International Journal of Mechanics Structural (IJMS)
ISSN: 0974-312X
Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The International Journal of Mechanics Structural (IJMS) is committed to maintaining ethical standards in scholarly publishing and to ensuring that the research record is accurate, transparent, and responsibly maintained.

Publication of scholarly research involves responsibilities shared by authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher. IJMS expects all participants in the publication process to act with integrity, transparency, fairness, and respect for the confidentiality of unpublished work.

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement sets out the principal responsibilities and procedures applicable to the journal.

1. Responsibilities of Authors
1.1 Reporting Standards

Authors are responsible for presenting an accurate account of the research undertaken and an objective discussion of its significance. Research findings should be reported accurately, and sufficient methodological information should be provided to permit appropriate assessment and, where applicable, replication of the work.

Knowingly presenting fabricated, falsified, or materially misleading information constitutes publication misconduct and is unacceptable.

1.2 Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit original work and must appropriately acknowledge the work, ideas, data, text, figures, or other material derived from other sources. Plagiarism includes presenting another person's work or ideas as one's own, substantial unattributed copying or paraphrasing, and other forms of inappropriate appropriation of scholarly material. IJMS does not accept plagiarism or other forms of unattributed appropriation of published or unpublished work. Where concerns regarding plagiarism or inappropriate textual or intellectual overlap arise, the journal may request clarification or supporting information and may take appropriate editorial action.

1.3 Duplicate, Redundant, and Concurrent Publication

A manuscript submitted to IJMS must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal. Authors should not submit substantially the same research to more than one primary publication. Where previously published material or closely related work is relevant to a new submission, this should be disclosed to the editorial office and appropriately cited. Failure to disclose substantial overlap may constitute publication misconduct.

1.4 Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must provide appropriate acknowledgement of the work of others and cite sources that have materially contributed to the research. Information obtained through confidential communications, peer review, or other privileged circumstances should not be used or disclosed without appropriate authorization.

1.5 Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data, the development of the manuscript, or other substantive intellectual contributions appropriate to the research. All individuals who qualify for authorship should be appropriately recognized, while individuals who have contributed to the work but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged where appropriate. The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and should ensure that all listed authors have approved the submitted manuscript and agreed to its submission. Changes to authorship after submission should not be made without appropriate justification and the agreement of all affected authors.

1.6 Data and Research Materials

Authors should maintain appropriate records and supporting data underlying their research and should be prepared to provide relevant information to the editorial office where reasonably required for the assessment or investigation of the published work. Where data, software, models, experimental procedures, or other research materials are essential to understanding or reproducing the research, authors are encouraged to provide sufficient information concerning their availability, subject to legitimate confidentiality, privacy, intellectual-property, or other restrictions.

1.7 Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects

Where research involves human participants, identifiable human data, or animals, authors must comply with applicable laws, institutional requirements, and recognized ethical standards. Where applicable, manuscripts should state that the research received approval from the relevant institutional or ethics committee and that informed consent was obtained where required. Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. For research involving hazardous materials, chemicals, equipment, procedures, or other significant risks, appropriate safety information and precautions should be identified in the manuscript where relevant.

1.8 Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors must disclose financial or non-financial relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, its interpretation, or its presentation. Sources of financial or other material support for the research should be disclosed where applicable.

Conflicts of interest may arise from employment, consultancy, financial interests, grants, intellectual-property interests, personal relationships, or other relevant circumstances.

1.9 Correction of Errors

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published article, the author should promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate with the journal in determining whether a correction, expression of concern, or other appropriate action is required.

Authors are expected to cooperate with reasonable requests concerning the integrity, accuracy, or supporting evidence of published work.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

2.1 Editorial Independence and Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are assessed on their scholarly merits, relevance to the journal, originality, quality, and contribution to the field. Editorial decisions should not be influenced by an author's nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, personal characteristics, or other considerations unrelated to the scholarly assessment of the work.

The Editor-in-Chief retains responsibility for the final editorial decision, taking into account the journal's policies and the outcome of the editorial and peer-review process.

2.2 Fair and Consistent Assessment

Editors should apply the journal's editorial and peer-review policies consistently and should ensure that manuscripts are handled fairly and objectively. A manuscript may be declined without external peer review where it is clearly outside the journal's scope, does not satisfy basic submission requirements, or raises substantive concerns that make further consideration inappropriate.

