Editorial Policies

The Journal follows the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and endorses the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals as well as the GPP3 guidelines regarding authorship.

Submission of a manuscript to the journal implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content and that the manuscript conforms to the journal’s policies.

The journal does not accept adverts from third parties.

Affiliations

All authors, including co-authors, are required to disclose all pertinent affiliations to accurately attribute the institution(s) where the research or scholarly work was conducted, approved, or supported.
For non-research articles, it is essential to include your current institutional affiliation.
In cases where you have changed institutions before the publication of the article, you should specify the affiliation under which the work was carried out and provide a note indicating your current affiliation.
If you do not have a relevant institutional affiliation at the time of submission, you should clearly state this.
By ensuring accurate affiliation details, you help maintain transparency and proper acknowledgment of institutional support and resources.

Appeals and Complaints

The journal adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines for handling appeals against editorial decisions and complaints regarding the peer review process. We consider legitimate appeals challenging editor decisions, but authors must present substantial evidence or new data/information addressing the editor’s and reviewers' feedback.

Acknowledgment

Individuals who contributed to the manuscript but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section. Similarly, organizations that offered financial support or other resources should also be recognized.

Authorship

Including authors’ names on a research article is more than just a formality—it’s a way to recognize those who played a key role in the work and to clarify who stands behind its integrity. To be listed as an author, a person must meet all the following criteria:

Meaningful Contribution: They must have significantly contributed to the study, whether in its design, execution, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or a combination of these.
Writing or Critical Review: They should have actively participated in drafting, revising, or providing substantial feedback on the manuscript.
Approval of Journal Choice: All authors must agree on the journal where the article is submitted.
Final Approval: They must review and approve every version of the manuscript—from initial submission to final revisions and any post-acceptance edits.
Accountability: Authors must take responsibility for the work’s content and be prepared to address any concerns about its accuracy or integrity.

Changes in Authorship

If authorship needs to be adjusted before or after publication, all authors (including those being added or removed) must agree to the change. The corresponding author must:

Obtain written confirmation from all co-authors.
Provide a clear explanation for the change.

After publication, any modifications will be made through a formal correction notice. Keep in mind:

Late authorship changes (after acceptance) may be rejected if contributions aren’t sufficiently justified.
All adjustments must align with the journal’s authorship criteria.

Citations

All research and non-research articles must support their claims by citing relevant, timely, and credible sources, particularly peer-reviewed literature where appropriate. Authors should avoid excessive self-citation or any prearranged agreements to disproportionately cite specific authors or groups, as such practices constitute citation manipulation—a form of scholarly misconduct. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) provides clear guidance on this issue, which authors are expected to follow.

For non-research articles, such as reviews or opinion pieces, references should offer a balanced and unbiased overview of the topic, representing diverse perspectives rather than favoring a particular research group, institution, or journal. If authors are uncertain about the appropriateness of certain citations, they should seek advice from the journal's editorial office before submission. Maintaining ethical citation practices ensures the integrity and credibility of published work.

Conflicts of Interest/ Competing interests

All authors are required to disclose any actual or potential competing interests that could influence, or be perceived to influence, their research or its interpretation. A competing interest exists when authors (or their employers, sponsors, or close associates) have financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationships with organizations or individuals connected to the work. These interests may be financial (such as funding, employment, or personal financial stakes) or non-financial (including personal relationships, academic affiliations, or intellectual beliefs). Even potential conflicts that could appear influential to others must be declared to maintain full transparency.

By openly acknowledging these associations, we uphold research integrity and allow readers to assess any possible biases. If no conflicts exist, authors should explicitly state: "The authors declare no competing interests."

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions

After publication, articles may occasionally require updates or corrections to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. Any such changes are implemented only after careful editorial review in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. When modifications are necessary, they are accompanied by a permanent, linked post-publication notice - which may take the form of a Correction notice (for minor errors), Expression of Concern (when credibility requires clarification), Retraction (for significant errors or ethical violations), or in rare cases, Removal (typically for legal or ethical reasons). This transparent correction process ensures all stakeholders can track the complete publication history while preserving trust in the academic record. The journal is committed to handling such matters with the utmost seriousness to uphold research integrity.

