Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Resilient Civil Infrastructure Systems (RCIS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity.

The journal upholds principles of transparency, accountability, and scientific rigor in all stages of submission, review, and publication.

 

1. Editorial Responsibility

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for:

  • Ensuring fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review
  • Making decisions based solely on scientific merit
  • Maintaining editorial independence from the publisher
  • Preventing conflicts of interest
  • Safeguarding research integrity

Editorial decisions are not influenced by institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, or funding source.

 

2. Peer Review Integrity

RCIS operates a double-blind peer review process.

  • At least two independent reviewers evaluate each manuscript.
  • Reviewers must provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based assessments.
  • Confidentiality of submissions is strictly maintained.
  • Editors do not disclose reviewer identities.

 

3. Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure that:

  • The manuscript is original and not previously published.
  • The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
  • All authors have made significant scholarly contributions.
  • Data are accurately presented without fabrication or manipulation.
  • Proper citations are provided for all referenced work.
  • Conflicts of interest are disclosed.

Authors must provide a Data Availability Statement where applicable.

 

4. Authorship Criteria

Authorship is limited to individuals who have:

  • Substantially contributed to conception, design, analysis, or interpretation
  • Drafted or critically revised the manuscript
  • Approved the final version
  • Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Guest, honorary, or ghost authorship is not permitted.

 

5. Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial leadership are handled independently by designated Associate Editors to ensure impartiality.

 

6. Research Misconduct

RCIS does not tolerate:

  • Plagiarism
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Image manipulation
  • Duplicate publication
  • Salami publication
  • Citation manipulation

Allegations of misconduct will be investigated following established ethical procedures.

If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include:

  • Rejection of manuscript
  • Retraction of published article
  • Notification to affiliated institutions

 

7. Corrections and Retractions

RCIS may issue:

  • Corrections (Errata) for minor errors
  • Retractions for serious ethical violations
  • Editorial notes where clarification is required

All corrections and retractions will be clearly linked to the original article.

 

8. Ethical Research Standards

Research involving human participants, surveys, or identifiable data must comply with institutional ethical approval requirements.

Authors must confirm ethical compliance where applicable.

 

9. Publisher Responsibility

Axioground, as the publisher, supports ethical scholarly communication but does not interfere with editorial decisions.

The publisher ensures transparency, integrity, and responsible dissemination of research.

 

10. Commitment to Integrity

RCIS is dedicated to:

  • Scientific rigor
  • Transparent editorial processes
  • Ethical peer review
  • Responsible knowledge dissemination