Editorial Policies

Journal Information

Editorial Policies

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and best practices in scholarly publishing. The journal fully endorses and follows the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as other internationally recognized frameworks that promote integrity, transparency, and accountability in research dissemination.

The editorial team is committed to maintaining a fair, unbiased, and rigorous peer-review process to ensure the publication of high-quality research in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and related interdisciplinary domains.

All editorial policies are periodically reviewed and updated to align with global standards in academic publishing and to reflect emerging ethical and technological developments in AI and cyber research.

Open Access Policy

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal operates under a fully open access publishing model, ensuring that all published articles are freely and permanently accessible online to readers worldwide. The journal does not impose any subscription or access charges.

All users are granted the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and link to the full text of articles, or to use them for any other lawful and non-commercial purpose, without seeking prior permission from the publisher or the authors.

This open access policy reflects the journal’s commitment to the principles of open knowledge dissemination, promoting global visibility, accessibility, and the equitable sharing of advancements in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and related fields.

Copyright Policy

In Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal, authors retain copyright and full publishing rights to their work. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to make their original research freely available for use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that proper credit is given to the authors and the original source.

A copyright statement will be displayed on all published articles in HTML, PDF, and XML formats. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication by signing a License to Publish agreement prior to the formal publication of their manuscript.

Authors must ensure that their submission is original, has not been previously published, and is not under review by any other journal at the time of submission.

If a manuscript includes copyrighted materials (such as figures, tables, or images) from external sources, it is the author’s responsibility to obtain necessary permissions and provide appropriate acknowledgments within the article.

CC BY License

All articles published in Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal are licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License.

This license supports the principles of open access and encourages the broad dissemination and reuse of scholarly work to advance knowledge and innovation.

Under this license, users are free to:

Share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use.

Conditions of Use:

Attribution – Proper credit must be given to the original authors and source. A link to the license must be included, and any modifications made must be clearly indicated.

No Additional Restrictions – Users may not apply legal terms or technological measures that restrict others from exercising the rights granted under this license.

This licensing policy ensures that the research published in AI & Cyber Forum: An International Journal remains freely accessible and reusable while maintaining full recognition of the authors’ contributions.

Editorial Freedom

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal upholds the principle of editorial independence to ensure the integrity and credibility of its scholarly publications. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members maintain full authority over the journal’s editorial content and publication timelines.

All editorial decisions — including manuscript review, selection, revision, and acceptance — are made solely on the basis of academic merit, originality, and the relevance of the work to the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and related interdisciplinary areas.

The publisher does not interfere in editorial decisions, and commercial or institutional considerations do not influence the peer-review or publication process. This commitment ensures fairness, transparency, and integrity throughout the editorial workflow and publication process.

Key Editorial Policies & Reference Links

Policy Area	Description / Reference	Official Link
Publication Ethics	Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)	🔗 https://publicationethics.org/
Plagiarism Policy	IEEE’s strict zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism	🔗 https://www.ieee.org/publications/rights/plagiarism/id-plagiarism.html
Authorship & Contributions	COPE guidance on authorship and contributorship	🔗 https://publicationethics.org/authorship
Conflict of Interest	COPE guidance on managing conflicts of interest	🔗 https://publicationethics.org/conflicts-of-interest
Peer Review Policy	COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers	🔗 https://publicationethics.org/peerreview
Copyright & Licensing (CC BY 4.0)	Creative Commons Attribution License	🔗 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access Policy	DOAJ Open Access Principles	🔗 https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
Archiving & Preservation	Portico digital preservation	🔗 https://www.portico.org/
CLOCKSS	Controlled Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe	🔗 https://wame.org/editorial-independence
Retraction & Corrections	COPE Retraction Guidelines	🔗 https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines

Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Model

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal follows a single-blind peer review model, in which reviewers remain anonymous to authors, while authors’ identities are visible to reviewers.

All submitted manuscripts (except invited Editorials or Special Reports) undergo a rigorous double-stage review process designed to ensure originality, technical accuracy, ethical integrity, and scientific contribution in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Computational Systems.

Peer Review Process

1. Initial Screening

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial technical and ethical assessment by the Managing Editor.
During this stage:

The submission is screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content misuse using standard similarity-checking tools.

The manuscript is evaluated for scope relevance, clarity, and adherence to formatting guidelines.

Submissions passing the screening are forwarded to an appropriate Academic Editor for further consideration.

(Authors may access the Initial Check Form — available on the journal website — for transparency regarding screening criteria.)

2. Editorial Evaluation

The Editor-in-Chief or a designated Section Editor/Editorial Board Member assesses the manuscript’s overall suitability for peer review.
Manuscripts that are out of scope, poorly structured, or lacking sufficient technical depth in AI or Cybersecurity may be declined at this stage with an editorial note.

3. External Peer Review

Manuscripts deemed suitable are sent to at least two independent domain experts for formal evaluation.
Each reviewer is selected based on expertise relevant to the paper’s subject — e.g., machine learning, network security, cyber defense frameworks, deep learning applications, or AI ethics.

