Publication Ethics | Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering

At the Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME), we are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, openness, and professionalism in scholarly publishing. This ethics policy lays out a foundation designed to build trust, responsibility, and quality within the academic environment.

By emphasizing ethical standards in publishing, we make sure that authors, reviewers, and editorial members adhere to recognized principles and practices. This policy outlines the essential duties and expectations for every party involved in the publishing workflow.

General Principles

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) fully complies with the ethical principles provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). By submitting their work, authors declare that they have thoroughly read and accepted its contents, confirming their alignment with all journal regulations and ethical obligations.

Affiliations

Authors must submit full and accurate affiliation information to properly acknowledge the institutions or entities that provided approval, financial support, or were involved in conducting the academic or scientific research.

For submissions that are not research-based, authors are required to include their current institutional affiliation.
If an author’s affiliation has changed since completing the work, they should mention the affiliation at the time of the research in addition to stating their present one.
Authors not affiliated with any institution must clearly mention that they are submitting independently.

Appeals and Complaints

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) follows the ethical protocols set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to manage appeals and complaints concerning editorial decisions or the peer review process.

Authors are invited to file legitimate appeals if they possess relevant evidence or additional insights that respond to the critiques of editors or reviewers. The editorial board guarantees that such appeals are handled impartially and openly.

For appeals or complaints, please contact us via appeals@mesopotamian.press.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments must give appropriate credit to individuals or institutions that aided in the preparation of the manuscript but do not qualify for authorship. This may include contributions in funding, technical services, or editorial input.

Financial Support: Clearly mention all funding bodies and describe grant details.
Editorial and Technical Assistance: Credit services such as proofreading, statistical help, or use of specific tools and facilities.

Providing accurate acknowledgments enhances openness and supports ethical conduct in scholarly work. Authors should recognize any form of help received from peers, supervisors, or organizations that facilitated the research.

Authorship

Authorship in the Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) indicates significant involvement in the design, implementation, and preparation of the manuscript. It formally acknowledges each person’s contribution and ensures they are accountable for the validity and excellence of the work presented.

Authorship Criteria
To be credited as an author, contributors must satisfy all of the following conditions:

Substantial Contributions: Took a major part in shaping the concept, methodology, data analysis, or interpretation of outcomes.
Manuscript Development: Participated in drafting or critically refining the manuscript for core intellectual content.
Final Approval: Reviewed and agreed to the final manuscript version, including any updates.
Accountability: Accepted full responsibility for the research’s reliability and will address any emerging concerns.

Anyone who does not fulfill these requirements should not be named as an author but can be recognized for their assistance in the acknowledgment section.

Authorship Order
The sequence of authors must represent the extent of each person’s input to the work. Disagreements regarding author order must be settled before submission. Any change in authorship after submission must be agreed upon by all authors.

Changes to Authorship
Requests to add or delete authors after submission must be backed by a clear explanation and written approval from all authors, including those being added or removed. A completed Change of Authorship Form must also be included. The journal may decline authorship changes that lack sufficient explanation or consent.

For any authorship updates after publication, formal correction notices will be issued. Major post-acceptance changes require strong justification and clear proof of contribution.

Responsibilities of the Corresponding Author

The corresponding author plays a central role in handling the manuscript throughout submission, peer review, and publication. Their duties include:

Communication: Serving as the main liaison between the journal and co-authors, and keeping all parties updated on the manuscript’s progress.
Approval: Making sure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript prior to submission.
Compliance: Ensuring the submission complies with the journal’s formatting rules and ethical expectations.

The corresponding author must also handle any disagreements regarding authorship or contribution during peer review. If such disputes lead to withdrawal, a Manuscript Withdrawal Form must be completed and submitted to disputes@mesopotamian.press with agreement from all co-authors.

Citations

To preserve credibility and academic standards, proper referencing is essential. The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) requires authors to give precise and pertinent citations for all sources mentioned in their papers.

General Citation Guidelines
Every statement, dataset, or argument must be backed by valid, current, and credible sources. Authors should primarily cite peer-reviewed literature and avoid referencing untrustworthy or unverifiable materials.

