Publication Ethics Statement
Introduction
Chemical Technology. Control and Management (CTCM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing, research integrity, editorial independence, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process.
The Journal recognizes that scientific publications constitute a permanent record of research and therefore require honesty, transparency, accountability, and professionalism from all participants involved in scholarly communication.
CTCM is committed to ensuring that every manuscript submitted to the Journal is evaluated fairly, objectively, confidentially, and solely on the basis of its scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, significance, and relevance to the aims and scope of the Journal.
The Journal continuously develops its editorial policies in accordance with internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing. In developing this Publication Ethics Policy, CTCM takes into consideration international recommendations and best practices provided by organizations and initiatives including:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – recommendations and guidance;
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), where applicable;
- Crossref;
- CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy);
- ORCID;
- Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing;
- Other internationally recognized publishing ethics frameworks.
Chemical Technology. Control and Management is not currently a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). However, the Journal voluntarily follows internationally recognized publication ethics principles and continuously updates its editorial policies in accordance with developments in research integrity and scholarly publishing.
The Journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate publication, manipulation of peer review, inappropriate authorship practices, citation manipulation, image manipulation, or any other form of research misconduct.
Maintaining the integrity of the scientific record is considered one of the Journal's highest priorities.
1. Purpose of this Policy
This Publication Ethics Policy establishes the ethical responsibilities of all participants involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, editorial board members, reviewers, and the publisher.
The objectives of this policy are to:
- Promote responsible scholarly publishing;
- Ensure transparency throughout the editorial process;
- Protect the integrity of scientific communication;
- Provide clear procedures for handling ethical concerns;
- Establish fair mechanisms for investigating suspected misconduct;
- Maintain public confidence in published research.
This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to Chemical Technology. Control and Management regardless of the country of origin, institutional affiliation, funding source, or research discipline.
2. Core Ethical Principles
2.1 Integrity
Scientific results must be reported honestly, accurately, and completely. Authors shall not intentionally misrepresent research findings, manipulate experimental results, conceal important information, or present misleading interpretations.
Editors and reviewers are expected to uphold the same ethical standards throughout the editorial process.
2.2 Originality
Only original research may be submitted to the Journal. Manuscripts must not contain plagiarized material, copied figures, duplicated datasets, or previously published content unless appropriately cited and legally permitted.
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software before entering the peer-review process.
2.3 Transparency
Authors should provide sufficient information regarding research methodology, experimental procedures, analytical methods, software tools, statistical analysis, funding sources, conflicts of interest, and ethical approvals where applicable.
Transparency enables reviewers and readers to evaluate the validity, reproducibility, and scientific reliability of research findings.
2.4 Fairness
Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific quality. The Journal does not discriminate on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, career stage, age, or disability.
2.5 Confidentiality
Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff shall maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts. Information obtained during peer review shall not be disclosed, discussed, or used for personal benefit.
2.6 Accountability
Every participant in the publication process shares responsibility for maintaining ethical standards. Authors are accountable for the accuracy of their work; reviewers are responsible for objective and constructive evaluations; editors are responsible for fair editorial decisions; and the publisher supports editorial independence and research integrity.
3. Responsibilities of Authors
3.1 Original Work
Authors shall submit only original manuscripts that have not been previously published and are not under consideration by another journal. The submitted work must represent genuine scientific research.
3.2 Accuracy of Research
Authors are responsible for ensuring that experimental procedures, data, analyses, and conclusions are accurately reported. Fabrication, falsification, selective reporting, or intentional omission of research data constitutes serious scientific misconduct.
Any significant error discovered after publication shall be reported promptly to the Editorial Office.
3.3 Authorship
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research. All listed authors must approve the submitted manuscript, approve the final published version, and accept responsibility for the integrity of the work.
Individuals providing only financial support, language editing, technical assistance, or general supervision should normally be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.
3.4 Corresponding Author
The Corresponding Author is responsible for communication with the Journal, ensuring author approval, responding to reviewers, providing accurate submission metadata, and confirming compliance with this Publication Ethics Policy.