Reviewers assess the following:

Novelty and significance of contribution to AI or Cybersecurity research

Technical soundness of models, methods, and algorithms

Data integrity, reproducibility, and result interpretation

Relevance to academic and practical advancements in AI and Cyber systems

Organization, readability, and clarity of presentation

Reviewers are expected to submit detailed, constructive feedback and an overall recommendation (Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject) within 14 days of accepting the review invitation.

4. Decision Process

The assigned Academic Editor evaluates the reviewers’ comments and recommendations to reach a final decision.
If the reports are inconsistent or inconclusive, the Editor may invite an additional expert reviewer to ensure fairness and balance.
All editorial decisions are made based on scientific merit, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal’s focus areas.

Editorial Board and Guest Editor Submissions

To maintain transparency, any manuscript submitted by an Editorial Board Member or Guest Editor is handled independently by another qualified editor with no conflict of interest.
Such submissions follow the same rigorous review process as any other manuscript.

Special Issue Manuscripts

Manuscripts submitted to Special Issues undergo the same peer review standards as regular papers.
The Editor-in-Chief provides oversight and ensures that Guest Editors adhere to the journal’s ethical and review guidelines, maintaining consistency, impartiality, and academic excellence.

Reviewer Ethics and Confidentiality

All reviewers must follow the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.
They are required to:

Maintain strict confidentiality of all materials reviewed

Disclose any conflict of interest immediately

Evaluate submissions objectively without bias

Provide comments that are respectful, evidence-based, and constructive

Peer Reviewers Policy

Selection of Reviewers

To ensure a fair and technically rigorous evaluation,Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal carefully selects peer reviewers based on their expertise, independence, and academic credibility. Reviewers are chosen according to the following criteria:

They are independent of the authors and their affiliated institutions.
They possess subject-matter expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, or closely related fields relevant to the manuscript.
They have recent publications or demonstrated research contributions in the same or a similar domain.
They are capable of providing a balanced, unbiased, and timely evaluation of the work.
They adhere to the ethical and confidentiality standards set forth by the journal and COPE.

Author-Suggested Reviewers

Authors are encouraged to recommend qualified reviewers with relevant expertise when submitting their manuscript. However, the final selection of reviewers rests solely with the journal’s editorial team to maintain impartiality and integrity.

Suggested reviewers should meet the following conditions:

Have a recent publication record in the relevant research area.
Not have co-authored or submitted a paper with any of the authors in the past three years.
Not share current or recent institutional affiliation with any author.
Not have ongoing research collaborations or personal relationships with any author.
Not possess any financial or professional conflict of interest related to the submitted work.

Authors must provide the following details for each suggested reviewer:

Full name, institutional affiliation, official email address, area of expertise, and ORCID ID (if available).

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the quality and credibility of research published in AI & Cyber Forum: An International Journal. All reviewers are expected to:

Declare any potential conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment.
Maintain confidentiality of the review process and refrain from sharing or discussing manuscript content.
Destroy or delete manuscript copies upon completion of the review.
Provide objective, evidence-based, and constructive feedback, free from bias related to nationality, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.
Report suspected academic misconduct, such as plagiarism, duplicate publication, or fabricated data, to the editorial office immediately.
Avoid coercive citation practices, such as suggesting unnecessary references to their own work.
Submit review reports on time, or request an extension promptly if additional time is required.

Roles of Participants in the Peer Review Process

Managing Editor

Conducts initial screening for plagiarism (using tools such as iThenticate), scope relevance, and format compliance.

Identifies and assigns appropriate reviewers.

Coordinates communication between authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the process.

Academic Editor

Oversees the peer review process from start to decision.

Evaluates reviewer reports and recommendations to make a final decision (Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject).

Ensures adherence to ethical and quality standards.

Typically serves as the Editor-in-Chief or a designated Editorial Board Member, though Guest Editors or subject experts may also perform this role for special issues.

The Academic Editor’s name is published alongside the article upon acceptance, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Peer Review Guidelines

The journal follows the COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers and adheres to best practices in AI and cybersecurity research publishing.
These principles promote transparency, fairness, and academic integrity, helping ensure that every manuscript published in AI & Cyber Forum: An International Journal meets the highest scientific standards.

Authorship

Authorship Criteria

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal follows the authorship principles recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/) and other internationally recognized best practices in scholarly publishing.

To qualify as an author, each contributor must meet all of the following conditions:

Substantial Contribution – Made significant intellectual contributions to the conception, design, development, experimentation, data collection, or analysis of the research work; and

Manuscript Preparation – Participated in drafting or critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content; and

Approval – Reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript prior to submission; and

Accountability – Agreed to be accountable for the accuracy, integrity, and ethical standards of the entire work.

Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged appropriately but not listed as authors.

Corresponding Author

For manuscripts with multiple authors, one author must be designated as the Corresponding Author.
The Corresponding Author is responsible for:

Managing all communication with the journal during submission, review, and publication.

