The journal "Computer Design Systems. Theory and Practice" advocates adherence to the COPE principles against all possible violations. Special attention is paid to checking works for originality and avoiding cases of plagiarism.
Resubmission. Authors must submit manuscripts that are unique and must not have been submitted to any other journal (except in some unusual circumstances and only with the approval of the reviewer). Sometimes authors may ignore this requirement by submitting the same paper to multiple journals or by submitting multiple papers based on the same research. As with plagiarism, resubmission can take many forms: literal copying, partial but substantial copying, or even paraphrasing of the research. Violation of this policy will result in immediate rejection along with possible sanctions against the authors.
Citation manipulation. Submitted manuscripts in which citations are found whose primary purpose is to increase the number of citations to a given author's work or articles published in a particular journal will be immediately rejected, and sanctions against the authors may also be imposed.
Data Falsification. If a submitted article is found to contain falsified or fabricated experimental data (including image manipulation), this will result in immediate rejection and possible sanctions against the authors.
In the event of suspected misconduct or fraud, the journal will conduct an investigation in accordance with the COPE guidelines. If, after investigation, reasonable concerns arise, the authors involved will be contacted via email and given an opportunity to resolve the issue. Depending on the situation, this may result in the journal taking certain actions. If the manuscript is still under review, it may be rejected. If the article has already been published online, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the journal will immediately take the following actions:
Correction
A correction may be placed with the article if a fundamental error or calculation error (e.g., an experimental error or miscalculation) is identified.
Editorial error
An “editorial error” is used if a significant error was made by the journal’s editorial board during the preparation of the article for publication, including errors of omission, such as failure to make corrections to factual evidence requested by authors within the journal’s deadlines and within the journal’s policy. A significant error is one that affects the scientific record, the scientific integrity of the article, the reputation of the authors, or the journal.
Clarification
A clarification is a notification of a significant error made by the authors of the article. All corrections are approved by the journal’s editorial board. Procedure for making corrections:
1. Corrections may be initiated by authors, editors, or readers.
2. The editorial team evaluates the request and, if necessary, consults with the authors.
3. Once approved, corrections are published as a separate document linked to the original article, marked “Clarification.”
Retraction.
In some cases, the editorial board may decide to retract the article. Reasons for potential retraction (withdrawal):
• there is clear evidence that the results are not reliable, regardless of whether they are the result of misconduct (for example, fabricated data and image manipulation);
• the results of the study have been published previously elsewhere without proper citation, license, or justification (for example, in cases of redundant or duplicate publication);
• the study is plagiarized;
• there is evidence of fraudulent authorship;
• it is proven that the review process has been compromised;
• there is evidence of unethical research and violation of professional codes of ethics.
Requests for retraction may be submitted by authors, editors, or third parties. The editorial board conducts an investigation, involving the authors and, if necessary, external experts. The decision is made by the editor-in-chief of the journal or his deputy. After the decision to retract the article:
• the published version of the article record will be watermarked with the word “Retraction”;
• the title of the article will be titled “Retraction: [Article Title]”;
• a separate retraction statement will be published titled “Retraction: [Article Title]”.
The journal editors sign this message; the retraction statement will be numbered and will have a DOI identifier.
In some cases, authors of a scientific article that is subject to consideration by the journal may submit a request to retract their manuscript. The corresponding request can only be made before the article is published. To retract a manuscript, authors should contact the journal editorial office with a letter containing a clear and understandable explanation of the reasons for the retraction. The letter should be concise and signed by all authors of the article. The retracted manuscript will be completely removed from the publisher’s database, but the copyright remains with the authors of the article.
Additional provisions
Mass manipulation and “paper mills”.
If it is established that an article is part of a group of publications compromised through paper mills or other systematic fraudulent practices, the editorial board may decide to retract the article as part of the package. The retraction statement must state that the article belongs to a group of works affected by similar violations.
Use of artificial intelligence
Hidden or undeclared use of artificial intelligence systems to generate text, images, or other data in a manuscript is considered a serious violation and may be grounds for retraction. Authors are required to transparently inform about the use of such tools. Concealment of such facts may be considered grounds for retraction. The editorial board reserves the right to check manuscripts for the use of generative artificial intelligence systems. For this purpose, automated detection tools, peer review, and additional requests to authors may be used.
Authorship fraud and identity theft
Manuscripts may be retracted in cases of false authorship, use of someone else’s personal data (name, ORCID, etc.), as well as hidden or forced authorship.
Expression of Concern
In cases where there are serious suspicions about the authenticity of an article or a violation of academic integrity, but there is not sufficient evidence for an immediate retraction, the editorial board may publish an expression of concern. Such an expression has its own DOI, is linked to the original article, and contains a brief explanation of the reasons for publication. The expression of concern remains available until the editorial investigation is completed.
Promptness of procedures
The decision to publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions is made by the editorial board and implemented as soon as possible after significant violations are identified. In cases where a final agreement with the authors is not possible, the editorial board reserves the right to publish a statement without delay in order to preserve scientific integrity.
Availability of retracted articles
Retracted articles remain publicly available in the journal archives and databases with a clear indication of “Retraction”. Full removal is possible only in exceptional cases when required by applicable legal regulations (in particular, protection of personal data, infringement of copyright, enforcement of court decisions or security considerations).