Althair: Journal of Science and Technology Innovation is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. The journal adheres to the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expects all participants in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to uphold these ethical standards.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must submit original work that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal. The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, duplicate publication, and any other form of research or publication misconduct. Authors are required to:

• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of all reported data and findings.
• Properly acknowledge the work and contributions of others through appropriate citation.
• Disclose all sources of research funding and any potential conflicts of interest.
• Obtain ethical approval from the appropriate institutional review board or ethics committee when research involves human participants, animals, or sensitive data.
• Cooperate with the editorial office in correcting or retracting published work if significant errors or ethical issues are identified.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for making fair, impartial, and independent publication decisions based solely on the manuscript's scientific merit, originality, significance, methodological quality, and relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by the authors' nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.

Editors are also responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts throughout the editorial process.
• Managing conflicts of interest in a transparent and appropriate manner.
• Ensuring that submitted manuscripts undergo a fair, objective, and timely peer-review process.
• Taking appropriate action when ethical concerns or allegations of misconduct arise.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the quality and integrity of scholarly publications. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and timely evaluations. Specifically, reviewers should:

• Assess manuscripts solely on their scientific quality and academic merit.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript content.
• Identify relevant published literature that has not been appropriately cited.
• Report any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns.
• Decline review assignments when a conflict of interest may compromise their objectivity.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher supports editorial independence and is committed to ensuring that ethical standards are consistently implemented throughout the publication process. Allegations of research misconduct or publication malpractice will be handled fairly, transparently, and in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Where necessary, the journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or article retractions to preserve the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

Ethical Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to Althair: Journal of Science and Technology Innovation, authors confirm that they have complied with all applicable ethical requirements and accept full responsibility for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. Submission of a manuscript also signifies agreement with the journal's publication ethics and editorial policies.