Accuracy: All citations should be correctly formatted and reference the correct sources.
Balance: Ensure the literature cited reflects a broad and fair overview and does not disproportionately highlight specific individuals or groups.
Self-Citation: Avoid citing one’s own work excessively to prevent inflated citation metrics.

Non-Research Articles
For submissions like reviews or viewpoints, references must offer a thorough and objective view of the subject. Authors should not use selective referencing to misrepresent the field’s scope.

Citation Manipulation
The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) enforces a strict policy against citation manipulation, which includes deliberately including citations to unjustly increase metrics or favor particular individuals or journals without valid academic reasoning.

Forms of citation manipulation may include:

Overuse of self-citation to artificially enhance individual or institutional citation metrics.
Mutual agreements among authors or groups to cite one another improperly.
Including citations that do not meaningfully contribute to the scholarly discussion.

If any citation manipulation is found, it will be investigated thoroughly, and the associated manuscripts may be rejected or withdrawn.

Uncertain Sources
If authors are unsure about the reliability or relevance of a citation, they should contact the journal’s editorial team prior to including it. This ensures that all references contribute meaningfully to the research and meet ethical standards.

Conflicts of Interest

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) emphasizes openness and ethical responsibility in academic publishing. Authors, editors, and reviewers must declare any conflicts that might influence their contributions or decisions.

Disclosure by Authors
Authors must completely declare any potential conflicts of interest, whether financial, professional, or personal, that could affect the research or its interpretation. These include:

Financial Support: Funding, sponsorship, or any financial assistance related to the manuscript or project.
Institutional Relationships: Associations with institutions that might gain from the study's outcomes.
Competing Interests: Personal or professional circumstances that might influence impartiality in the research.

Authors are expected to submit the Conflict of Interest Form as part of the manuscript submission.

Disclosure by Reviewers
Reviewers are required to declare any conflicts that could interfere with an objective review process. These might include:

Close personal or collaborative ties with the authors.
Financial interests that are connected to the manuscript’s content.
Professional affiliations that could cause bias.

Reviewers who have a conflict of interest are encouraged to decline the review and notify the editorial team. In such cases, they are also expected to submit a completed Conflict of Interest Form to the Editor-in-Chief.

Disclosure by Editors

Editors are obligated to disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise, or be perceived to compromise, the integrity of their editorial decisions. Such conflicts may include, but are not limited to:

Personal, professional, or institutional affiliations with authors, reviewers, or organizations associated with the manuscript.
Financial interests or professional stakes in the outcomes or conclusions of the submitted work.

In the event of a conflict, editors are required to recuse themselves from the editorial process and delegate the decision-making responsibility to an impartial member of the editorial board. Furthermore, editors must complete and submit the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form to the Editor-in-Chief to ensure full transparency and compliance with ethical publishing standards.

Through the enforcement of these policies, BJME affirms its commitment to objectivity, accountability, and the highest standards of editorial integrity.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) upholds the reliability and accuracy of the scientific record. The journal follows accepted guidelines to handle major errors, concerns, or misconduct through corrections, notices of concern, or retractions.

Corrections

A correction notice is published when an error or omission in a published work might influence understanding, but does not invalidate the overall reliability of the scholarly contribution. Such corrections may involve:

Minor mistakes in diagrams or visuals.
Omitted details in funding disclosures.
Failure to disclose a conflict of interest.

Types of Correction Notices:

Corrigendum: Issued to correct an author’s mistake.
Erratum: Issued to fix an error made during production or publication by the publisher.

Retractions

A retraction notice is released when serious issues—such as fundamental flaws in methods or inaccurate data—undermine the findings of a publication. Retractions also address severe misconduct, including:

Unethical research, such as studies lacking required approvals.
Falsified or manipulated data.
Plagiarism.
Multiple or redundant publications.

Retractions follow the procedures outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and can be initiated by authors, editors, or affiliated institutions.

