Author Responsibilities and Ethics

1. Authorship Principles

Definition of Authorship

These guidelines outline the principles of authorship and encourage ethical practices that prospective authors are expected to follow when submitting their work to the NIET Journal of Engineering and Technology (NJET).

Authorship Clarification

All listed authors must have agreed to the manuscript’s content, provided explicit consent for submission, and obtained any necessary institutional or organizational approvals prior to submission.

While NJET does not prescribe specific types of contributions that merit authorship, it encourages adherence to the commonly accepted standards in each discipline. In the absence of specific disciplinary guidelines, authors are advised to follow the criteria outlined below:

• Have made significant contributions to the conception or design of the study; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; or the development of software used in the research;
• Have participated in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content;
• Have approved the final version of the manuscript for publication; and
• Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any issues related to accuracy or integrity are properly investigated and resolved.

NJET encourages collaboration with local researchers at the institutions or locations where the research is conducted and supports their inclusion as co-authors, provided they meet the above authorship criteria. Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet all authorship criteria should be appropriately acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section.

2. Disclosures and Declarations

All authors must provide complete disclosure regarding:

• Sources of funding (financial or non-financial),
• Any potential conflicts of interest,
• Approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving human or animal subjects,
• Informed consent from human participants (where applicable),
• A statement on animal welfare if animals were involved in the research.

These disclosures ensure transparency and are essential regardless of the journal’s scope, especially when the work has potential implications for public health or societal welfare. It is the collective responsibility of the authors to ensure all relevant ethical information is accurately disclosed at the time of submission.

3. Data Transparency

Authors must ensure that all data, materials, software applications, and custom code used in the study are available and reproducible to support the findings presented. Compliance with data-sharing norms in the respective discipline is expected. Please refer to the Instructions for Authors for specific data-sharing policies of NJET.

4. Corresponding Author Responsibilities

One author must be designated as the Corresponding Author, who will:

• Ensure that all authors have approved the manuscript and author order prior to submission,
• Manage all correspondence between the journal and co-authors before and after publication,
• Disclose any re-used or unpublished material (e.g., manuscripts in press) in the cover letter,
• Guarantee inclusion of all disclosures, declarations, and data transparency statements in the manuscript.

Note: Communication duties during submission or proofreading can be delegated to a submitting/contact author, but the Corresponding Author must still be clearly identified in the manuscript.

5. Author Contributions

NJET encourages transparency in author roles. A detailed Author Contributions Statement should be included in the manuscript, specifying each author’s role. These may include contributions to conceptualization, methodology, analysis, drafting, revision, supervision, or funding acquisition.

The journal also permits the inclusion of:

• Authors who contributed equally to be marked as such, and
• Co-authors who jointly supervised the work.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section.

6. Affiliation Policy

The primary affiliation listed for each author should be the institution where the majority of the research was conducted. If an author has since moved, a current address may also be provided. Please note: affiliations cannot be changed after publication.

7. Changes to Authorship

Authors must confirm the final author list, order, and designation of the Corresponding Author at the time of submission.

• Changes to authorship (adding, removing, or reordering authors) after submission must be approved by all listed authors, with a valid explanation.
• Changes are not allowed after acceptance unless under exceptional circumstances and with approval of the Editor-in-Chief.
• Revisions involving new authorship requests are at the discretion of the journal’s editorial board.

8. Author Name Changes

NJET supports inclusive name change policies. Authors who have changed their names (e.g., due to gender transition, marriage, or personal reasons) may request an update to their name and biographical information on previously published works. This can be done:

• Silently, with no public note or flag in the article, or
• Through a formal Author Correction, as preferred by the author.

Authors should contact the editorial office to initiate this request.

9. Author Identification

Authors are strongly encouraged to register and include their ORCID iD during submission. ORCID helps uniquely identify authors and enhances discoverability and attribution.

10. Deceased or Incapacitated Authors

If a co-author passes away or becomes incapacitated during the writing, submission, or peer-review process, they may still be included as an author. The corresponding author must obtain consent from a legal representative or next of kin.

11. Confidentiality

All communications between the journal and authors must be treated as confidential. This includes correspondence with editors, reviewers’ reports, and editorial decisions. Authors must not disclose or distribute these communications without prior written consent.

12. Authorship Disputes

NJET does not mediate authorship disputes during or after publication. In case of a dispute, the authors are expected to resolve the matter independently. If unresolved, the journal reserves the right to:

• Withdraw the manuscript from the review process, or
• Refer the matter to the relevant institution(s) for investigation and follow their recommendations.