3.5 Data Retention
Authors should retain original research data for an appropriate period after publication and provide access when reasonably requested by the Editorial Office, subject to legal, ethical, or confidentiality limitations.
3.6 Proper Citation
Authors shall appropriately acknowledge all sources that influenced their research. Excessive self-citation, citation manipulation, or participation in citation cartels is considered unethical.
3.7 Conflict of Interest
Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the reported research.
If no competing interests exist, authors should state:
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
3.8 Funding Disclosure
All sources of financial support should be disclosed, including the funding organization, grant number, and project information where applicable. Funding organizations shall not influence editorial decisions.
3.9 Ethical Compliance
Where applicable, authors shall obtain all required ethical approvals before conducting research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data. The Editorial Office may request documentation confirming ethical approval.
4. Responsibilities of Editors
Editors of Chemical Technology. Control and Management are responsible for ensuring a fair, objective, transparent, and timely editorial process. Editorial decisions shall be based solely on the scientific quality, originality, significance, methodological soundness, and relevance of the submitted manuscript to the aims and scope of the Journal.
Editors shall evaluate manuscripts without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, political beliefs, institutional affiliation, career stage, or personal characteristics of the authors.
4.1 Editorial Independence
Editors maintain complete editorial independence in making publication decisions. Commercial interests, funding sources, institutional influence, or personal relationships shall not affect editorial judgments.
4.2 Confidentiality
Editors shall treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Information concerning a submitted manuscript shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, and the Publisher when appropriate.
4.3 Conflict of Interest
Editors shall not participate in the editorial handling of manuscripts in which they have financial, institutional, collaborative, or personal conflicts of interest. Such manuscripts shall be reassigned to another qualified editor.
4.4 Fair Decision-Making
Editorial decisions shall rely exclusively on the scientific merit of the manuscript and reviewers' recommendations. Editors may request additional reviews whenever necessary to ensure a balanced and objective evaluation.
4.5 Ethical Oversight
Editors are responsible for identifying and addressing suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, image manipulation, fabricated data, citation manipulation, authorship disputes, and other forms of research misconduct. Appropriate corrective actions shall be taken whenever necessary.
5. Responsibilities of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play a fundamental role in maintaining the scientific quality, accuracy, and integrity of published research. Reviews should be objective, constructive, timely, and based exclusively on scientific evidence.
5.1 Confidentiality
Reviewers shall treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. They shall not share, discuss, distribute, or use unpublished materials for personal, academic, or commercial advantage.
5.2 Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively and professionally. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate. Reviewers should clearly explain their comments and provide scientific justification for their recommendations.
5.3 Timeliness
Reviewers who are unable to complete a review within the requested time or who lack appropriate expertise should promptly decline the invitation so that alternative reviewers may be appointed.
5.4 Conflict of Interest
Reviewers shall decline invitations to review manuscripts if any financial, institutional, professional, or personal conflict of interest could influence their judgment.
5.5 Identification of Ethical Issues
Reviewers are encouraged to inform the Editor if they identify possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, inappropriate citations, image manipulation, data inconsistencies, ethical concerns, or substantial similarities with previously published work.
6. Responsibilities of the Publisher
The Publisher supports the Editorial Office in maintaining high standards of scientific publishing while respecting editorial independence.
The Publisher shall not interfere with editorial decisions regarding acceptance, rejection, correction, or retraction of manuscripts.
6.1 Editorial Support
The Publisher provides administrative, technical, and publishing support necessary for the effective operation of the Journal and the dissemination of scholarly content.
6.2 Research Integrity
The Publisher is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record by supporting investigations of suspected publication misconduct and implementing appropriate editorial actions when required.
6.3 Digital Preservation
The Publisher promotes the long-term accessibility and preservation of published articles through digital archiving, DOI registration, and reliable online availability.
6.4 Ethical Commitment
The Publisher encourages continuous improvement of editorial policies and publishing practices in accordance with internationally recognized principles of publication ethics and scholarly communication.