2.3 Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must treat submitted manuscripts and associated information as confidential. Information concerning a manuscript, including its content, review status, reviewer comments, and editorial decision, should not be disclosed to unauthorized persons. Unpublished information contained in a submitted manuscript must not be used for the editor's or editorial staff's own research or personal advantage without appropriate authorization.

2.4 Conflicts of Interest

Editors should disclose relevant conflicts of interest and should not participate in the editorial assessment or decision-making process where a conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, impartiality.

Where appropriate, responsibility for the manuscript should be transferred to another qualified editor.

2.5 Ethical Complaints and Investigations

Editors should respond appropriately to credible allegations concerning publication misconduct or ethical violations involving submitted or published work. Where necessary, the journal may seek information from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties and may request supporting documentation. Investigations may result in editorial actions including correction, retraction, expression of concern, rejection, or other appropriate measures depending on the circumstances.

Concerns may be investigated even when they are identified after publication.

3. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

3.1 Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not disclose, reproduce, distribute, or use unpublished information contained in a manuscript for personal, professional, or competitive purposes. Reviewers should not retain manuscript files or confidential materials after completing the review except where retention is specifically authorized by the journal.

3.2 Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively, professionally, and constructively. Reviewer comments should address the scholarly content of the manuscript and provide clear reasoning for significant criticisms or recommendations. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

3.3 Reviewer Expertise and Availability

A reviewer who considers themselves insufficiently qualified to assess a manuscript, or who cannot complete the review within the requested period, should inform the editorial office promptly and decline the assignment where appropriate.

3.4 Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose circumstances that could affect the impartiality of their assessment. Reviewers should decline an assignment where a significant conflict of interest exists, including relevant personal, professional, collaborative, institutional, financial, or competitive relationships with the authors or their work.

3.5 Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has been omitted where such references are important to the assessment of the manuscript. Reviewers should also inform the editor if they become aware of substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and another published or unpublished work.

3.6 Use of Artificial Intelligence and External Tools

Because manuscripts submitted for peer review contain confidential and unpublished material, reviewers must not upload manuscript content or confidential review material to external artificial-intelligence systems or other third-party services where confidentiality cannot be assured. Any use of technological assistance in preparing a review must comply with the journal's confidentiality requirements.

4. Responsibilities of the Publisher

International Research Publication House (IRPH), as the publisher of IJMS, supports the journal's editorial independence and is responsible for maintaining appropriate publishing infrastructure and policies. The publisher does not permit plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, manipulation of the peer-review process, or other forms of publication misconduct. Where credible concerns regarding publication ethics are identified, the publisher will cooperate with the Editor-in-Chief and editorial team in investigating the matter and implementing appropriate corrective measures.

The publisher supports the correction, retraction, or publication of an expression of concern where such action is warranted by the evidence.

5. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may raise a reasoned appeal concerning an editorial decision where they believe that a significant procedural error or material misunderstanding has affected the decision. An appeal should identify the specific grounds for reconsideration and should provide relevant supporting information. Complaints concerning editorial conduct, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, peer review, or other aspects of the publication process may be submitted to the editorial office.

The journal will consider complaints and appeals in a fair and appropriate manner and may seek independent advice or additional assessment where necessary.

6. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

The integrity of the published scholarly record is an ongoing responsibility of the journal. Where a published article is found to contain a significant error, omission, ethical concern, or other issue affecting the reliability or integrity of the publication, the journal may publish an appropriate correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other editorial notice. The form of corrective action will depend on the nature and seriousness of the issue and the available evidence. Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal in correcting the scholarly record when necessary.

7. Ethical Oversight

IJMS expects authors to comply with applicable ethical requirements governing research involving human participants, animals, personal or confidential information, hazardous materials, and other areas requiring formal ethical oversight. Where ethical approval, informed consent, or other institutional authorization is required, authors should provide the relevant information in the manuscript and, where requested, supporting documentation.

8. Commitment to Publication Integrity

IJMS is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent, and trustworthy scholarly record.
All participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are expected to uphold the principles of research integrity, confidentiality, transparency, fairness, and responsible scholarly communication. Where ethical concerns arise, the journal will assess the available evidence and take proportionate action in accordance with its policies and established principles of publication ethics.

International Journal of Mechanics Structural (IJMS) ISSN: 0974-312X Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

1. Responsibilities of Authors 1.1 Reporting Standards