Ensuring that all authors meet the authorship criteria and have approved the final manuscript.

Submitting all required conflict of interest, funding, and ethical compliance statements.

Responding to editorial or post-publication queries regarding data, methodology, or interpretation.

The Corresponding Author acts as the primary guarantor of the integrity of the published work.

Equal / Dual Authorship

The journal recognizes equal (dual) first authorship or dual corresponding authorship where two contributors have made equivalent intellectual and practical contributions.
Such contributions must be clearly indicated in the Author Contributions section of the manuscript.

Group Authorship

For large collaborative research projects or consortium-based studies, group authorship is permitted.
The group should collectively decide which members meet the authorship criteria.
Group names may appear in the author list, but individual contributors must be identified, and all must be accountable for the work’s integrity and validity.

Authorship Disputes

Determining authorship order and contributions is the collective responsibility of the authors prior to submission.
Editors will not adjudicate authorship disputes.
In the event of disagreements, the issue must be resolved by the authors’ affiliated institutions, following COPE guidance on authorship issues:
🔗 How to Spot Authorship Problems

Authorship Changes

Requests for any change in authorship — including addition, removal, or rearrangement of author names — are only accepted before manuscript acceptance.
Such requests must include:

A formal written statement explaining the reason for the change.

Signed consent from all existing authors and from the author(s) being added or removed.

No changes will be allowed after acceptance or publication, except in exceptional cases approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)

The journal mandates the use of the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) (https://credit.niso.org/) to specify each author’s contribution.
The Author Contributions statement must appear in the Declarations section of the manuscript, using standard categories such as:

Conceptualization
Methodology
Software
Validation
Formal Analysis
Investigation
Writing – Original Draft
Writing – Review & Editing
Supervision
Funding Acquisition

This ensures transparency and accountability in collaborative AI and Cybersecurity research.

ORCID Identification

All authors are strongly encouraged to provide their ORCID iD (https://orcid.org/) during submission.
ORCID ensures accurate author identification, helps connect research outputs across systems, and prevents confusion between similar author names.

Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria — such as those providing technical assistance, language editing, administrative support, or data access — should be appropriately acknowledged in the manuscript.
Authors must obtain consent from those being acknowledged.

Use of AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

AI tools or technologies cannot be listed as authors.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools (e.g., for grammar correction, language improvement, or formatting) only for readability enhancement — not for generating data, analysis, or novel scientific insights.

Authors must clearly disclose any AI tool usage (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, etc.) in the Acknowledgment or Methodology section.
Failure to disclose AI tool use, or misrepresentation of AI-generated content as original human work, will be treated as scientific misconduct.

Relevance to Cyber Forum-type Journals

AI and Data Science Context: Since the journal covers Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Computational Technologies, an explicit AI Use Policy is crucial for maintaining ethical standards.

Prevention of AI Misuse: It prevents authors from using generative AI to fabricate research results, code, or datasets.

Maintains Research Integrity: Ensures that AI is used only for language improvement—not for creating scientific content—thus upholding originality and accountability.

Aligns with COPE and International Guidelines: Follows best practices recommended by COPE, IEEE, Elsevier, Springer, and other major publishers.

Recommended Section Title

For your Cyber Forum Journal, use the following formatted section heading:

AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy

This section clearly defines:

Permitted use of AI tools (e.g., grammar checking, readability enhancement)

Prohibited use (e.g., data generation, analysis, or research design)

Mandatory disclosure example for transparency

Accountability statement confirming that human authors bear full responsibility.

Suggested Add-on Line for Cyber Forum Context

You can include this short addition at the end for a domain-specific touch:

Given the journal’s focus on Artificial Intelligence and related technologies, authors are particularly encouraged to ensure transparency in the use of any AI tools during manuscript preparation. The journal reserves the right to request additional clarification on AI use during peer review.

Conflicts of Interest

Definition

A conflict of interest (COI) arises when an individual’s professional judgment or objectivity regarding a manuscript may be influenced by secondary interests—whether personal, financial, institutional, or academic. Such conflicts may be real, potential, or perceived.

Examples include:

Financial interests: employment, consultancy, stock ownership, patents, paid expert testimony, or honoraria.

Academic or professional relationships: collaborations, institutional affiliations, editorial roles, or direct competition.

Personal factors: close friendships, family ties, rivalries, or strong ideological or political beliefs.

The journal emphasizes transparency and impartiality to preserve the integrity of the peer review and publication process.

Authors

Authors must provide a Conflict of Interest Statement at the end of their manuscript.

If no conflicts exist, the following statement should be included:

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this work.

The corresponding author bears responsibility for collecting and reporting COI disclosures for all co-authors.

Reviewers

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts (such as recent collaborations, institutional connections, or financial interests) when invited to review a manuscript.

If a conflict exists, reviewers should decline the review invitation or notify the editorial office so the editors can determine whether the review may proceed impartially.