7. Editorial Independence
The editorial process of Chemical Technology. Control and Management is conducted independently of commercial, political, institutional, or personal influence. The Editor-in-Chief has full authority over editorial decisions and is responsible for safeguarding the scientific quality and integrity of the Journal.
Neither advertisers, sponsors, funding organizations, nor institutional partners may influence editorial decisions or the peer-review process.
8. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Chemical Technology. Control and Management recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are becoming increasingly important in scientific research and scholarly publishing. The Journal permits the responsible use of AI-assisted technologies provided that their use complies with the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability, and originality.
8.1 Acceptable Use of AI
Authors may use AI-based tools for language editing, grammar correction, translation, code optimization, statistical assistance, data visualization, or literature organization. The use of such tools shall not compromise the originality or integrity of the submitted work.
8.2 Disclosure of AI Use
Any substantial use of AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation shall be disclosed in the manuscript. Authors should briefly describe the AI tool used and its purpose. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, and scientific validity of all content.
8.3 AI Authorship
Artificial Intelligence systems, including Large Language Models, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires accountability, responsibility, and the ability to approve the final manuscript, which AI systems cannot assume.
8.4 Editorial Use of AI
Editors and reviewers shall not upload confidential manuscripts to publicly accessible AI systems if doing so could compromise confidentiality or intellectual property.
9. Originality and Plagiarism
The Journal publishes only original scholarly work. Authors shall ensure that submitted manuscripts are entirely original and that all sources are appropriately acknowledged.
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review. Manuscripts containing unacceptable levels of plagiarism may be rejected without external review.
9.1 Forms of Plagiarism
- Direct plagiarism
- Mosaic plagiarism
- Paraphrasing without attribution
- Translation plagiarism
- Data plagiarism
- Figure or table plagiarism
- Source code plagiarism
Plagiarism in any form is considered serious publication misconduct.
10. Self-Plagiarism
Authors shall not reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without appropriate citation and justification.
Recycling previously published text, figures, or datasets without proper disclosure may constitute self-plagiarism and may result in editorial action.
11. Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication
A manuscript submitted to Chemical Technology. Control and Management shall not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously.
Authors shall not submit substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals at the same time.
Redundant publication, duplicate publication, or salami publication that artificially splits one study into multiple papers is considered unethical.
12. Data Integrity
12.1 Data Fabrication
Fabrication refers to making up research data or experimental results that never existed. Such practices are strictly prohibited.
12.2 Data Falsification
Falsification includes manipulating research materials, instruments, images, experimental procedures, or datasets so that the reported results no longer accurately reflect the original observations.
Any confirmed case of fabrication or falsification shall result in appropriate editorial action, including rejection, correction, or retraction when necessary.
13. Image Integrity
Digital images, photographs, microscopy images, graphs, and figures shall accurately represent the original data.
Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color are acceptable only when applied uniformly to the entire image and when they do not alter or misrepresent scientific information.
Selective enhancement, deletion, insertion, duplication, or manipulation of image elements intended to mislead readers constitutes research misconduct.
The Editorial Office may request original image files during editorial assessment.
14. Citation Integrity
References shall be included solely on the basis of their scientific relevance.
Authors shall not artificially increase citations to their own work, to particular authors, journals, or institutions.
Editors and reviewers shall not request unnecessary citations for the purpose of increasing citation metrics.
Citation cartels, coercive citation, and other citation manipulation practices are considered unethical.
15. Data Availability and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to retain research data and, whenever appropriate, make datasets, software, algorithms, and supplementary materials available to support the reproducibility of published research.
Where data cannot be shared due to legal, ethical, security, or confidentiality restrictions, authors should clearly state the reasons within the manuscript.
The Editorial Office may request access to supporting data during the peer-review or post-publication investigation process.
16. Conflict of Interest
Authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members shall disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their objectivity.
When a conflict of interest exists, appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure an independent and unbiased editorial decision.
