Author Guidelines
Ethical Policy of the Future Engineering Journal (FER): The ethical policy of the Future Engineering Journal (FER) is grounded in the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org). Clear ethical standards are fundamental to all participants in the publishing process, including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher. The following statements outline FER’s commitment to these standards.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Journal
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
The Future Engineering Journal (FER) upholds the highest standards of research integrity. We expect authors to conduct research with honesty, accuracy, transparency, and adherence to ethical norms and field-specific best practices. This commitment strengthens the credibility and reliability of published scholarship.FER maintains the editorial team’s complete authority over manuscript decisions. These decisions are based exclusively on academic merit and are free from commercial influence. The journal actively safeguards the integrity of the scholarly record, monitors the ethical conduct of the Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, reviewers, authors, and readers, and routinely screens submissions for plagiarism and data fabrication or falsification.FER is committed to publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies when necessary. We place the highest priority on data privacy and security, strictly adhering to applicable laws and best practices. Sensitive information is protected through robust anonymization, secure handling protocols, and measures designed to prevent unauthorized disclosure, thereby preserving trust among contributors, participants, and readers. The journal continuously improves its processes through transparency, accountability, and incorporation of feedback and evolving best practices. FER promotes inclusivity, equity, and diversity, rejecting all forms of discrimination and bias. We foster an environment that values varied perspectives and experiences.FER supports open-access publishing to enhance global accessibility, collaboration, and knowledge dissemination. We also encourage data sharing and reproducibility: authors are urged to provide raw data for review and, where feasible, make it publicly available to enable validation, replication, and further research. Intellectual property rights and copyright laws are respected. Authors must provide accurate citations, obtain permissions for copyrighted material, and avoid infringement. Editorial independence is paramount; all parties must disclose potential conflicts of interest to maintain objectivity and transparency. Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with ethical standards, including institutional approvals and protections for participant welfare.
Editor Responsibilities
https://publicationethics.org/guidance/guideline/editorial-board-participationThe Editor-in-Chief ensures that section editors and Editorial Board members are prominently listed. FER provides clear submission guidelines, operates an efficient double-blind peer-review system, and treats all authors with fairness, respect, and transparency while protecting the confidentiality of their work. Editorial decisions are communicated promptly and constructively.
Accountability
Editors determine whether to accept or reject manuscripts based on the journal’s policies and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, and plagiarism. They exercise full authority to accept or reject submissions, maintain confidentiality of manuscripts, preserve reviewer anonymity, uphold academic integrity, and address plagiarism or fraudulent data by publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies as needed. Editorial focus remains on intellectual content.
Fairness
Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, independent of authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, citizenship, or political views.
Confidentiality
Editors and staff must not disclose information about submitted manuscripts except to the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher as appropriate.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished material from submitted manuscripts must not be used in an editor’s own research without written consent. Privileged information from peer review must remain confidential. Advertising or commercial revenue does not influence editorial decisions. Editors recuse themselves from manuscripts involving conflicts of interest and require disclosure of competing interests from contributors. Appropriate actions, including corrections or retractions, are taken if issues arise post-publication.
Involvement in Investigations
Editors protect the published record by issuing corrections or retractions and investigating suspected misconduct by authors, reviewers, or editors. They respond appropriately to ethical complaints.
Reviewer Responsibilities
https://publicationethics.org/files/u7140/Peer%20review%20guidelines.pdf
Reviewers assist editors in publication decisions and must maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts. Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to review promptly should notify the editor immediately. Reviews must be timely, objective, technical, and professional, avoiding personal criticism. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and avoided. Reviewers should alert editors to any substantial similarity or overlap with other known publications. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts for novelty, originality, scientific reliability, contribution to the field, ethical compliance, adherence to journal guidelines, quality of references, language clarity, and any signs of scientific misconduct.
Author Responsibilities
https://publicationethics.org/files/International%20standards_authors_for%20website_11_Nov_2011.pdf
Manuscripts must be submitted in clear, grammatically sound English and must not have been published elsewhere (except as abstracts or theses) or be under consideration by another journal. The corresponding author ensures all co-authors approve submission and that institutional approvals are obtained. Authors permit editing for readability and must sign a copyright release form. Under FER’s open-access model, authors retain copyright but grant others the right to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and copy the work with proper citation. All authors must approve the final version and agree to correspondence through the designated corresponding author. Submissions are screened for plagiarism using appropriate software.
Reporting Standards
Authors must present accurate accounts of their work, objective discussions of significance, and sufficient detail for replication. Fraudulent or inaccurate statements are unacceptable.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure their work is original and properly cite or quote the work of others.
Ethical Use of AI
Authors may responsibly use AI tools to improve readability, provided human oversight ensures accuracy and integrity. Heavy AI-generated content without substantial author contribution may lead to rejection.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors must not submit essentially the same research to multiple journals simultaneously.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper citations must be provided for influential works.
Authorship
Authorship is limited to those making significant contributions to conception, design, execution, or interpretation. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript. Ghostwriting and guest authorship are prohibited. Contributions from funding sources must be acknowledged.
Hazards and Human/Animal Subjects
Unusual hazards must be clearly identified. Studies involving humans or animals require ethical approvals and safeguards.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All financial or substantive conflicts must be disclosed, along with sources of funding.
Fundamental Errors
Authors must promptly notify the journal of significant errors in published work and cooperate on corrections or retractions.
Authorship Amendment Protocol
Authorship changes are considered only before a final decision. Requests must be submitted formally to the editorial office (via the journal’s contact). The Editor-in-Chief has sole discretion. Post-decision changes are not permitted.
Publisher’s Confirmation
In cases of proven misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher works with editors to issue errata, retractions, or other appropriate corrections.
Principles of Transparency
- Journal Name: Future Engineering Journal (FER) is distinct and not easily confused with other publications.
- Website: High ethical and professional standards are maintained and clearly communicated (https://fupubco.com/fer).
- Peer Review: FER operates a double-blind peer-review process for a quarterly electronic publication covering all aspects of engineering. Details are available on the website.
- Governing Body: The Editorial Board consists of recognized experts; full names and affiliations are listed online.
- Author Fees/Access: FER is fully open access. An Article Processing Charge (APC) applies; details are published on the website. Payment is required upon acceptance.
- Copyright: Authors complete a Copyright Agreement Form upon acceptance.
- Research Misconduct: The Editor-in-Chief takes steps to prevent and address plagiarism, citation manipulation, data falsification, etc.
- Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose conflicts via the designated form.
- Publishing Schedule: Clearly indicated on the journal website.
- Archiving: Published articles are archived in reliable repositories.
Violations of Publication Ethics and Sanctions
Violations include plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, simultaneous/duplicate/redundant publication, improper authorship, and citation manipulation. Confirmed violations result in immediate rejection of the manuscript, rejection of all submissions from involved authors to any Future journals, a minimum 36-month submission ban, and ineligibility for editorial roles. In severe cases, affiliations may be notified and bans extended.
Handling Cases of Misconduct: Allegations are investigated promptly. The editor contacts the corresponding author for explanation. Unresolved serious cases are escalated to the Publication Committee, which may impose bans, issue reprimands, require apologies, or retract articles. Affected works are rejected, and authors may be barred from future involvement with the journal. Retraction notices are published and linked to the original article when appropriate. By adhering to these principles, FER fosters excellence, integrity, and trust in engineering scholarship.