Consent for Publication

For any manuscript containing personal details or identifiable images of individuals, authors must obtain written informed consent from the participant (or parent/guardian for minors under 18, or next of kin for deceased individuals). This consent must explicitly authorize publication under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, confirming understanding that materials will be freely available online and accessible to the public. The manuscript must include a statement affirming that written consent was obtained. Authors may use either the journal's consent form or their institution's approved version, provided it clearly states the public availability of published materials. Signed consent forms must be retained and made available to journal editors upon request, with all documentation handled confidentially. These requirements ensure ethical publication practices while maintaining respect for participant privacy in an open-access environment.

Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents by Academic Journals. Access is strictly limited to individuals involved in the editorial process, including editorial staff, reviewers, and editors, solely for the purpose of evaluation and potential publication. However, in cases of suspected ethical misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes, the journal reserves the right to share the manuscript with relevant ethics committees, institutions, or organizations as necessary for investigation and resolution. Academic Journals adheres to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and follows established flowcharts when addressing ethical concerns, ensuring a fair and transparent process while maintaining the integrity of scholarly communication. Authors can be assured that their work remains protected throughout the editorial process, with disclosures occurring only when absolutely necessary to address ethical violations.

Copyright Policy

Open Access Policy

The journal is an open access journal and all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Except for commercial purposes, users are allowed to read, download, copy, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access. The open access articles in the journal are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (JSCMT) adheres to the Budapest Open Access Initiative and defines its Open Access policy according to the definition developed in the original BOAI:

By “open access” to [peer-reviewed research literature], we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited.

Author Rights

Articles published in JSCMT Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies have the international license of (CC-BY-NC) "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0". Accordingly, the authors who publish their articles in the journal are deemed to have accepted the following conditions:

The author(s) retain the copyright of the article and give the journal the first publication right. The article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license, which allows it to be shared by others, provided that the author(s) are specified and published first in this journal.
The author(s) can make a separate agreement for the distribution of the published version in the journal of the article (such as sending to an institutional database or publication in a book) without giving full authorization.
The author(s) can share the published version of the article on the corporate database or on their own websites. This can lead to efficient exchanges, earlier dissemination of the article and more citations.

Download: JSCMT-Copyright Form

Download: JSCMT Author Contribution Form

Data Falsification/Fabrication

Academic Journals considers data falsification and fabrication - defined as the intentional manipulation, invention, or misrepresentation of research data - to be among the most serious forms of scholarly misconduct. Such actions fundamentally undermine the integrity of the scientific record and erode public trust in research. Authors submitting manuscripts must ensure all presented data accurately reflects their actual findings and must retain all original raw data to substantiate their work. Should authors be unable to provide original data upon request during manuscript evaluation, the journal reserves the right to halt review, reject the submission, or retract a published article. All suspected cases will be thoroughly investigated following COPE guidelines, with potential notification of relevant institutions and ethics committees. We maintain these rigorous standards to preserve the credibility of published research and protect the scholarly community from the far-reaching consequences of fraudulent practices. Authors are strongly advised to familiarize themselves with ethical data management practices prior to submission.

Data Sharing Policy

Research Data Policy

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (JSCMT) encourages the sharing of research data to promote transparency, reproducibility, and the advancement of knowledge within the academic community. We recognize the importance of making data accessible to other researchers while respecting ethical and legal considerations. To this end, we have established the following guidelines for the inclusion of research data statements in submitted manuscripts:

Data Sharing Expectations:

Authors are encouraged to make their data available to the public whenever possible, except where privacy, confidentiality, or legal constraints apply. Data should be shared in a manner that allows verification of results and the reuse of data for further research.

Data Availability Statements

Authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscripts. This statement should clearly outline where the data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed, or explain why the data cannot be shared. Below are examples of acceptable Data Availability Statements:

Data Available in a Public Repository: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [NAME] repository, [PERSISTENT LINK TO DATASETS].
Data Available on Request: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
No Data Available: No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Desk Rejection Policy

To maintain the quality and relevance of published research, manuscripts may be subject to immediate desk rejection without peer review if they fail to meet the following criteria:

Scope & Relevance: The topic falls outside the journal's aims and subject area.
Ethical Compliance: The manuscript exhibits ethical violations, including plagiarism (>20% similarity index) or non-adherence to international research standards.
Novelty & Impact: The study lacks significant contribution to the field or fails to advance current knowledge.
Methodological Rigor: The study design contains critical flaws that undermine validity.
Clarity of Objectives: The research goals are unclear or poorly defined.
Structural Integrity: Key sections (e.g., methodology, results) are missing or poorly organized.
Language & Readability: The writing has grammatical errors, stylistic inconsistencies, or unclear expression.
Formatting Compliance: The manuscript does not follow the journal’s submission guidelines.