Editors, Editorial Board Members, and Staff

Editors, guest editors, and editorial staff are required to declare any conflicts related to manuscripts they handle.

In cases of conflict:

The editor must recuse themselves from the review and decision process.

Manuscripts submitted by editorial board members or guest editors will be handled independently by another qualified editor to ensure fairness and transparency.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must clearly acknowledge all funding sources that supported the work, including the names of funding agencies and grant numbers, in the “Funding” section of the manuscript.

They must also specify the role of the sponsor (if any) in:

Study design,
Data collection and analysis,
Manuscript preparation, or
The decision to publish.

Editors, Board Members, Guest Editors, and Editorial Staff

All editors, board members, guest editors, and editorial staff are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscripts they handle.
A Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (🔗 download link to be provided) must be completed before handling submissions.

If an editor’s personal, financial, institutional, or academic interests could compromise—or be perceived to compromise—their impartiality, they must promptly notify the editorial office and recuse themselves from the editorial process for that manuscript.
In such cases, the Editor-in-Chief will reassign the submission to another qualified and independent editor.

To maintain transparency and integrity, manuscripts submitted by editorial board members or guest editors are handled independently by other editors. The submitting editor is not involved in the peer review, evaluation, or final decision-making process.

Research Ethics

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and applied engineering sciences.
All authors must ensure that their research adheres to institutional, national, and international ethical guidelines relevant to their field.

Human Participants and Data

Research involving human participants, online user studies, behavioral experiments, or data collected from human subjects (e.g., surveys, biometric data, or social media datasets) must comply with recognized ethical standards such as the OECD Guidelines for Human Research and applicable national regulations.

Informed consent must be obtained from all participants.

A statement confirming ethical approval and consent should appear in the manuscript.

When using privacy-sensitive data (such as facial images, recordings, or identifiable digital traces), authors must obtain explicit consent for publication and anonymize the data wherever possible.

👉 Reference: OECD – Good Practice for Human Research

Use of Animals in Research

If the research includes bioengineering or biomedical device testing involving animals, authors must follow internationally recognized standards such as the ARRIVE Guidelines and provide evidence of approval from a certified Animal Ethics Committee.

👉 Reference: ARRIVE Guidelines for Animal Research

Data Integrity and Safety Standards

Authors must present all data, algorithms, experiments, and simulations honestly, accurately, and transparently, ensuring reproducibility and accountability.
Research involving hazardous materials, high-risk systems, or sensitive AI/cyber technologies must comply with established safety codes and ethical frameworks.

Ethical compliance includes:

Avoidance of data manipulation, falsification, or selective reporting.

Responsible handling of dual-use technologies (e.g., cybersecurity tools, AI surveillance systems).

Protection of privacy, data security, and human rights in all research stages.

👉 References:

COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics

Registration of Experimental Studies

Definition of Experimental Studies

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal emphasizes transparency, accountability, and reproducibility in all engineering and computational research.
An experimental study is defined as any structured investigation that prospectively evaluates a system, model, process, device, material, software, or prototype for its performance, safety, reliability, or effectiveness — with or without control or comparison groups.

Examples of engineering-related experimental work include:

Development and testing of prototypes, sensors, or materials.
Simulation and modeling of structural, mechanical, or electrical systems.
Evaluation of software, algorithms, or AI/ML models.
Cybersecurity frameworks or protocols tested for robustness and vulnerability.
Process design or optimization for engineering and computing applications.
User studies or field trials assessing usability, human-computer interaction, ergonomics, or technology adoption.
Authors must ensure that experimental studies conform to recognized principles of research integrity, safety, and ethical engineering conduct, in line with:

COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics

OECD Research Integrity Guidelines

Where applicable, authors should provide details of ethical approval, study registration, and compliance with relevant standards when reporting experimental research.

Engineering Research Ethics and Compliance Policies

Discover Economics and Finance: An International Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics in all submitted manuscripts. Authors must adhere to internationally recognized ethical and professional norms governing AI, cybersecurity, and engineering sciences.

1. Experimental Studies and Prototypes

All experimental work, simulations, and prototype testing must follow accepted engineering standards, protocols, and best practices.
Authors should:

Clearly describe the objectives, methodologies, and safety precautions of their work.
Ensure that field trials or industrial experiments comply with institutional, governmental, or industrial regulations.

2. Ethical Approval for Human Participation

Research involving human participants (e.g., usability testing, surveys, behavioral or ergonomic studies) requires approval from an institutional ethics committee.

Informed consent must be obtained from participants.

A statement confirming ethical approval and consent must appear in the manuscript.

3. Safety and Environmental Compliance

Authors must guarantee that research activities do not endanger health, safety, or the environment.
Experiments involving electrical systems, hazardous materials, or AI-driven autonomous systems must comply with applicable standards such as ISO, IEEE, or national engineering safety codes.
Where relevant, environmental and sustainability impacts should be assessed and reported.

