Ethical Principles

Multidisciplinary Engineering Science Open (MESO) is committed to the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. This Publication Ethics policy outlines the responsibilities and expected conduct of authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher (Darzin International Company, Oman) across the entire lifecycle of a manuscript—from submission and peer review to publication, post-publication updates, and archiving. Our practices are aligned with widely recognized international norms (e.g., COPE’s principles and flowcharts, ICMJE authorship criteria, data transparency and research integrity frameworks) and adapted to the journal’s double-blind peer-review model with two or three independent reviewers per article.

1) Editorial Principles and Governance

1.1 Editorial Independence

Editors exercise full independence in editorial decision-making. Decisions are based solely on the manuscript’s scholarly merit, methodological rigor, originality, clarity, and fit with MESO’s scope—regardless of authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, seniority, gender identity, or personal beliefs. Commercial factors (including APCs, advertising, sponsorships) do not influence editorial decisions.

1.2 Fairness and Non-Discrimination

The journal promotes equitable treatment of all participants in the publishing process. We encourage inclusive, respectful scholarship that avoids discriminatory language and acknowledges diverse contributions and perspectives.

1.3 Transparency of Processes

MESO’s processes—editorial screening, double-blind peer review with 2–3 reviewers, revision cycles, acceptance criteria, production workflows, and post-publication practices—are documented publicly on the journal website. Any substantive changes to processes or policies are announced and timestamped.

2) Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

2.1 Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the conception/design; data acquisition; data analysis/interpretation; drafting or critical revision of the manuscript; and final approval of the version to be published. All authors share responsibility for the integrity of the work.

  • Contributor Roles: Authors must specify each contributor’s role (e.g., conceptualization, methodology, software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, resources, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review & editing, visualization, supervision, project administration, funding acquisition).

  • Acknowledgments: Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.

  • Authorship Changes: Any addition, removal, or order change requires written consent from all listed authors and a rationale. Requests after acceptance are exceptional and require formal justification.

2.2 Originality, Redundancy, and Simultaneous Submission

Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. The following are prohibited:

  • Redundant/Slice (“salami”) publication: Partitioning one study into multiple papers without clear justification.

  • Duplicate publication: Republishing the same findings/text/figures substantially.

  • Simultaneous submission: Submission to multiple journals concurrently.
    Translations of published work require explicit disclosure, permissions, and clear citation of the original.

2.3 Plagiarism and Text Recycling

MESO screens all submissions with iThenticate. Unattributed copying, close paraphrasing without citation, figure/table reuse without permission, and self-plagiarism beyond acceptable text recycling (e.g., methods) are violations. Excessive similarity or undisclosed reuse will lead to rejection or retraction.

2.4 Data Integrity, Fabrication, and Falsification

Data must be accurate, complete, and honestly reported. Fabrication (inventing data), falsification (manipulating data, images, or results), and selective reporting that misleads are serious misconduct. Authors must retain raw data and analysis scripts for a minimum of 5 years after publication (unless legal/ethical constraints apply) and provide them upon request during editorial investigations.

2.5 Image and Figure Integrity

Images (e.g., microscopy, gels, CAD/model outputs, simulations) must represent the data faithfully. Acceptable adjustments include uniform brightness/contrast applied to the whole image without obscuring or exaggerating features. Splicing, duplication, deletion, or enhancement that alters meaning is prohibited. Original, timestamped image files may be requested.

2.6 Data Availability and Reproducibility

Authors should provide a Data Availability Statement describing where data, code, and materials can be accessed (e.g., institutional repository, domain repository). When data cannot be shared (privacy, contractual, national security), authors must explain restrictions and provide metadata, protocols, and derived results sufficient to enable verification.

2.7 Human and Animal Research Ethics

Studies involving humans, human data, or biological samples must:

  • Have prior approval from a recognized ethics committee/IRB.

  • Obtain informed consent (and assent/guardian consent for minors).

  • Protect privacy and confidentiality (de-identification, secure storage).
    Clinical trials should be prospectively registered in an appropriate registry.
    Animal research must follow humane care standards and approved protocols, with efforts to Replace, Reduce, and Refine the use of animals.

2.8 Privacy, Confidentiality, and Consent to Publish

For identifiable personal data (e.g., images, case details), authors must obtain written consent to publish. Confidential or proprietary data used under non-disclosure must be handled as agreed and not disclosed without permission.

2.9 Conflicts of Interest and Funding

Authors must declare all competing interests (financial relationships, advisory roles, stock ownership, patents, paid expert testimony, or non-financial influences) that could be perceived to affect the work.
Funding sources and their role in study design, data collection/analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation must be disclosed.

