for ensuring the fairness and transparency of the peer review process and are required to address any ethical concerns raised during the review or post-publication stages.
• Confidentiality: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submissions and should not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone outside of the peer review process.

9. Post-Publication Discussion and Corrections

• Open Dialogue: ICSTI encourages post-publication discussions and constructive criticism to improve research integrity. Readers are invited to submit comments or concerns regarding published work, which will be addressed through a formal process.
• Corrections: If an error is identified in a published paper, the authors and editors are responsible for promptly issuing a correction or erratum. In cases of serious ethical breaches, a retraction will be issued in accordance with COPE standards.

This Publication Ethics statement reflects the commitment of the ICSTI to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, following COPE’s core principles to ensure that all participants—authors, reviewers, and editors—engage in responsible and ethical scholarly conduct.