Retraction Procedures:

The retraction note will link to the original article and vice versa.
Both HTML and PDF versions of the article will clearly indicate “Retracted.”
The reason for retraction will be explicitly stated.
The requesting party will be identified.

The purpose of retractions is to maintain the scientific record and uphold transparency—not to punish the authors.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be released when serious questions exist about a paper, but final confirmation is still pending. Typical scenarios include:

Suspected ethical violations under investigation.
Ethical uncertainties needing further assessment.

Upon completion of the review process, the concern notice may be updated to a correction or retraction. All actions remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

Removals

In rare circumstances, a removal notice may be necessary if a paper contains defamatory material, violates privacy rights, or is subject to a legal directive. The removed article will be replaced with a note explaining the reason for its removal.

Consent for Publication

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) requires authors to obtain written informed consent when submissions include personal data, identifiable images, or sensitive information. Authors must comply with these standards to meet ethical requirements.

Consent Requirements:

Authors must secure explicit written permission from individuals or their legal representatives prior to including any identifiable or personal content.
Consent must specifically allow publication under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits open access distribution of the work.
For minors under the age of 18, consent must be obtained from a parent or guardian.
For deceased individuals, permission must be obtained from the next of kin.
Manuscripts must clearly state that informed consent was secured.

Consent Documentation:

Authors are encouraged to use a standard institutional form or one formally approved by their organization.
The form must explicitly mention that the submitted content or images will be publicly available online.
It must include an acknowledgment of open access and provide full details of the applicable license.
Authors are responsible for retaining signed consent forms and must make them available to the editorial team upon request. All submitted forms will be treated confidentially and will not be made public.

Author Responsibility:

Authors bear full responsibility for collecting, safeguarding, and submitting consent documentation when required.
The journal will not accept consent forms alongside the manuscript or through email.
It is the author's duty to ensure that all consent forms are stored securely.

This approach supports ethical publishing while respecting personal rights and individual privacy in scholarly works.

Confidentiality

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) adheres to stringent confidentiality policies to uphold the privacy and ethical standards of the publishing process. The following principles guide how confidentiality is maintained:

Manuscript Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted are regarded as confidential records. Access is restricted to individuals who are directly involved in the editorial and peer review process, such as the editorial staff, reviewers, and authorized administrative personnel.

Manuscript content must not be disclosed, discussed, or distributed to unauthorized persons without prior approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

Reviewer Obligations

Reviewers are essential in maintaining confidentiality within the peer review process. They are expected to:

Avoid discussing or revealing manuscript contents to anyone not involved in the review process.
Refrain from using unpublished data, insights, or interpretations acquired during the review for personal or professional advantage.

Violations of confidentiality by reviewers will be subject to thorough investigation and may result in removal from the reviewer pool.

Ethical Misconduct Investigations

In the event of suspected ethical violations, manuscript materials may be disclosed to applicable organizations, institutions, or ethical boards for the purpose of investigation. This will be conducted in accordance with the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) is dedicated to maintaining the confidentiality of all stakeholders throughout any ethical review process to ensure fairness and neutrality.

Authors maintain full copyright over their contributions published in the Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME). They retain the right to use their published material for academic and educational purposes.

Once a manuscript is accepted, the journal obtains non-exclusive rights to publish, distribute, and reproduce the article in various formats, promoting accessibility while respecting author ownership.

Eligibility for Submission

Authors may submit manuscripts to the Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) provided they hold the rights to the work or have secured formal permission from the copyright owner(s).

Submissions containing third-party content must be accompanied by documented permission, in adherence to copyright regulations and ethical standards.

Data Falsification/Fabrication

Falsifying or fabricating research data is a grave breach of academic integrity. It includes intentionally modifying or inventing data or results to deceive. These practices compromise the validity and dependability of scholarly communication.

Authors submitting to the Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) must confirm that all presented data truthfully reflects their research. Any cases of data falsification or fabrication will result in immediate manuscript rejection or published article retraction.

To promote transparency, authors must keep all original datasets for a designated time period following publication. If requested, authors are expected to share the original data to facilitate the peer review and editorial evaluation. Non-compliance may lead to rejection or removal of the article.

