Editorial Procedure
The editorial workflow at Emerging Trends in Engineering and Sustainability (ETES) is designed to ensure that all submissions are evaluated fairly, promptly, and in accordance with rigorous academic standards. Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes a structured review and decision-making process managed by the editorial team.
Manuscripts are first assigned to the Managing Editor or an appropriate Associate Editor for an initial assessment. This evaluation determines whether the submission aligns with the journal’s thematic scope, quality expectations, and formatting requirements. Submissions that meet these criteria proceed to double-blind peer review, where the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential to preserve the integrity and impartiality of the process.
Editorial decisions are typically based on the consensus of at least two independent reviewers, alongside the professional judgment of the assigned editor.
Summary of the Editorial Process
- Manuscript Submission: Authors submit their manuscripts through the journal’s online system. The Editorial Office conducts an initial quality check to verify that the submission meets formatting and structural guidelines.
- Manuscript Assignment: Submissions are assigned a unique tracking number and forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief or an Associate Editor for preliminary editorial evaluation. Manuscripts that do not meet journal standards may be declined at this stage, with the decision and rationale communicated to the author.
- Peer Review Coordination: If deemed suitable for review, the editor assigns the manuscript to qualified peer reviewers with relevant subject expertise. The selection and invitation process may take time depending on reviewer availability.
- Review Period: Reviewers are given 14 days from the date of acceptance to complete and submit their evaluations. Once sufficient reviews are received, the Section Editor or Editor-in-Chief synthesizes the feedback and issues a decision—acceptance, revision, or rejection.
- Double-Blind Review Policy: ETES adheres to a double-blind peer review To maintain anonymity, authors must ensure that:
- All identifying information (e.g., names, affiliations) is excluded from the manuscript text and supplementary files.
- A separate Title Page is submitted, containing the manuscript title, full author details, institutional affiliations, and corresponding author contact information.
- Any acknowledgements, conflict of interest statements, or funding disclosures must be placed on the Title Page.
- Self-citations should be phrased in a neutral way that does not reveal the authors' identity.
This robust editorial process reflects ETES’s commitment to academic transparency, quality assurance, and the equitable treatment of all submissions. It ensures that manuscripts are judged solely on their scholarly merit and relevance to the journal's mission.
Editorial Responsibility and Integrity
- Responsibility
Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic integrity, transparency, and reputation of the Emerging Trends in Engineering and Sustainability (ETES). They must ensure that all published content meets the highest standards of scientific quality and ethical conduct.
- Manuscript Evaluation
- Editors must assess manuscripts solely on academic merit, relevance to the journal's scope, originality, and scientific rigor.
- Decisions must not be influenced by the authors’ nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, race, or personal beliefs.
- Fair and Impartial Peer Review
- Editors oversee the double-blind peer-review process, ensuring that it is fair, timely, and confidential.
- They must select qualified, unbiased reviewers and ensure their feedback is constructive and respectful.
- Editors must protect the anonymity of both authors and reviewers (in double-blind systems).
- Confidentiality
Editors must treat all manuscript content and review reports as confidential. Information may not be shared outside the editorial and review process without written permission from the author.
- Conflict of Interest [below more details for Competing Interests]
- Editors must disclose and avoid handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists (e.g., personal, academic, or financial relationships with authors).
- In such cases, another editor should be assigned to manage the manuscript.
- Ethical Oversight
- Editors are responsible for identifying and responding to ethical issues, including plagiarism, data fabrication, image manipulation, and unethical research practices.
- Suspected misconduct must be investigated confidentially and transparently, in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
- Decision-Making
- Final decisions (acceptance, rejection, request for revision) must be based on reviewer feedback, manuscript quality, and relevance.
- Editors should clearly communicate decisions to authors, including justifications and any necessary revision instructions.
- Timeliness and Efficiency
- Editors should strive for efficient manuscript handling, minimizing delays during review, revision, and publication.
- Authors and reviewers should be regularly updated about the status of submissions.
- Post-Publication Responsibilities
- Editors must respond to post-publication issues (e.g., requests for corrections, retractions, or clarifications) and initiate investigations where necessary.
- If errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, appropriate actions (e.g., erratum, corrigendum, retraction) must be taken transparently.
- Promoting Academic Diversity
Editors should encourage submissions from a diverse group of scholars, including early-career researchers and underrepresented communities, promoting inclusion and academic equity.
- Collaboration with the Publisher
Editors must work closely with the publisher, Al-Naji University, to ensure alignment with the journal’s mission, publishing standards, and legal obligations.
These guidelines align with best practices recommended by COPE, ICMJE, and other international bodies, ensuring that ETES maintains a high standard of editorial and ethical excellence.
Competing Interests
To uphold the highest standards of editorial integrity and transparency, all Editorial Board Members and Editors of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Sustainability (ETES) are required to formally disclose any competing interests that could potentially influence their editorial judgment. If a conflict of interest is identified, they must refrain from participating in the peer review or editorial decision-making process for the affected manuscript.
Competing interests may include, but are not limited to, prior co-authorship with any of the submitting authors, current or recent affiliation with the same institution, or any personal, financial, or professional relationship that may compromise impartiality. When an Editor or Editorial Board Member is listed as an author on a submitted manuscript, this must be explicitly declared in the "Competing Interests" section of the manuscript. In such cases, an independent Editor or Board Member with no conflict will be assigned to oversee the peer review process to ensure objectivity and fairness.
Manuscripts submitted by Editorial Board Members are subject to the same rigorous double-blind peer review procedures as all other submissions. Editorial status does not confer any advantage or priority in the review or publication process.