4. Data Transparency and Availability

To ensure reproducibility and open science, authors are encouraged to deposit data, code, and simulation files in recognized repositories such as GitHub, Zenodo, or Figshare.
A Data Availability Statement must be included, specifying where supporting data can be accessed.

5. Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest — financial, professional, or personal — that could influence the reported research.
If no conflicts exist, include the statement:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

6. Intellectual Property and Patents

If the study involves patented technologies, proprietary datasets, or pending intellectual property rights, these must be explicitly disclosed.
Any restrictions on data or method sharing should be clearly stated for transparency.

7. Replication and Verification

All research must include sufficient methodological details to enable independent replication or verification of results.
Authors should also acknowledge any limitations or uncertainties in their study findings.

8. Compliance with Publication Ethics

The journal adheres strictly to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or image manipulation are strictly prohibited.

Duplicate or simultaneous submissions are not accepted.

All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using iThenticate to ensure originality and integrity.

Confidentiality

DEF Journal upholds the highest standards of confidentiality and integrity throughout the editorial and peer review process. All parties involved — including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff — are required to maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and related communications.

1. General Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to Cyber Forum Journal are considered confidential documents. Information about a submitted manuscript, including its content, status, reviewer comments, or editorial decisions, will not be disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial board members, or the publisher, as appropriate.

Unauthorized sharing, reproduction, or distribution of any part of a manuscript before publication is strictly prohibited. All correspondence exchanged during the editorial process is confidential and must not be shared outside the peer review system.

2. Reviewer Confidentiality

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the peer review process. They are required to:

Treat all manuscripts as confidential intellectual property.
Refrain from discussing the manuscript or its contents with anyone outside the review process.
Not use any data, figures, algorithms, or concepts from the manuscript for personal, academic, or professional gain.
Delete or securely destroy all copies of the manuscript and related files after completing the review.
If a reviewer needs to consult a colleague for expert advice, prior permission must be obtained from the editorial office to ensure compliance with confidentiality protocols.

3. Reviewer Anonymity

DEF Journal follows a single-blind peer review system, where the reviewers remain anonymous to the authors. Reviewers must not disclose their identity to the authors or communicate with them directly regarding the manuscript.

Any attempt to reveal reviewer identities or contact authors without the editorial office’s consent is considered a violation of the journal’s confidentiality policy.

4. Editorial Confidentiality

Editors, guest editors, and editorial staff are bound by the same confidentiality standards as reviewers. They must not:

Disclose information about a manuscript to anyone not directly involved in the editorial process.
Use unpublished materials or ideas obtained through peer review for personal research or professional advantage.
Discuss author or reviewer identities outside the editorial board.
Exceptions are made only in cases involving suspected research misconduct, plagiarism, or data fabrication, where information may be shared with relevant authorities in accordance with COPE guidelines. In such cases, both authors and reviewers will be informed before any disclosure occurs.

5. Record Retention and Data Security

To ensure transparency and accountability, DEF Journal maintains secure records of all manuscripts, reviews, and editorial communications.

For accepted and published manuscripts, records are retained permanently in the journal’s archive.

For rejected manuscripts, related files and correspondence are deleted from the editorial system after a specified retention period unless required for legal or ethical reasons.

Access to all editorial records is restricted to authorized editorial staff and system administrators only.

The journal complies with international data protection and privacy standards to safeguard the confidentiality of both authors and reviewers.

6. Exceptions

Confidentiality may be lifted only when required by law or to investigate academic misconduct, plagiarism, or ethical violations. Any disclosure under such circumstances will follow established ethical protocols and involve notification of the concerned parties.

7. Compliance

This confidentiality policy aligns with the standards set by the following organizations and ethical frameworks:

COPE(Committee on Publication Ethics)

OECD Principles for Responsible Research Conduct

Cyber Forum Journal expects all contributors to adhere strictly to this policy to uphold the trust, transparency, and integrity of scholarly publishing

Data and Materials Availability Policy

Cyber Forum Journal is committed to promoting transparency, reproducibility, and long-term accessibility of research outputs in engineering, computing, and applied sciences. Authors are expected to ensure that all relevant data, codes, models, and materials supporting their published findings are made available in accordance with this policy.

1. Mandatory Data Availability Statement

All submitted manuscripts must include a Data and Materials Availability Statement at the end of the paper.
This statement should clearly specify:

Where the data, codes, or materials are stored;

Whether they are publicly available or restricted; and

How interested researchers can access them.

Manuscripts without a Data and Materials Availability Statement will not be accepted for publication.

2. Public Repositories

Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit research data, simulation files, models, or source code in trusted, publicly accessible repositories that assign a persistent identifier (DOI or accession number).

Recommended repositories include (but are not limited to):

Repository links and dataset identifiers must be cited within the manuscript to allow verification and reuse.

3. Restricted or Controlled Access

If certain datasets, codes, or materials cannot be shared publicly due to confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or funding restrictions, authors must:

Clearly explain the reason for restricted access in the Data Availability Statement;

Indicate the conditions under which access may be granted; and

Provide a contact email for the corresponding author to handle legitimate access requests.

