ETHICS IN PUBLISHING OF PAPERS IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM "METROLOGY AND METROLOGY ASSURANCE"

The International Programme Committee, which additionally performs the function of an Editorial Board of the Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium "Metrology and Metrological Assurance" completely supports and will apply the principles of Elsevier and the rules of the Committee on Publication Ethics – COPE2. In its work on the admission, review and publication of the submitted scientific reports it will monitor the compliance with copyright and prevent cases of plagiarism.

DUTIES OF AUTHORS

Reporting standards

Authors must submit papers for publication with original and current scientific, applied scientific or applied research. Reports should accurately reflect the underlying data and research carried out and should objectively present their discussion, interpretation and significance. The reports must contain sufficient information, details and references that allow all interested parties to use and quote them accurately. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unacceptable and constitute unethical behavior.

Data Access and Retention

Authors, if necessary, must be able to provide primary data and formulations of their research for editorial review or provide public access to them. They should preserve all data for a certain period of time (at least 1 year) after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors should publish in their reports original research and results obtained personally by them. If results and/or phrases of other authors are used, they should be cited in the reports correctly and in sufficient detail. Misappropriation of someone else’s scientific achievements, the infringement of someone else’s copyright, copying, rephrasing of parts from another publication, the announcement of results and ideas from someone else’s studies as someone’s own are considered plagiarism and are not allowed. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple Publications

Authors must present a particular research and the results obtained from it in a single report. It is unacceptable to present the results of the same study in other reports, and also to submit the same manuscript in other symposiums, conferences and scientific events. The repeated publication of the same report constitutes unethical behavior.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors should cite in their reports fully and fairly all sources (books, publications, patents, etc.) used in any way during the research process and the obtaining of results. Information obtained privately in conversation, correspondence or discussion with third parties should not be used or included in the reports without expressed written permission from the source. Omission of reference to the sources constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship of the reports is to be recognized only to those researchers who have made significant contributions to the concept, implementation, obtaining and processing of the results of the research published. All those who have contributed to different phases of the research should be listed as co-authors. The respective author(s) and all co-authors should have seen and approved the final version of the report and have agreed to its submission for publication. It is unacceptable to present results of joint research as individual works. Failure to respect the authorship of the report constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

If the research involves the use of human or animal subjects, the author must ensure compliance with the relevant legal and institutional requirements for safety. If the research involves the use of chemicals, procedures or equipment that has any hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript. If any tests are carried out on human subjects, the authors should include in the report a statement that they have obtained informed consent, if there is any experimentation on human subjects. The privacy rights of the people must always be observed. Exposure to hazards of human and/or animal subjects in the research conducted constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.

Fundamental Errors in Submitted and Published Works

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his submitted report, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the International Programme Committee and with his cooperation to retract or correct the report. If a third party informs that a published work contains a significant error, the author is obliged to immediately retract or correct the report or to provide evidence to the International Programme Committee for the correctness of the original report. Uncorrected mistakes in the reports constitute unethical behavior.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

In their reports all authors should disclose any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that could be construed to influence the conducted research and results. All sources of financial and/or institutional support for this research should be disclosed. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible. The presence and non-disclosure of a conflict of interest constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

DUTIES OF REVIEWER

Competence and Promptness

The reviewers of the submitted reports have to be determined by the International Programme Committee, according to the thematic topics of the reports, and the competence and qualifications of each reviewer. Any selected reviewer who feels incompetent or not qualified to review the research submitted in the report or cannot quickly evaluate it must notify the International Programme Committee in the shortest time and excuse himself from the peer review process. The time limit for review must be respected by all reviewers.

Confidentiality

Any manuscripts provided to the reviewers for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to, presented to and discussed with other parties except the ones authorized by the International Programme Committee.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviewers must be objective and give an impartial assessment of the reviewed reports. They should express their standpoint and opinion sufficiently clearly and completely, and with substantial objective arguments. Personal, unobjective and biased criticism of the author(s) is considered inappropriate and unethical.

Acknowledgement of Source

The reviewers must observe if any reference to the sources of information or an argument in the peer reviewed report is accompanied by appropriate citation. They must inform the author(s) of any similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under consideration and other publications of which they have personal knowledge. Reviewers should identify all forms of plagiarism and relevant published work and results that have not been cited by the authors.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials contained in the report submitted for review should not be used by the reviewer as or for the purposes of their own research without expressed written consent of the author. Confidential information or ideas obtained in the process of peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal purposes and benefit. Reviewers must not reviewe reports that have conflicts of interests related to competitive and other relationships with any of the authors or institutions related to the research reported in the reviewed reports.

DUTIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME COMMITTEE

Publication Decision

The publication of the report in the Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium "Metrology and Metrological Assurance" takes place after the following mandatory activities and established facts - determining of the reviewer, a peer manuscript review, a positive assessment based on the relevant criteria, discussion and a collective decision of the International Programme Committee. Thus it is ensured that the reports published in the Proceedings are up-to-date, and have the relevant quality and scientific level. The aim is to meet the requirements for ethical behavior expected of all parties involved in the publication – the author, the reviewer, the editor and the society.

Fair Play

The papers are evaluated based on their intellectual content regardless to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship or political beliefs of the authors. The assessment of the reviewed report is based on objective criteria that has been adopted and announced. The evaluation of the peer reviewed report should be objective and substantiated. In case of biased and unsubstantiated assessment, the International Programme Committee may assign another reviewer to re-review the submitted report.

Confidentiality

Each member of the International Programme Committee must observe professional secrecy and must not disclose any information about any specific submitted report to none but the corresponding author, the potential reviewers and the publisher, if necessary.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

The materials provided in the submitted reports should not be used by members of the International Programme Committee in their own research without the expressed written consent of the authors. Confidential information or ideas obtained in the process of discussion and decision-making whether to allow the publication in the Proceedings should be kept confidential and not used for personal benefit. The members of the International Programme Committee must require from all participants to disclose any competing interests and publish corrections, in case they are revealed after the publication of the respective report. If necessary, other relevant measures, such as the retraction of a published work or the issuing of a statement, should also be taken.

Involvement and Cooperation in the Investigation of Complaints

If there are complaints of ethical nature (especially plagiarism) related to a submitted manuscript or a published paper, the International Programme Committee, together with the publisher must take appropriate measures. These measures include giving serious consideration of the complaint or claim, contacting the author of the report, and informing the respective institutions, organizations and companies. If the complaint is upheld, the possible actions could be publication of corrections, retraction of the work, issuing of a statement or another action. Any act of unethical behavior (especially plagiarism) related to the publishing should be considered, even if it is established years after the publication of the paper.