2.10 Use of Generative AI Tools

Authors must disclose any use of AI tools (text generation, image generation, code assistance, translation) and remain fully responsible for content accuracy, originality, permissions, and ethical compliance. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Generated content must not include fabricated references or infringe third-party rights. Where applicable, authors should provide prompts and parameters in the methods or acknowledgments.

2.11 Citation Integrity

Citations should be accurate, relevant, and proportionate. Undue self-citation, citation stacking, or citation manipulation to inflate metrics is unethical. Authors should cite primary sources and avoid adding irrelevant references at the request of any party.

3) Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

3.1 Assessment and Triage

Editors screen submissions for scope fit, originality (iThenticate), methodological soundness, and ethical compliance. Manuscripts that fail essential criteria may be rejected without external review, with constructive feedback where feasible.

3.2 Managing Peer Review

Editors select independent, qualified reviewers and ensure double-blind conditions. Editors must avoid conflicts of interest with authors or topics; where unavoidable, editorial handling is reassigned. Editors protect reviewer anonymity and treat all materials as confidential.

3.3 Handling Conflicts, Appeals, and Complaints

Editors evaluate declared conflicts of interest and manage undisclosed conflicts that emerge. Authors may appeal editorial decisions with a reasoned letter; appeals are considered by an independent editor or the Editor-in-Chief. Ethical complaints (e.g., plagiarism, data issues) trigger formal review per Section 6.

3.4 Editorial Integrity and Corrections

Editors ensure timely, transparent issuance of corrigenda, errata, expressions of concern, or retractions (Section 7) when needed. They resist inappropriate influence from sponsors, institutions, or other third parties.

4) Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

4.1 Competence, Objectivity, and Timeliness

Reviewers accept assignments only within their expertise and disclose any conflicts of interest (financial, collaborative, competitive, personal). Reviews should be objective, evidence-based, and constructive, delivered within agreed timelines or promptly declined when unavailable.

4.2 Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers must not share, store, or use content for personal advantage or to disadvantage others. They must not attempt to identify authors or breach the double-blind process.

4.3 Ethical Vigilance

Reviewers should alert editors to suspected plagiarism, redundant publication, image manipulation, data anomalies, or undisclosed conflicts. Reviewers must not request author citations to their own work unless genuinely relevant.

5) Publisher’s Responsibilities (Darzin International Company, Oman)

The publisher safeguards editorial independence; ensures robust digital infrastructure, long-term archiving on the journal website and approved repositories; maintains transparency about APCs (10 OMR) and licensing (CC BY-NC 4.0); and supports investigations into ethical concerns. Commercial interests do not override ethical commitments.

6) Allegations of Misconduct and Investigations

6.1 Scope of Misconduct

Includes (but is not limited to): plagiarism, redundant/duplicate publication, data fabrication/falsification, unethical image manipulation, undisclosed conflicts, authorship fraud, peer-review manipulation, breach of confidentiality, failure to obtain ethics approval/consent, and citation manipulation.

6.2 Intake and Preliminary Assessment

Allegations may be raised by readers, reviewers, editors, or whistleblowers (anonymous reports are considered if supported by evidence). The Editor-in-Chief assigns an ethics editor to conduct a preliminary review (e.g., re-screening with iThenticate, image forensics, data requests).

6.3 Formal Investigation

If concerns persist, MESO may:

  • Request raw data, lab notebooks, images, and analysis code;

  • Contact authors’ institutions or funders;

  • Seek independent methodological review;

  • Temporarily hold editorial decisions and, where applicable, publish an Expression of Concern.

6.4 Outcomes and Sanctions

Outcomes range from no action to correction, rejection, retraction, or multi-year submission bans. In severe cases, MESO may notify employers, funders, and relevant authorities. All actions are proportionate to evidence and intent.

7) Post-Publication Updates: Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

7.1 Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda)

Issued for honest errors that do not invalidate the core findings. Corrections are linked bidirectionally with the Version of Record.

7.2 Expressions of Concern

Published when credible questions arise but conclusions are pending (e.g., institutional investigation). The notice explains the issue at a high level without compromising ongoing inquiries.

7.3 Retractions

Issued for unreliable findings (fabrication/falsification/major error), plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical research. Retraction notices are transparent, state reasons, and remain linked to the original article, which is watermarked “Retracted” but kept accessible for the scholarly record.

7.4 Article Replacement

In rare cases of honest pervasive error with correctable data, a replacement version may be published with a detailed notice, preserving the record of changes.