Example:

The dataset generated and analyzed during this study is not publicly available due to institutional confidentiality agreements but can be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author

4. Use of Third-Party Data

When a study uses third-party or licensed datasets, authors must:

Properly cite and acknowledge the data source;

Confirm that data usage complies with the license terms; and

Provide information on how others can obtain the data if permitted.

Failure to acknowledge third-party data sources may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

5. Studies with No New Data

If no new data, models, or materials were generated in the course of research (for example, in theoretical or review-based papers), authors should clearly state:

No new data were generated or analyzed in this study

This ensures transparency and consistency across all publications.

6. Editorial Oversight and Verification

The editorial office reserves the right to request access to the underlying data, codes, or supporting documentation at any stage of the peer review or publication process.

Authors must provide such materials promptly upon request.
Failure to comply may result in the rejection or retraction of the manuscript in accordance with the journal’s ethics and integrity policies.

7. Commitment to Open Science

This policy aligns with the principles of:

FAIR Data Guidelines (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)

COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)

By following this policy, Cyber Forum Journal aims to enhance the credibility, transparency, and impact of published research in the global scientific community.

Citation Policy

Proper citation of existing scholarly work is essential to maintain academic integrity, transparency, and fairness in scientific publishing. Authors are responsible for accurately acknowledging the work of others and ensuring that all claims, data, and ideas derived from external sources are properly referenced.

1. General Citation Requirements

Authors must adhere to the highest standards of citation ethics when preparing their manuscripts:

Accuracy and Relevance: All citations must be factually correct, relevant, and directly support the statements made in the manuscript.

Use of Primary Sources: Authors should prioritize original research articles rather than citing only review papers that summarize earlier findings.

Balanced References: Authors should ensure a diverse range of citations, avoiding over-reliance on sources from a single author, institution, or geographic region.

Appropriate Citation Density: Excessive referencing for a single point or unnecessary citations should be avoided.

Consistency in Formatting: Citations must conform to the journal’s reference style (as outlined in the Author Guidelines).

2. Citation Manipulation

The DEF Journal strictly adheres to the COPE Citation Manipulation Guidelines.
Citation manipulation refers to unethical citation practices intended to artificially inflate citation counts or impact metrics without adding scholarly value.

Examples of citation manipulation include:

Excessive self-citation: Overuse of an author’s own publications solely to increase citation metrics.

Excessive journal citation: Referencing multiple articles from the same journal merely to boost the journal’s citation count.

Honorary or coercive citations: Adding citations to editors, reviewers, or prominent researchers without legitimate academic justification.

Citation stacking: Mutual citation agreements between authors or journals to artificially enhance impact measures.

3. Journal Policy on Citation Ethics

To uphold citation integrity, the journal enforces the following measures:

Manuscripts engaging in citation manipulation will be immediately rejected.

The journal reserves the right to report unethical citation practices to the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding bodies.

Any attempts by reviewers or editors to enforce coercive citations must be reported by authors to the publisher or Editor-in-Chief.

Editors or reviewers found to be engaging in citation manipulation will face disciplinary action and may be removed from their editorial roles following an internal ethics investigation.

4. Legitimate Self-Citation

The journal recognizes that reasonable self-citation is often necessary to ensure continuity in ongoing research. However, all self-citations must:

Be relevant to the submitted work;

Support or clarify the research context; and

Not exceed a proportion considered appropriate within the discipline.

5. Ethical Reference Practices

Authors are encouraged to:

Use citation management tools responsibly (e.g., Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote).

Verify all references before submission.

Ensure that cited works are accessible and verifiable through DOI, URL, or database links.

Review the full COPE discussion paper on Citation Manipulation for detailed guidance.

Commitment to Responsible Referencing

The DEF Journal promotes fair, transparent, and responsible citation practices that respect intellectual property and enhance the credibility of scientific communication.
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to uphold these standards at all stages of the publication process.

References and Citation Formatting Policy

The journal upholds strict standards for citation ethics, reference accuracy, and formatting to maintain scholarly integrity and international publishing quality. Authors must ensure that all references are accurate, verifiable, and properly formatted according to the journal’s style.

1. General Guidelines

References must be accurate, complete, and directly relevant to the manuscript content.

All cited works must appear in the reference list, and all references listed must be cited within the text.

Authors are responsible for verifying the authorship, title, publication year, and DOI/URL of each cited work.

References should reflect diversity in sources, avoiding over-reliance on publications from one author, institution, or region.

2. Citation Style

The journal follows the IEEE citation style for all engineering, technology, and applied science articles. Authors must follow these formatting rules:

In-text citations: References should be cited using numbers in square brackets, e.g., [3].

Order: References should be listed in the order they appear in the text (not alphabetically).

Format: Each reference must include the author(s), title, publication name, volume, issue, page range, year, and DOI or URL (if available).

3. Examples of IEEE Reference Style

Journal Article:
[1] A. Smith and B. Jones, “A study on renewable energy optimization,” IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 456–467, 2021.

