Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals (JMMM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity in all stages of the publication process. The journal follows the guidelines and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, are expected to adhere to ethical standards and responsible research practices.

  1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JMMM must ensure that:

  • The submitted work is original and has not been published previously.
    • The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
    • All data presented are accurate, reliable, and honestly reported.
    • Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and inappropriate data manipulation are strictly prohibited.
    • All sources and references are properly cited.
    • Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant scientific contributions to the work.
    • All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
    • Any conflicts of interest or financial support related to the research are clearly disclosed.

Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary ethical approvals for studies involving human participants, animals, hazardous materials, or sensitive data.

  1. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

JMMM recognizes that authors may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools and generative AI technologies to assist in manuscript preparation. Acceptable uses may include:

  • Language editing and grammar correction
    • Improvement of readability and writing clarity
    • Code assistance and data visualization support
    • Formatting assistance

However:

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
    • Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific validity of all content.
    • Authors must carefully verify all AI-generated outputs, including references, data interpretation, and scientific statements.
    • The use of AI to fabricate data, generate fake results, manipulate scientific images, or produce misleading content is strictly prohibited.

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript.

Example disclosure statement:

“During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI) for language editing and grammar improvement. The authors reviewed and edited the output and take full responsibility for the content of this publication.”

  1. Scientific Images and Data Integrity

Manipulation of scientific images, spectra, graphs, or microscopy results in a misleading manner is considered unethical.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • Fabrication or generation of fake scientific images or data
    • Selective enhancement that alters scientific interpretation
    • Undisclosed image splicing or duplication
    • AI-generated microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction, or experimental results presented as genuine data

Minor adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable only if they do not affect scientific interpretation and are applied uniformly.

The journal may request original raw data, uncropped images, simulation input files, or experimental records for verification.

  1. Data Availability and Reproducibility

Authors are encouraged to provide sufficient experimental and computational details to allow reproducibility of the work.

For computational studies, authors should provide relevant simulation parameters when appropriate, including:

  • Computational methods
    • Force fields
    • Exchange-correlation functionals
    • Basis sets
    • Pseudopotentials
    • Simulation conditions
    • Software versions

Authors may also provide supplementary files, datasets, scripts, or input files to improve transparency and reproducibility.

  1. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

  • Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.
    • Review manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively.
    • Avoid personal criticism of authors.
    • Inform the editors of any conflicts of interest.
    • Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.

Reviewers must not:

  • Use unpublished information for personal advantage.
    • Share manuscripts with others without permission.
    • Upload confidential manuscripts to public AI tools or external platforms.

The use of AI tools by reviewers must not compromise manuscript confidentiality.

  1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making editorial decisions fairly and objectively.
    • Evaluating manuscripts solely on scientific merit.
    • Maintaining confidentiality throughout the review process.
    • Avoiding conflicts of interest.
    • Ensuring the integrity of the peer review process.

Editors shall not use generative AI tools to make editorial decisions or disclose confidential manuscript contents to external AI systems.

  1. Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

JMMM does not tolerate:

  • Plagiarism
    • Self-plagiarism
    • Data fabrication or falsification
    • Duplicate publication
    • Citation manipulation
    • Fake peer review
    • Paper mill submissions
    • Authorship manipulation

Submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software and other research integrity assessment methods.

  1. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence the evaluation or interpretation of the work.

Examples include:

  • Research funding
    • Industrial sponsorship
    • Employment relationships
    • Consulting activities
    • Personal or academic competition
  1. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal will take appropriate action when ethical concerns arise.

Depending on the severity of the issue, actions may include:

  • Publication of corrections or errata
    • Publication of corrigenda
    • Expressions of concern
    • Retraction of published articles

Retractions may occur in cases involving major errors, fabricated data, plagiarism, unethical research practices, or unreliable findings.

  1. Ethical Oversight

Research involving humans or animals must comply with relevant institutional and international ethical standards.

Authors must provide:

  • Ethical approval information
    • Institutional review board (IRB) approval when applicable
    • Informed consent statements where necessary
  1. COPE Compliance

JMMM follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and research integrity.

For more information, please visit:
https://publicationethics.org