BJME applies a strict policy of zero tolerance toward data manipulation or falsification to uphold scientific credibility and safeguard the journal's standing.

Desk Rejection Policy

The BJME follows a desk rejection policy to ensure submissions are both high-quality and appropriate. Submissions may be declined prior to peer review for the following reasons:

Misalignment with Scope: The content or topic falls outside the journal’s scope.
Ethical Concerns: Breaches of ethical standards, high levels of plagiarism (exceeding 20%), or other ethical problems.
Insufficient Impact: The work lacks meaningful contribution or new understanding.
Flawed Study Design: Design errors that undermine research reliability.
Unclear Objectives: Objectives that are ambiguous or poorly defined.
Poor Presentation: Lack of clear structure, missing essential parts, or unclear writing.
Grammar and Language Issues: Extensive issues with grammar or writing style.
Non-Compliance with Guidelines: Not adhering to the Author Guidelines.

This approach ensures that only submissions that meet the journal’s quality standards are forwarded to peer review. Authors should thoroughly review the submission rules to improve the likelihood of acceptance.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Duplicate Submission/Publication The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) is firmly committed to upholding strict ethical norms regarding duplicate submission and publication. Authors must clearly state at the time of submission that their manuscript is not under review by another journal. Not declaring this is treated as a serious violation of ethics.

Scenarios that count as duplicate submission or publication include but are not limited to:

Multiple Submissions: Sending the same article to BJME and another journal at the same time.
Redundant Publications: Republishing prior work without offering new contributions or results.
Translation of Published Work: Resubmitting a translated version of previously published content without clear disclosure.

According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), authors submitting secondary publications, including translated material, are required to:

Obtain formal consent from the original publisher and copyright owner.
Clearly inform the Editor of BJME about the original publication.

All secondary versions must explicitly cite the original article, ensuring credit is accurately given and openness is preserved.

Funding

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) places emphasis on full transparency in financial disclosure. Authors must report all sources of funding, including grants, sponsorships, or other financial aid received for the research and publication effort.

Funding Disclosure Guidelines:

Comprehensive Disclosure: Authors must clearly state all funding sources, including the funder's name, grant numbers, and describe the funder's role in the research.
Sponsor Participation: If sponsors were involved in any aspect of the research such as design, data collection, analysis, or publication, it must be stated. If not, this must be clarified explicitly.

Authors must submit the Financial Disclosure Form together with their manuscript to maintain transparency and meet ethical publishing expectations.

Images and Figures

When submitting images, videos, or audio files to BJME, authors must adhere to ethical guidelines. It is the author's responsibility to obtain clear written permission from any individuals shown in photos or whose personal data appears.

For deceased subjects, approval must be granted by their legal heirs. In the case of vulnerable populations such as children, consent must be obtained from legal guardians or parents.

Experimental Photographs:

Ensure accuracy in experimental images, particularly microscopy, and reflect the original data truthfully.
Mention any image modifications in the manuscript, including the software and techniques used.
Make original unedited images available to the editors if requested.
Avoid any changes that may distort or mislead scientific interpretation.

Reuse of Published Images

The use of images or figures from previously published materials requires prior authorization from the copyright owner. Authors must include a statement in the figure legend confirming that permission has been obtained and must provide proper citation for the original source.

Even for images reused under licenses that allow unrestricted use, proper attribution to the original source is mandatory.

Misconduct

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) maintains rigorous ethical standards and addresses all instances of academic misconduct. The journal operates in line with principles laid out by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Allegations of misconduct are investigated thoroughly using COPE protocols.

Forms of misconduct include:

Plagiarism: Using someone else’s work or ideas without giving proper credit.
Fabrication: Making up data or results and presenting them as valid.
Falsification: Changing materials, tools, or procedures to produce misleading results.
Duplicate Submission: Sending the same manuscript to several journals at once.
Misrepresentation: Giving false details about authorship or institutional affiliation.
Image Manipulation: Changing figures in ways that could deceive readers.