This policy ensures efficient editorial processing and upholds the journal's commitment to high-quality, ethical scholarship. Authors are encouraged to review the journal’s guidelines carefully before submission.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Authors must formally declare that their submitted manuscript represents original work and is not under consideration by any other publication. Duplicate submission or publication - including articles previously published in whole or part in another language - constitutes a serious breach of publishing ethics unless explicitly authorized. In cases where secondary publication is justified (such as translations of important work), authors must: obtain written permission from the original copyright holder, fully disclose the publication history to the receiving journal's editor, and ensure the new version prominently identifies itself as a secondary publication with proper citation of the original work. The journal follows ICMJE guidelines in evaluating such cases and will reject or retract any manuscript found to violate these standards, with potential notification to authors' institutions in cases of deliberate misconduct. These measures protect the integrity of scholarly communication while allowing for appropriate dissemination of valuable research across language barriers.

Funding

Authors must transparently declare all funding sources and financial support received for their research in the manuscript. This includes specifying whether sponsors participated in any aspect of the study—such as research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation—or if they had no involvement in these processes. Accurate reporting of funding information is essential and must align with the requirements set by funding bodies. By providing these details, authors help maintain research integrity and allow readers to assess potential influences on the study.

Images and Figures

Include only those images, figures, and multimedia content that directly support and enhance the scholarly value of your work. Avoid adding purely decorative or non-essential elements. For any third-party copyrighted material—such as text excerpts, illustrations, tables, datasets, audio/video clips, film stills, screenshots, or musical notation—you must secure and provide written permission from the copyright holder prior to submission. This requirement, which forms part of your Journal Author Publishing Agreement, applies to all supplementary materials as well. Ensure all permissions cover both print and digital publication formats. By adhering to these guidelines, you help maintain legal and ethical publishing standards while ensuring your work's credibility.

Misconduct

The journal maintains rigorous standards of scholarly integrity and addresses all forms of misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines. We employ strict sanctions to protect the academic record, including but not limited to cases of:

Affiliation misrepresentation
Copyright violations (unauthorized use of third-party materials)
Citation manipulation (artificially inflating citations)
Duplicate submission/publication
Ethics dumping (exploitative research practices)
Data/image fabrication or falsification
Peer review manipulation
Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism/text-recycling)
Undisclosed conflicts of interest
Unethical research conduct

Duplicate Submission

Manuscripts under review or published elsewhere will face sanctions. Reuse of prior work requires full citation and demonstration of novel contributions.

Citation Manipulation

Inappropriate citation practices designed to boost reference counts will result in penalties.

Data Fabrication and Falsification

Fabricated/falsified data or manipulated images will lead to rejection or retraction. Acceptable image adjustments (e.g., brightness/contrast) must not obscure original data. Composite images require clear labeling.

Improper Author Contribution or Attribution

All listed authors must meet substantive contribution criteria. Excluding contributors or including non-contributors violates our policies.

Redundant Publications

Segmenting study outcomes across multiple papers to inflate publication counts is prohibited.

Image Manipulation

We require original, unaltered image files upon request. Manipulation that misrepresents findings (e.g., removing/additions, selective enhancement) constitutes misconduct. Failure to provide source images may result in manuscript rejection or post-publication retraction.

Consequences:

Violations may lead to:

Manuscript rejection
Published article retraction
Notification of authors' institutions
Submission bans

We encourage authors to review COPE guidelines and contact the editorial office with any ethical concerns prior to submission.

Publication Ethics

Our Commitment to Ethical Publishing
JSCMT journal and its editorial team strictly follow the guidelines and ethical standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We are dedicated to maintaining integrity, fairness, and transparency in all aspects of the publication process.

