Publication Ethics

Based on the Committee on Publication Ethics-COPE (https://publicationethics.org/)
The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal leads to the development of a coherent and respected network of knowledge. It is the quality value of the work of the authors and the institutions that support them. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. It is therefore important to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor and the peer reviewer.

Duties of Editors

• Publication decision
  Editor should ensure the quality of the articles to well written before publishing in the journal they are in-charge. Moreover, editor should consider primacy, originality, clarity, materials  consistency and conformance with the journal policies in the review and selection of articles to be published. However, editor should not consider accepting articles which have already been published elsewhere, whether in hard or soft copy.
  
  
• Fair play
  Editor must not refuse the publication of an article initially written out of curiosity, but they should assure that the article is properly supported by evidence, referenced and well written. Moreover, editor should assure the total avoidance of plagiarism by using the most reliable software program application for detection of plagiarism.
  
  
• Confidentiality
  Editor should not disclose any individual information about the authors and reviewers of the articles during the duration of the article reviews and keep the information confidential.
  
  
• Disclosure and conflicts of interest
  Editor should demonstrate full disclosure and prove that conflict of interest with authors, reviewers and publication management team do not exist.
  
  
• Involvement and cooperation in investigations
  Editors should stop the review process of articles that give an indication of plagiarism; and make contact with the author(s) to demand an explanation immediately. Subsequently, make a final decision whether to “accept” or “refuse” the explanation of the author/s and the article.

Duties of Authors

• Reporting standards
  The information should be accurately represented on the report which should include sufficient data and sources.
  
  
• Data access and retention
  The author should provide the data to public access and should retain the details if necessarily.
  
  
• Originality and plagiarism
  The authors should write entirely original articles or if author have used the phrase of other authors, should publish appropriately references.
  
  
• Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication
  Simultaneous manuscript submission is regarded as an unethical matter of authors who are responsible for publicizing the work since it is considered as academic dishonesty and breach of journal terms. If the journal discovers that the author that has behavior as stated, that author may be blacklisted and the other works may not be considered to publicize in the future.
  
  
• Acknowledgement of sources
  Authors must specify the source of funds that support this research. The uses of information from private discussion or confidential services must be specified the permission from the source.
  
  
• Authorship of the paper
  Every author whose name appears in article must be a person who was truly involved in conducting the research, as attested by all members of the group of authors.
  
  
• Hazards and human or animal subjects
  Authors must respect the dignity and rights of human used as subjects in works and treat both humanity and the animals with ethics.
  
  
• Disclosure and conflicts of interest
  Authors must specify conflicts of interest (if any), namely any financial support: employment, honoraria, other funding.
  
  
• Fundamental errors in published works
  If there is any mistake appearing in a published work, author who own the work should immediately inform the editor and cooperate with the editor for the correct editing. Otherwise, if the editor realizes that mistake from outsiders, it is author’s responsibility to manage the retraction and editing, and show the correct version of the works to the editor.
  
  
• Sign a copyright agreement
  Authors must confirm that the submitted papers are their own works, and those have never been published elsewhere.
  
  
• AI-generated contents
  When using generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors must thoroughly review and edit the results. This is because AI can produce output that is incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Authors also need to explicitly acknowledge in their manuscript if AI or AI-assisted technologies were used during the writing process. Such disclosures will be included in the published work. It's important to note that authors bear the ultimate responsibility and accountability for the contents of their work.
  
  
• Repository policy
  Authors are allowed to deposit any version of their articles (submitted, accepted, and published) in an institutional or other repository of their choice without any embargo period.
  

Duties of Reviewers

• Contribution to editorial decisions
  Reviewers should provide assistance to editor for decision making and editor may communicate with author to improve the quality of the article.
  
  
• Promptness
  Reviewers should punctually complete and submit the review of an article. However, reviewers should contact the editor immediately if unable to complete the review in time, whether to dismiss the review or investigate for solution.
  
  
• Confidentiality
  Reviewers should not reveal any information, in part or whole, about the article to anyone who is not involved in the review.
  
  
• Standards of objectivity
  Reviewers should consider tasks based on a fact without personal bias.
  
  
• Acknowledgement of source
  Reviewers should be having enough knowledge to provide an unbiassed assignment.
  
  
• Disclosure and conflicts of interest
  When the reviewers might be a possible conflict of interest with author, should either ignore the position and report the editor.

Ethical Consideration and Investigation in Manuscript Publication
The Journal of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology (RAST) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in its publication process. When complaints or suspicions of ethical misconduct arise, the journal conducts a thorough and fair investigation following COPE guidelines or equivalent standards. The process is as follows:

• Appointment of Committee
  An impartial investigation committee, free from conflicts of interest, is appointed to ensure a fair and transparent investigation.
  
  
• Review and Analysis
  The committee rigorously reviews complaints using plagiarism detection software and analyzes suspicious content to identify unethical conduct.
  
  
• Evidence Assessment
  A comprehensive assessment of the evidence is conducted to thoroughly examine the allegations.
  
  
• Author’s Response
  The accused author is given the opportunity to clarify the allegations.
  
  
• Confidentiality
  Confidentiality is maintained throughout the investigation to ensure fairness for all parties involved.
  
  
• Action on Misconduct
  If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions are taken in accordance with COPE guidelines, which may include suspension or withdrawal of the publication.
  
  
• Notification of Results
  If the allegations are not substantiated, the journal will notify all concerned parties of the results.
  
  
• Ongoing Monitoring
  The journal actively monitors and addresses misconduct complaints throughout the manuscript consideration process, from submission to publication. If concerns arise, the editor will consult with the editorial board for further action.

This procedure ensures that ethical standards are upheld and that all parties involved are treated fairly and transparently.

Ethical Concern Report
RAST prioritizes maintaining high ethical standards and encourages authors, readers, and qualified individuals to report any ethical concerns or misconduct. If you have any ethical concerns, please fill out the Ethical Concern Report Form available on our website under the "Ethical Concern Report" section. This form allows you to provide detailed information about the issue. Contact details and reporting channels are available on the RAST website. All reports are treated with strict confidentiality. The journal will conduct a thorough and professional investigation to address the concern appropriately.

The journal values feedback from its readers, as it helps uphold ethical standards in academic publishing. Input from the community ensures RAST remains a transparent and responsible research publication.

Ethical Concern Report