Addressing Misconduct:

Initial Review: The editorial team examines the credibility of the claim.
Formal Inquiry: A detailed investigation is carried out with input from authors, reviewers, or third-party experts.
Decision: Possible outcomes include rejecting the submission, withdrawing the article, or notifying institutions and funders.

Consequences:

Rejection of the article at any step in the process.
Withdrawal of already published content with an explanatory note.
Informing the relevant academic institutions or sponsors.
Prohibiting the authors from future submissions to the journal.

Publication Ethics

Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) is dedicated to upholding the utmost ethical practices in academic publishing. The journal strictly follows the values and recommended practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to promote transparency, responsibility, and integrity throughout the publication process.

Duties of Editors

Make editorial decisions fairly and impartially, based exclusively on scholarly quality, significance, originality, and clarity.
Preserve complete confidentiality regarding all manuscript submissions and related communication.
Declare any potential conflicts of interest and provide a completed Conflict of Interest Form.
Address suspected breaches of ethical conduct appropriately and in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Duties of Reviewers

Deliver objective, constructive, and timely reviews of submitted manuscripts to support the editorial decision process.
Safeguard the confidentiality of all manuscript content, review reports, and communication.
Disclose any relevant conflicts of interest (such as financial, personal, institutional, or collaborative ties) before initiating the review. Reviewers are encouraged to fill out the journal’s Conflict of Interest Form and submit it as part of their evaluation.
Do not utilize any unpublished data or information obtained during the review for personal benefit or advantage.
Inform the editors of any ethical concerns (such as plagiarism, redundant publication, or falsified data) identified during the review process.

Duties of Authors

Submit original manuscripts that truthfully represent the research conducted, citing all sources accurately.
Refrain from all types of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, falsified data, or invented findings.
Reveal any conflicts of interest by completing the required Conflict of Interest Form.
Inform the journal immediately of any major errors identified post-publication and cooperate in issuing necessary corrections or retractions.
Confirm that all co-authors have reviewed and agreed to the manuscript prior to submission.

Handling of Ethical Misconduct

BJME takes claims of ethical violations very seriously. The editorial board utilizes the COPE flowcharts to review and resolve possible misconduct such as plagiarism, fabricated data, redundant submission, disputes over authorship, or improper image editing. Necessary measures—including issuing corrections, retractions, or notifying relevant entities—will be applied to preserve the scholarly record’s credibility.

Peer Review Process

BJME follows a strict peer review framework to ensure the credibility and standard of the research it publishes.

Initial Assessment

Each manuscript submitted is first assessed by the editorial team to determine its relevance to the journal’s scope, originality, and compliance with submission requirements. Submissions that fall short of these criteria are desk-rejected and do not move forward to peer review.

Single-Blind Peer Review

BJME uses a single-blind peer review process, where the reviewers’ identities are hidden while the authors’ names are visible. This ensures fairness and enables reviewers to deliver objective assessments.

Generally, every manuscript is reviewed by at least two subject experts who evaluate its quality, novelty, methodology, and relevance. Reviewers are expected to give constructive feedback and practical suggestions to help improve the submission.

Editorial Decision

Based on the input from reviewers, the editor can choose to:

Accept: Approve the manuscript either as-is or with minor adjustments.
Revise: Request major or minor revisions for additional review.
Reject: Decline the submission if it fails to meet journal standards.

Decisions and reviewer comments are shared transparently with the corresponding author by the editorial office.

Appeals Process

Authors may appeal decisions by sending a detailed reply that addresses reviewer points or provides new evidence. Appeals are evaluated by the editorial board or external experts. Final decisions are then conveyed to the authors. Appeals should be sent to appeals@mesopotamian.press.

Plagiarism Policy

BJME upholds a strict zero-tolerance approach toward any form of plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as using another person's ideas, words, or work without appropriate acknowledgment, including self-plagiarism and duplicate publication.

Plagiarism Detection

All manuscripts submitted undergo thorough plagiarism screening using advanced tools such as Turnitin. Submissions found to have significant similarity with existing publications will be declined.

It is the authors’ responsibility to confirm the originality of their work by ensuring all sources are properly cited to prevent accidental plagiarism.

