Ethics
Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The publication of an article in Romanian Journal of Technical Sciences-Applied Mechanics (RJTS-AM) represents a process of continuous enrichment of scientific knowledge.
RJTS-AM is a peer-reviewed journal. The scientific papers submitted for publication in this journal are reviewed by at least two scientists in applied mechanics and mechanical engineering in order to get their opinion on the quality and novelty of the submitted paper, its relevance to the field, its appropriateness for the journal, etc.
For all parties involved in the act of publishing (the author, the journal editors, the peer reviewer and the publisher) it is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior. The ethics statements are headed by Scientific Editorial Board of Romanian Journal of Technical Sciences-Applied Mechanics, which takes its duties of guardianship over all stages of publishing.
DUTIES OF AUTHORS
Reporting standards
Authors reporting results of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable. The editor may return manuscript in which deception or fraudulent statements are presented given the research justification.
The articles must be accurate, objective, and clearly.
Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that these have been appropriately cited or quoted. The multiple forms of plagiarism constitute unethical behaviors and they are unacceptable.
Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication
An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Parallel submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgement of sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should also cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship of a manuscript
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as coauthors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be named in an Acknowledgement section or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors (according to the above definition) and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the author list of the manuscript, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Hazards and human subjects
If the work involves procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the authors must clearly identify these in the paper.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or their interpretation in the manuscript Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible.
Fundamental errors in published works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal's editor or publisher and cooperate with them to either retract the paper or correct the paper.
Paper submission and modification issues
When summiting a scientific paper for publication, the authors must send also a Submission Letter, according to the provided model.
If asked, the authors must perform the modifications suggested by the reviewer. If the authors do not answer to this query concerning paper modifications following the review process in a reasonable amount of time (6 months), then the paper is automatically rejected for publication.
DUTIES OF EDITORS
The editors follow current requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. They are responsible for publication of papers in optimal and timely conditions time. An editor is guided by the policies of the journal's Editorial Board and may confer with other editors or reviewers in making the publication decision.
Fair play
An editor should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship or political philosophy.
Confidentiality
The editors and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers or the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author. In case of any conflict of interest, the editors should require members of Scientific Editorial Board to disclose relevant competing interests and publish the obtained corrections.
DUTIES OF REVIEWERS
Contribution to editorial decisions
Peer-review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communications with the author, may also assist the author in improving the paper. Peer-review is an essential component of scholarly communication.
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse him/herself from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated confidentially. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgement of sources
Reviewers should identify cases in which relevant published work referred to in the paper has not been cited in the reference section. They should point out whether observations or arguments derived from other publications are accompanied by the respective source. Reviewers will notify the editor of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and conflict of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer's own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies or institutions connected to the papers.