International Journal of Automation and Digital Transformation (IJADT)

Preamble

The International Journal of Automation and Digital Transformation (IJADT) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing throughout the scholarly communication process.

These policies govern the conduct of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher involved in the editorial and publication process.

IJADT publishes interdisciplinary research in:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Robotics and Automation
• Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing
• Digital Transformation in organizations and governments
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems
• Data Analytics and Intelligent Systems
• Digital governance and smart cities

The journal aligns with internationally recognized standards including:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices
• Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Principles of Transparency
• Best practices in open science and research reproducibility

All participants in the publication process are expected to fully adhere to these ethical policies.

1. Editors’ Responsibilities

1.1 Editorial Decision-Making

Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication in IJADT.

Editorial decisions are based solely on:

• Academic merit
• Relevance to the journal’s scope
• Methodological rigor
• Originality and contribution to the field
• Ethical compliance

Editors must ensure that manuscripts are evaluated without discrimination based on nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or political perspective.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist, including collaboration with the authors within the previous three years.

1.2 Peer Review Oversight

IJADT follows a double-blind peer review system.

Editors are responsible for:

• Assigning at least two expert reviewers
• Ensuring relevant expertise
• Monitoring review timelines
• Ensuring fair, unbiased evaluation

Editorial decisions include:

• Accept
• Minor revision
• Major revision
• Reject

Decisions are based on reviewer feedback and editorial judgment, not solely reviewer scoring.

1.3 Integrity and Screening

Before peer review, submissions undergo:

• Plagiarism detection (e.g., iThenticate)
• Data availability verification
• Ethics approval checks
• Reference formatting verification
• AI misuse screening

Manuscripts may be:

• Returned for correction
• Desk rejected
• Investigated for misconduct

1.4 Post-Publication Corrections

Editors are responsible for issuing:

• Corrections
• Expressions of concern
• Retractions

All actions follow COPE guidelines and remain permanently linked to the original publication.

2. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

2.1 Expertise and Timeliness

• Possess relevant expertise
• Complete reviews within 21 days

If unable to meet deadlines, reviewers must notify the editorial office.

2.2 Review Quality

Feedback must address:

• Originality
• Methodological rigor
• Validity of results
• Technical contribution
• Relevance to the field

2.3 Confidentiality

• Do not share manuscripts
• Do not use unpublished data
• Maintain anonymity

2.4 Conflict of Interest

• Recent collaboration
• Institutional affiliation
• Personal relationships
• Competitive interests

2.5 Ethical Concerns

Report issues such as:

• Data fabrication
• Plagiarism
• Duplicate submission
• Authorship issues

3. Authors’ Responsibilities

3.1 Originality and Submission

• Manuscript must be original
• Not previously published
• Not under review elsewhere

3.2 Authorship

Authors must contribute significantly. Roles include:

• Conceptualization
• Methodology
• Data analysis
• Software
• Writing
• Supervision

Guest and ghost authorship are prohibited. ORCID iD is required.

3.3 Conflict of Interest

• Funding sources
• Affiliations
• Financial/non-financial conflicts

3.4 Data Availability

Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement and are encouraged to use:

• Zenodo
• OSF
• Harvard Dataverse
• GitHub

3.5 Third-Party Materials

• Figures
• Tables
• Datasets
• Scales/instruments

3.6 Post-Publication

Authors must report errors and cooperate with correction or retraction procedures.

4. Publisher Responsibilities

4.1 Editorial Independence

The publisher guarantees complete editorial independence. Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit and ethical standards.

4.2 Archiving and Preservation

IJADT ensures long-term preservation through:

• DOI registration via Crossref
• Archiving in systems such as CLOCKSS or LOCKSS
• Metadata registration (ORCID, funder information)

4.3 Transparency

The journal publishes editorial performance metrics such as:

• Average time to first decision
• Acceptance rates
• Time from acceptance to publication
• Annual corrections or retractions

5. Misconduct Handling and Appeals

5.1 Reporting Concerns

Suspected misconduct should be reported to the journal’s editorial office with supporting evidence.

5.2 Investigation Process

All allegations follow a COPE-aligned process:

Stage 1 – Initial Assessment

The editorial office reviews the allegation within 48 hours.

Stage 2 – Investigation

Editors review documentation and may contact authors or institutions.

Stage 3 – Outcome

Possible outcomes include:

• No action
• Correction
• Expression of concern
• Retraction

5.3 Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions within 30 days of notification. Appeals must include clear justification and supporting evidence.

6. Generative AI Tools Policy

6.1 Policy Principles

IJADT recognizes the growing role of AI tools in research workflows but requires transparent and responsible use.

6.2 AI Cannot Be an Author

AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot cannot be listed as authors. Only humans can assume responsibility for scholarly work.

6.3 Permitted Uses

Limited uses include:

• Language editing
• Grammar correction
• Translation assistance
• Literature discovery
• Code formatting

Authors remain fully responsible for the content.

6.4 Prohibited Uses

• AI-generated research content
• AI-generated data or results
• Fabricated references
• Undisclosed AI use
• AI-assisted peer review

6.5 AI Disclosure Statement

If AI is used:

If no AI is used:

6.6 Editorial Screening

IJADT may use AI detection tools during pre-review checks. Unusual patterns may require author clarification.

6.7 Reviewer Restrictions

Reviewers must not upload manuscripts to AI systems, as this violates confidentiality.

6.8 Policy Updates

AI-related policies will be reviewed annually to reflect evolving standards in scholarly publishing.