Types of Plagiarism:

Full Plagiarism: Direct copying of someone else’s work without credit.
Partial Plagiarism: Rewriting or modifying parts of someone else’s content without proper citation.
Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one’s own earlier work without appropriate disclosure.
Text Recycling: Reusing material from prior publications without proper reference.

Consequences of Plagiarism:

Immediate rejection or withdrawal of the submitted article.
Notifying the affiliated institution or funding body of the author(s).
Barring authors from future submissions to BJME.

BJME follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines when addressing plagiarism incidents.

Preprint Policy

BJME encourages authors to disseminate their research through preprint platforms. Authors are permitted to post manuscripts on established preprint servers, such as arXiv or RePEc, prior to submitting to BJME.

Linking Preprints to Published Articles

After acceptance, authors are advised to link the preprint to the final version of the article by using the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to provide access to the validated version.

Authors are allowed to update the preprint with the accepted manuscript version, provided they properly acknowledge the journal's publication.

Transparency and Integrity

This approach promotes early visibility of research findings while upholding the transparency and integrity of the publication process. Preprints should truthfully represent the research and meet ethical norms. Any significant modifications must be clearly stated in the preprint archive.

Patient Identifying Information

BJME gives utmost priority to protecting patient confidentiality. Any identifiable content—such as images, recordings, or personal information—must be included only after obtaining documented informed consent.

Consent Requirements

Documented informed consent must be secured from the patient or their legal representatives. If the subject is deceased, consent should be obtained from the next of kin or legal guardian.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that identifying details are excluded unless inclusion is essential and consent has been granted.

Anonymity and Ethical Compliance

Authors are required to follow the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations. Submissions must declare that informed consent was obtained and that all ethical obligations were fulfilled. Data should be anonymized to the extent possible while retaining scientific value.

Research Ethics and Consent

BJME is dedicated to publishing work that complies with the highest ethical practices. This includes acquiring suitable ethical permissions for studies involving humans, animals, or plants.

Research Involving Humans

Research must follow ethical standards set forth in the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors are required to obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics authority and disclose all relevant information, such as the approving institution's name and the approval reference number. Informed consent must be collected from all study participants.

Research Involving Animals

Studies involving animals should be in line with ethical regulations including those established by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Submissions must detail the ethical clearance and include descriptions of procedures used to limit animal distress.

Research Involving Plants

Plant-based research must adhere to national and international standards, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Authors are obligated to provide proof of permits or legal approvals for their research.

Non-compliance with ethical principles may result in rejection or removal of the manuscript.

Special Issues

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) periodically hosts special issues that explore new developments and essential topics within the mechanical engineering domain. These issues aim to stimulate pioneering research and foster cooperation among academics and professionals worldwide.

Appointment of Guest Editors

Guest editors for special issues are chosen based on their domain knowledge, academic distinction, and editorial experience. Nominations may come from the editorial team, current editors, or be submitted independently by qualified candidates.

All nominations are subject to thorough evaluation by the Editor-in-Chief to uphold scholarly excellence and editorial standards.

Guest editors are responsible for the following tasks:

Defining the focus, scope, and goals of the special issue.
Preparing and broadly distributing the call for papers.
Overseeing the submission and peer-review process of manuscripts.
Guaranteeing the originality and academic quality of accepted papers.
Working jointly with the Editor-in-Chief to finalize publication decisions.

Setup of Special Issues

To launch a special issue, potential guest editors must provide a complete proposal to the editorial board. This proposal should include:

A well-defined theme and goals for the special issue.
Explanation of the topic’s importance and relevance to the journal's audience.
Biographical information and institutional affiliations of the proposed guest editors.
A suggested timeline for submission, peer review, and final publication.

Once the proposal gains approval from both the editorial board and the Editor-in-Chief, the call for papers is circulated via academic and professional networks. The editorial office collaborates with guest editors to ensure the issue meets the journal's publication standards and deadlines.