17. Funding Disclosure
All sources of financial support for the reported research shall be clearly disclosed in the manuscript. Authors should identify the funding organization, grant number, and any other relevant information.
Funding bodies shall not influence the editorial evaluation, peer-review process, or publication decision.
18. Research Involving Human Participants
Research involving human participants shall comply with internationally accepted ethical principles and applicable institutional or national regulations.
Where required, authors shall confirm that approval was obtained from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board before the study was conducted.
Authors shall also confirm that informed consent was obtained from participants whenever required by applicable ethical standards.
19. Research Involving Animals
Studies involving animals shall comply with recognized standards for the ethical care and use of laboratory animals and with applicable national legislation.
Authors shall minimize unnecessary suffering and provide appropriate information regarding ethical approval when applicable.
20. Privacy and Confidentiality
Personally identifiable information shall not be published unless essential for the scientific purpose of the research and explicit permission has been obtained.
Authors shall ensure compliance with applicable privacy and data protection regulations.
21. Corrections
When significant errors are identified after publication, the Journal will publish a correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) to maintain the accuracy of the scholarly record.
22. Retractions
The Journal may retract a published article if reliable evidence demonstrates that the findings are substantially unreliable due to research misconduct, major errors, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other serious ethical violations.
Retraction notices shall remain permanently linked to the original article and clearly state the reasons for retraction.
23. Expressions of Concern
Where serious concerns arise but an investigation has not yet been completed, the Journal may publish an Expression of Concern to inform readers while maintaining procedural fairness.
24. Withdrawal of Submitted Manuscripts
Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before acceptance by providing a written explanation to the Editorial Office.
After acceptance, withdrawal requests shall be considered only under exceptional circumstances.
25. Complaints and Appeals
Authors may submit appeals regarding editorial decisions or complaints concerning the editorial process.
All appeals shall be evaluated objectively by the Editor-in-Chief or another independent editor when appropriate.
26. Investigation of Misconduct
Allegations of publication misconduct shall be investigated confidentially, fairly, and objectively.
The Journal may request explanations, original research data, ethics approvals, or other supporting documentation during an investigation.
Where misconduct is confirmed, appropriate editorial actions may include rejection, correction, retraction, notification of institutions, or temporary restrictions on future submissions.
27. Paper Mill and Fraudulent Submissions
Chemical Technology. Control and Management does not tolerate manuscripts produced through paper mills, purchased authorship, fabricated peer review, manipulated reviewer identities, or any other fraudulent publishing practices.
The Editorial Office reserves the right to reject such submissions immediately and, where appropriate, notify the relevant institutions.
28. Post-Publication Discussion
The Journal welcomes constructive scientific discussion regarding published articles. Credible concerns submitted after publication will be evaluated in accordance with this Publication Ethics Policy.
29. Editorial Independence
The Editor-in-Chief has full responsibility for editorial decisions. Editorial decisions shall remain independent from commercial, institutional, financial, or political influence.
30. Policy Review
This Publication Ethics Policy is reviewed periodically to ensure consistency with international publishing standards and developments in research integrity.
31. Amendments
The Journal reserves the right to revise or update this policy whenever necessary. The most recent version published on the Journal website shall be considered the official version.
32. Compliance with the Policy
Submission of a manuscript to Chemical Technology. Control and Management constitutes acceptance of this Publication Ethics Policy by all authors. Failure to comply with these principles may result in editorial action in accordance with the procedures described herein.
33. Contact Information
Questions concerning publication ethics, research integrity, corrections, or allegations of misconduct should be directed to the Editorial Office through the official contact information provided on the Journal website.
34. Effective Date
This Publication Ethics Policy becomes effective from the date of its publication on the official website of Chemical Technology. Control and Management and remains applicable until replaced by a revised version.
35. Final Statement
Chemical Technology. Control and Management is committed to preserving the integrity of the scientific record, promoting responsible research practices, supporting fair and transparent peer review, and maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing for the benefit of the global scientific community.