Responsibilities of Editors

Our editorial board carefully evaluates submitted articles based on their quality and merit, considering reviewer feedback and ensuring compliance with legal standards to avoid libel, copyright violations, and plagiarism, without bias towards the authors' background, nationality, political views, race, or religion. Editors maintain strict confidentiality, sharing manuscript details only with relevant parties, and unpublished content cannot be used without the author's permission. Transparency is ensured by disclosing funding sources and potential influences on the research. We strive for unbiased, fair, and efficient peer review, with special policies for submissions from editorial board members, and provide clear authorship guidelines. Reviewers are encouraged to flag ethical concerns and their comments are shared with authors unless offensive. We appreciate our reviewers' contributions and discontinue collaboration with those providing poor, disrespectful, or delayed feedback. Editors uphold journal standards by verifying ethical approvals and addressing intellectual property issues, making prompt corrections when necessary. Reviewers assist in shaping the publication with objective, constructive critiques supported by evidence, avoiding personal attacks. They should decline reviews if lacking expertise or facing conflicts of interest, maintain confidentiality, and not use unpublished ideas or data for personal benefit, while ensuring proper attribution and identifying significant overlaps with other works.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play a crucial role in shaping publications by providing valuable feedback that assists editors in making informed decisions. Their critiques should be objective, constructive, and supported by evidence, avoiding any personal attacks on authors. If a reviewer lacks the necessary expertise or cannot evaluate a manuscript promptly, they should decline the invitation to review. It is also essential for reviewers to avoid conflicts of interest, such as connections to the authors or their institutions. Manuscripts under review are confidential, and reviewers must not use any unpublished ideas or data for their own benefit. Additionally, reviewers should identify any missing citations or significant overlap with other published works.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must present their research truthfully, with accurate data and a balanced discussion of its significance, ensuring raw data is available upon request and retained for at least two years after publication, as deliberately false claims are unethical and unacceptable. Submissions must be original, with proper credit given to others' work, and plagiarism in any form, as well as submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously, is unacceptable. Authors must disclose any financial or personal conflicts that could influence their work, and funding sources should always be acknowledged.

Authorship & Corrections

All listed co-authors must have made significant contributions and approved the final manuscript. If major errors are discovered after publication, authors must promptly notify the journal to issue corrections or retractions.

Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo rigorous peer review to ensure academic excellence. We use a single-blind review process (reviewers know the authors, but authors do not know the reviewers). The final decision rests with the editorial board, based on reviewer recommendations.

For submissions with serious ethical, security, or societal concerns, our Research Integrity team may consult additional experts before deciding on next steps—including seeking specialized reviews or declining further consideration.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal has a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. We do not accept any submission that presents another person’s ideas, words, or work without proper credit. This includes:

Full or partial plagiarism – Copying content from other sources without attribution.
Duplicate or redundant publication – Submitting the same work to multiple journals.
Self-plagiarism – Reusing one’s own previously published work (even in a different language) without acknowledgment.

Exceptions: Preprints (shared in public archives before submission) are not considered duplicate publications.

Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for the manuscript throughout the review and publication process and has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors.
All submitted manuscripts are screened using professional plagiarism-detection software.
Papers with an unacceptable similarity index due to plagiarism will be rejected immediately.

Preprints Policy

We support open scholarly communication and allow authors to share preprints of their work at any time—before, during, or after submission to our journal.

Key Guidelines:
Preprint sharing: Authors may post preprints on any platform (e.g., arXiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, RePEc) without restrictions. Post-acceptance updates: If the manuscript is accepted, authors may update the preprint with the accepted version (but not the final published PDF).
Linking to the final publication: We encourage authors to add a DOI link from the preprint to the formally published article for proper attribution.

This policy ensures transparency while maintaining the integrity of peer-reviewed publication.

Special Issues Policy

Call for Special Issues

The Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (JSCMT) announces special issue topics annually in December. These focused collections address emerging themes in sustainable construction, selected by our editorial team to complement our regular issues.

Submission Process

Follows identical guidelines and peer review standards as regular submissions
Authors must adhere to all standard author guidelines
Submit through our online system with clear indication for special issue consideration

Guest Editor Selection

We appoint Guest Editors through:

Editorial board nomination
Editor recommendations
Qualified self-nominations

Selection criteria include:

Demonstrated subject expertise
Strong academic reputation
Prior editorial experience

Guest Editor Responsibilities

Define special issue scope and focus
Develop call for papers
Manage submission and review process
Make acceptance recommendations (final approval by Editor-in-Chief)
Ensure consistent quality standards

Proposal Requirements

Special issue proposals must include:

Clear theme and objectives
Target audience analysis
Proposed timeline
Suggested Guest Editor(s)
Potential contributor network

Editorial Timeline

Quarterly publication schedule (March, June, September, December)
Rolling submissions accepted year-round
Publication timing based on readiness, not submission date

Peer Review Process

All special issue manuscripts undergo:

Initial scope screening by Guest Editors
Rigorous single-blind peer review
Author revisions as needed
Final approval by Editor-in-Chief

We welcome submissions that advance knowledge in sustainable construction materials and technologies. For current special issue calls and detailed guidelines, please visit our website.