Conference Paper:
[2] R. Kumar and L. Chen, “Machine learning for smart grid applications,” in Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Energy Systems, Singapore, 2020, pp. 112–118.

Book:
[3] M. Johnson, Introduction to Structural Engineering, 2nd ed. New York: Springer, 2019.

Website/Online Source:
[4] IEEE, “IEEE DataPort: Open data for research,” 2023. [Online]. Available: https://ieee-dataport.org

4. Use of Reference Management Software

Authors are encouraged to use reference management tools such as EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley, or RefWorks to ensure proper formatting and consistency in citations and references.

5. Citation Integrity

All references must be genuine and verifiable; fabricated or incorrect citations are unethical.

Improper or inaccurate citations may result in manuscript revision or rejection.

Citation manipulation (e.g., excessive self-citation, journal citation inflation) violates the COPE Citation Manipulation Guidelines and will result in immediate action.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism in all forms. Plagiarism includes copying or reusing text, data, images, or ideas from other sources without proper attribution.
This includes self-plagiarism, where authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without acknowledgment.

1. Definition

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

Copying text, figures, or tables from previously published works without proper citation.

Paraphrasing content without crediting the original source.

Reusing portions of the author’s own prior work without clear attribution (self-plagiarism).

Submitting others’ research or data as one’s own.

2. Detection and Screening

All submitted manuscripts are checked using iThenticate plagiarism detection software before publication.
iThenticate compares submissions against millions of published papers and billions of web pages.

If plagiarism is detected:

The manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted, depending on the severity.

In serious cases, the authors’ institutions or funding bodies may be notified.

Editors and reviewers are encouraged to report suspected plagiarism at any stage of peer review or post-publication.

3. Ethical Oversight

The journal follows COPE’s Plagiarism Guidelines and associated flowcharts for handling cases of suspected plagiarism or redundant publication.

Duplicate Publication Policy

The journal publishes only original content. Manuscripts must not be previously published, nor simultaneously submitted elsewhere in any language. Authors must disclose related or overlapping materials under review in other venues.

1. Acceptable Exceptions

The following do not constitute duplicate publication:

Preprints posted on public or institutional servers (see Preprint Policy).

Theses or dissertations published by academic institutions.

Conference abstracts or posters, provided they are cited and disclosed in the cover letter.

Datasets deposited in public repositories prior to submission.

Summary of clinical or experimental results registered in public databases.

Translations, if authorized by the original publisher and clearly labeled as republished under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license.

2. Author Responsibilities

If previously published material is reused, authors must:

Clearly cite prior publications;

Explain how the new submission differs from earlier work; and

Obtain necessary permissions from copyright holders when reusing figures, tables, or text.

3. Editorial Actions

If a published article is later found to be redundant or duplicated:

The editor will follow COPE flowcharts;

A retraction or correction notice may be issued; and

Authors may be blacklisted for future submissions in cases of deliberate misconduct.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy for ethical breaches. All manuscripts must comply with international standards on:

Authorship Criteria
Plagiarism and Originality
Duplicate Publication
Conflict of Interest
Peer Review Ethics
Data and Code Availability
Research Ethics and Human/Animal Welfare
Corrections, Retractions, and Withdrawals
Open Access and Copyright Policies
Preprint and Archiving Policy
Adherence to COPE Guidelines

Misconduct Policy

The journal maintains a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of research and publication misconduct. Any suspected case is handled individually and in accordance with the ethical standards and best practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

1. Definition of Misconduct

Misconduct is defined as any action that undermines the integrity of the research record or the publication process. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Falsification of Data: Fabricating, manipulating, or selectively reporting data and findings, omitting conflicting evidence, or distorting results.

Plagiarism: Using another person’s ideas, words, or findings without appropriate credit or citation, representing them as original work.

Improprieties of Authorship: Misrepresenting contributions, omitting rightful contributors, or adding individuals who made no significant input.

Misappropriation of Ideas: Using confidential information obtained through peer review, grant evaluation, or collaboration without consent.

Violation of Accepted Research Practices: Manipulating experiments, biasing data analysis, or reporting misleading conclusions.

Regulatory Non-compliance: Failing to follow institutional, legal, or ethical standards relating to research funding, safety, or intellectual property.

Inappropriate Conduct in Misconduct Cases: Making false allegations, concealing evidence, or retaliating against whistle-blowers.

Duplicate Publication: Submitting or publishing the same research in multiple journals without appropriate disclosure or permission.

Lack of Declaration: Failing to disclose conflicts of interest, funding sources, or relevant affiliations.

2. Reference and Citation Misconduct

The journal also emphasizes ethical citation practices. The following behaviors constitute citation-related misconduct:

Citation Manipulation: Adding irrelevant or excessive citations to artificially increase citation counts of specific authors, journals, or institutions.

Self-Citation Abuse: Overusing self-citations without legitimate academic justification.

Omission of Relevant Work: Intentionally ignoring significant prior research that is relevant to the submitted study.