8) Data, Materials, and Code Sharing

  • Availability: Authors should deposit datasets, code, and key materials in stable repositories.

  • Licensing: Non-commercial reuse terms should not conflict with the article’s CC BY-NC 4.0 license; third-party data/software with incompatible licenses must be clearly labeled.

  • Replication: Provide enough methodological detail (including parameters, pre-processing, and random seeds) to enable replication.

  • Security & Privacy: Sensitive data should be de-identified and shared under controlled access where necessary.

9) Preprints, Prior Dissemination, and Conference Papers

MESO allows submission of manuscripts previously shared as preprints or presented at academic conferences, provided this is disclosed on submission. Authors must update preprint records with the DOI and link to the Version of Record upon publication. Substantive overlap with a published conference paper must be justified; overlapping text/figures must be properly cited.

10) Third-Party Content and Intellectual Property

Authors must secure permissions for third-party figures, tables, datasets, software, or proprietary protocols. All trademarks and copyrighted elements should be properly attributed. The article’s CC BY-NC 4.0 license applies only to content for which the authors hold rights; third-party materials may carry different terms that must be stated in captions or a permissions section.

11) Ethical Use of Metrics, Advertising, and Sponsorship

MESO rejects any practice that manipulates metrics (citation cartels, coercive citations). Advertising or sponsorship, if present, is clearly separated from editorial content and does not influence editorial decisions. Sponsored supplements (if any) undergo the same rigorous peer review and ethical scrutiny as regular content.

12) Inclusive, Responsible Reporting

  • Methodological Transparency: Report full protocols, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and limitations.

  • Risk and Safety: For engineering experiments, disclose safety protocols, hazard assessments, and compliance with standards.

  • Negative/Null Results: MESO welcomes well-designed studies reporting negative or null findings to reduce publication bias.

  • Terminology and Units: Use internationally recognized units and unambiguous terminology.

  • Sustainability and Societal Impact: Where relevant, discuss environmental and societal implications of engineering solutions.

13) Confidentiality and Data Protection

Editorial and review communications, reviewer identities, and unpublished manuscript content are confidential. Personal data are processed in compliance with applicable data-protection laws. Requests to access or delete personal data are honored as permitted by law and publishing obligations.

14) Appeals, Complaints, and Whistleblowing

Authors may appeal editorial decisions with a reasoned, evidence-based response, which is reviewed by an uninvolved senior editor. Complaints about editorial conduct, peer review, or ethical breaches can be submitted via the journal’s contact channels. MESO safeguards whistleblowers’ confidentiality and handles complaints impartially and promptly.

15) Sanctions and Remedial Actions

MESO may impose proportionate sanctions for ethical violations, including manuscript rejection, publication bans (time-limited), notices to institutions/funders, and—where applicable—retractions. Remedial actions (e.g., training recommendations, data corrections) may be proposed for unintentional errors.

16) Policy on Salary- or Vendor-Funded Analyses and Research Sponsorship

Industry-funded or vendor-supported work must explicitly disclose the sponsor’s role in study design, data collection/analysis, and manuscript preparation. MESO may require independent statistical review or data auditing for high-risk conflicts. Authors must have full control over data and the decision to publish.

17) Responsible Use of AI, Simulations, and Computational Models

For AI/ML, numerical simulations, and code-driven research:

  • Report datasets, pre-processing, algorithm choices, hyperparameters, computational resources, and evaluation metrics.

  • Disclose potential biases, validation methods, uncertainty quantification, and limitations.

  • Provide model/code access where feasible or sufficient pseudocode and configuration details to reproduce results.

  • Avoid synthetic data or generated figures that could be mistaken for empirical measurements without explicit labeling.

18) Education and Continuous Improvement

MESO provides guidance and resources (e.g., checklists for ethics, data sharing, image integrity) to help authors and reviewers meet these standards. Editorial policies are periodically reviewed and updated to reflect evolving best practices.

19) How This Policy Interacts with Other Journal Policies

This Publication Ethics policy complements and should be read together with:

  • Author Guidelines (formatting, reporting standards).

  • Peer-Review Process (double-blind review with 2–3 reviewers).

  • Open Access Statement and Copyright & License (CC BY-NC 4.0; authors retain copyright).

  • Plagiarism Policy (iThenticate screening).

  • Archiving and Self-Archiving Policy (journal website and permitted repositories).
    In the event of any conflict, the stricter ethical standard applies.

20) Contact and Reporting

Questions about this policy, disclosures, corrections, or suspected ethical issues can be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief via the journal’s official contact page. Submissions of concerns should include specific details (manuscript ID/DOI, description of the issue, supporting evidence).