Reporting Standards

To ensure transparency and reproducibility, authors must provide:

Clear Research Rationale: A well-defined purpose and scientific context for the study
Detailed Methodology: Complete descriptions of protocols, materials, and procedures
Comprehensive Analysis: Full disclosure of data processing and statistical methods
Data Availability: Where applicable, supporting data or access information

We adhere to discipline-specific reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT for clinical trials, ARRIVE for animal studies). Authors should use appropriate checklists and flow diagrams where relevant.

Note: Manuscripts lacking sufficient methodological detail may be returned for revision prior to peer review.

Use of Third-Party Material

You must obtain the necessary permission to reuse third-party material in your article. These materials may include – but are not limited to – text, illustration, photographs, tables, data, audio, video, film stills, screenshots, or musical notation.

The use of short extracts of text and some other types of material is usually permitted, on a limited basis, for the purposes of criticism and review without securing formal permission. If you wish to include any material in your paper for which you do not hold copyright, and which is not covered by this informal agreement, you will need to obtain written permission from the copyright owner prior to submission.

Policy on the Use of AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation

This policy specifically addresses the use of AI tools in the manuscript preparation process and does not apply to the use of AI for data analysis or research methodology.

Authors may utilize AI-assisted technologies to enhance the readability and language quality of their manuscripts. However, these tools must not be employed to replace fundamental author responsibilities, including but not limited to: generating scientific insights, formulating research conclusions, or providing clinical recommendations. All AI-generated content must undergo rigorous human review, editing, and validation, as AI systems may produce authoritative-sounding yet inaccurate, incomplete, or biased output. The ultimate responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the manuscript lies solely with the human authors.

Transparency is paramount. Authors must explicitly disclose any use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in their manuscript, and a statement to this effect will be included in the published work. This disclosure fosters accountability and maintains trust among authors, readers, reviewers, and editors.

AI tools cannot fulfill the criteria for authorship and therefore must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship entails responsibilities that only human researchers can undertake, including:

Addressing inquiries regarding the work's validity and integrity
Approving the final version of the manuscript
Ensuring compliance with authorship criteria
Guaranteeing the work's originality and freedom from third-party rights infringement

By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm their adherence to these guidelines and accept full responsibility for all content, including any portions developed with AI assistance. The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet these standards or demonstrate inappropriate use of AI technologies.

This policy aligns with global publishing standards and reflects our commitment to maintaining academic integrity while responsibly incorporating emerging technologies in scholarly communication.

Our Policy on AI in Peer Review

At The Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies (JSCMT), we carefully balance innovation with responsibility in our approach to artificial intelligence. We recognize the growing role of AI in academic publishing while remaining committed to protecting authors' intellectual property and maintaining the highest standards of scholarly review.

For Reviewers: Protecting Confidentiality and Integrity

We currently prohibit the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT in our peer review process. This decision stems from two fundamental principles. First, peer review requires human expertise, critical thinking, and ethical judgment that AI cannot replicate. Second, manuscript confidentiality is paramount - uploading documents or review comments to AI systems risks breaching authors' rights and privacy. This prohibition applies to both the submitted manuscripts themselves and reviewers' confidential evaluations, even when simply seeking language improvements.

For Authors: Responsible Use with Full Transparency

We permit authors to use AI assistance during manuscript preparation, but with clear limitations. AI may only be employed to enhance language quality (improving grammar, clarity, or readability) and never to generate scientific insights, interpret data, or draw conclusions. Most importantly, any AI usage must be fully disclosed in the manuscript according to our Author Guidelines.

Editorial Applications of AI

In our editorial operations, we selectively implement vetted, privacy-compliant AI tools for specific administrative functions. These include initial manuscript completeness checks, plagiarism detection, and reviewer matching. All such tools undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet our standards for confidentiality protection and bias mitigation.

The Importance of Human Expertise

Our policy reflects the irreplaceable value of human judgment in scholarly evaluation. AI cannot replicate the nuanced understanding, ethical responsibility, and subject-matter expertise that our reviewers bring to the process. We believe peer review must remain fundamentally human-centered to maintain research integrity and author trust.

Looking Ahead

As AI technology evolves, we continue to monitor developments and assess potential applications that align with our ethical standards. While maintaining our current restrictions, we remain open to future policy updates should secure, compliant AI tools emerge that genuinely enhance - rather than replace - human peer review. Our commitment is to responsible innovation that serves the best interests of the research community.