Inaccurate Citations: Misrepresenting or incorrectly citing sources.

Ghost References: Citing non-existent or fabricated references.

Improper Formatting: Using inconsistent or incorrect citation styles that compromise the clarity of scholarly communication.

3. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

To preserve the journal’s integrity, all submissions undergo rigorous ethical screening and review procedures:

Plagiarism Screening: All manuscripts are checked using iThenticate or equivalent plagiarism detection software to verify originality.

Reviewer and Reader Reports: Reviewers and readers are encouraged to report any suspected misconduct or unethical citation behavior.

Investigation Process: The editorial board follows COPE flowcharts to ensure fair, transparent, and confidential handling of all allegations.

Sanctions: Depending on the severity of the offense, actions may include manuscript rejection, article retraction, notification of the author’s institution, or reporting to relevant authorities.

4. Journal Commitment

The journal is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in publishing. Upholding honesty, transparency, and accountability in research dissemination is essential to fostering trust in the global scientific community.

Crossmark, Corrections, and Retractions Policy

The journal is dedicated to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and transparency of the scholarly record in the field of engineering. All editorial actions related to corrections, retractions, and post-publication updates are conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (https://www.icmje.org).

1. Crossmark

The journal participates in the Crossmark initiative by Crossref.
Crossmark provides a reliable way for readers to verify whether a published article represents the most current and authoritative version.
By clicking the Crossmark logo displayed on an article, readers can:

Confirm the document’s publication status.

Access details of any updates, corrections, or retractions.

Obtain additional information related to the article’s publication history.

2. Corrections

The journal recognizes that errors can occur during the research and publication process. When errors are identified, they will be corrected promptly and transparently, following these principles:

Correction notices will be issued as soon as the error is verified.

Each notice will clearly specify the nature of the correction and include a link to the original article.

The original version of the article will remain accessible online, accompanied by a correction note for transparency.

For early online versions, corrections may be integrated directly with a complete audit trail of edits and dates.

For articles already published in an issue, a formal correction notice will be released and permanently linked to the original publication.

3. Retractions

Retraction is a serious measure reserved for cases where the integrity of a publication has been compromised. The purpose of retraction is not punitive but to maintain the trustworthiness of the scholarly record.

An article may be retracted under the following circumstances:

The results are found to be unreliable due to fabrication, falsification, or major errors in data, simulations, or models.

Plagiarism is identified in any part of the article.

Redundant or duplicate publication occurs without proper disclosure.

Data, designs, or materials were used without appropriate authorization or permissions.

Copyright or legal issues are identified post-publication.

The peer review process was compromised.

Conflicts of interest were not disclosed, influencing the interpretation or reporting of findings.

Retraction Process:

A retraction notice will be published, linked to the original article.

The title of the notice will clearly indicate the article’s retracted status.

The notice will specify the reason for retraction, the party responsible, and the date of the decision.

The original article will remain available online for the sake of scholarly transparency but will be clearly marked as “Retracted.”

4. Preprint Policy

The journal supports open science practices and allows authors to share their manuscripts on recognized preprint servers such as arXiv, Engineering Archive, or institutional repositories. Authors may deposit their work at the following stages:

Original Version: Before peer review (submitted manuscript).

Accepted Manuscript: After peer review but before copyediting.

Published Version of Record: The final version after journal publication.

Authors must disclose the existence of preprints during submission and provide DOIs or direct links. Once the article is published, authors should update preprint records with the final DOI and citation details.

For detailed preprint guidelines, authors may refer to Sherpa Romeo (https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/).

5. Archiving and Digital Preservation

To guarantee long-term access and preservation of engineering research, all published articles are archived in trusted digital repositories such as Portico and CLOCKSS.
Additionally, articles are indexed in major engineering and scientific databases.
Authors are also encouraged to deposit their published versions in institutional repositories to fulfill funder and institutional requirements.

6. Appeals and Complaints

Appeals:
Authors who disagree with an editorial decision may submit an appeal to the editorial office. Appeals must include clear justification, such as overlooked data, factual clarifications, or procedural concerns. The editor may seek independent peer review before making a final decision.
The editor’s post-appeal decision is final.

Complaints:
Complaints regarding editorial handling, publication ethics, or conflicts of interest can be submitted directly to the editorial office. Ethical complaints are addressed in line with COPE procedures.
If a complaint involves an editor or editorial board member, the issue will be escalated to the publisher for impartial investigation.

7. Post-Publication Discussion

The journal encourages ongoing scholarly dialogue and constructive discussion even after publication. Researchers, readers, and reviewers may:

Report potential errors, ethical issues, or data inconsistencies.

Submit Comments, Letters to the Editor, or Technical Notes that constructively engage with published work.

Participate in transparent, evidence-based discussions that contribute to the advancement of engineering knowledge.

8. Ethical Standards and Guidelines

This journal aligns with international standards and follows the ethical guidelines of:

COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)

WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)

ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)

Editorial Policies

Journal Information

Contents