Standards of Reporting

BJME underscores the importance of clear, detailed, and high-quality reporting to support the reproducibility and verification of scientific findings. Authors are required to follow the reporting standards listed below:

Rationale: Clearly state the aim of the research, key questions, and intended outcomes.
Research Protocol: Include thorough methodological details that enable full reproducibility.
Tools and Techniques: Specify all equipment, software, and techniques used, including version details where applicable.
Data Analysis: Describe clearly how the data was gathered, processed, and analyzed.
Results and Interpretation: Report the outcomes factually, avoiding broad assumptions or unsupported claims.

Adherence to these standards increases the reliability and impact of the published work, contributing to the progress of knowledge in mechanical engineering.

Use of Third-Party Material

Authors including materials produced by others in their manuscripts must ensure compliance with copyright and license laws. Such third-party materials may include text, images, tables, datasets, audio files, and videos not originally created by the authors.

Permissions: Authors are required to obtain written authorization from copyright holders before using third-party content, unless the material is in the public domain or qualifies as fair use.
Fair Use: Limited excerpts may be used for critique, commentary, or educational purposes under fair use conditions, with proper attribution.
Attribution: Full credit must be given for all third-party materials, including those covered by Creative Commons Licenses.

Authors should maintain records of granted permissions and be prepared to submit them to the editorial office if requested to ensure compliance with ethical standards.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

BJME acknowledges the supportive role of generative AI and AI-powered tools in writing enhancement, but emphasizes that these technologies must not replace fundamental author responsibilities.

Purpose: AI tools may assist in improving linguistic clarity and flow, but must not be used to generate original research insights or conclusions.
Supervision: Authors are responsible for thoroughly reviewing and verifying all AI-generated content for correctness.
Accountability: Authors bear full accountability for the scientific validity and accuracy of all manuscript content, including that assisted by AI.

Disclosure and Transparency

Authors are required to declare any use of AI tools during manuscript preparation. This disclosure will be reflected in the published version to maintain transparency and ethical standards.

Authorship Responsibilities

AI technologies cannot be listed as authors. Authorship entails specific duties that only human contributors are capable of fulfilling:

Responding to questions regarding the manuscript's precision or integrity.
Giving final approval for submission of the manuscript.
Ensuring the work is original and complies with publication ethics.

Use of AI in Peer Review

BJME acknowledges the potential benefits of AI in scholarly publishing workflows but places strict limitations on its use in the peer-review process to safeguard confidentiality and uphold ethical principles.

Human Responsibility: Critical assessment within peer review must be conducted solely by human reviewers and editorial staff.
Confidentiality: Manuscript content must not be uploaded into AI systems due to concerns over data privacy and ownership of intellectual property.
Peer Review Reports: Documents such as review reports, decision notifications, and related correspondence must be kept confidential and not processed by AI tools.
AI in Decision-Making: AI platforms must not be utilized to assess the quality, credibility, or scholarly impact of manuscripts. All editorial decisions must be made by qualified human experts.

Ethical Use of AI

BJME permits the ethical application of AI tools for preliminary editorial functions, such as identifying potential reviewers and detecting plagiarism, as long as confidentiality and integrity are maintained.

Acknowledgment of Ethical Standards

BJME is committed to upholding the highest ethical practices in academic publishing, and follows the guidance of the:

By submitting a manuscript, authors affirm that they adhere to these ethical frameworks.
Reviewers and editors are also bound to maintain impartiality, confidentiality, and fairness throughout all editorial activities.

In cases of suspected ethical violations, BJME follows the procedures outlined by COPE to ensure thorough evaluation and take the necessary corrective steps, maintaining an ethical and credible publication environment.

Closing Statements

The Babylonian Journal of Mechanical Engineering (BJME) remains dedicated to ensuring transparency, ethical responsibility, and integrity at every stage of the publication process.

By aligning with globally acknowledged ethical standards, BJME promotes trust, accountability, and scholarly excellence.

All contributors — including authors, reviewers, and editors — are urged to uphold these values to ensure responsible dissemination of knowledge. These detailed ethical policies protect the duties and rights of all parties involved and contribute to high standards in academic publishing.