Ethical Principles and Publication Policy

The journal INSTAL applies the highest ethical standards applicable to scholarly publishing. All parties involved in the publication process – Authors, the Editorial Board, Reviewers, and the Publisher – are required to adhere to the principles of scientific integrity, transparency, impartiality, and responsibility. The journal’s ethical policy is based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and generally accepted best practices in academic publishing.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to INSTAL are obliged to:

  • present research results in a reliable, honest, and accurate manner, in accordance with the principles of good scientific practice,
  • ensure that the submitted manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration by another journal at the same time,
  • properly cite all sources used and clearly indicate the contribution of other individuals or institutions,
  • disclose any potential conflicts of interest,
  • identify all co-authors who have made a significant contribution to the work and obtain their consent for submission and publication of the manuscript,
  • comply with research ethics principles, particularly with regard to experimental, environmental, and engineering research.

The Editorial Board does not accept practices such as plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, ghostwriting, or guest authorship.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work, acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data, or preparation and critical revision of the manuscript. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria, have approved the submitted version of the manuscript, and consent to its publication.

Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the manuscript, with their contribution described where appropriate.

Any changes to the authorship, including the addition, removal, or change in the order of authors, made after submission must be justified and approved in writing by all authors concerned. The Editorial Office reserves the right to request an explanation of individual author contributions.

Authors are encouraged to describe their individual contributions using the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

Authors should provide sufficient information on the methods, materials, data sources, and analytical procedures to enable the results to be understood, verified, and, where appropriate, reproduced by other researchers.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, Reviewers, and Members of the Editorial Board are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of the publication process. If such conflicts are identified, the Editorial Board undertakes appropriate measures to ensure the impartiality of the evaluation process.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI Tools

Tools that use artificial intelligence, including generative AI and large language models, cannot be listed as Authors or co-authors of publications. Authors are fully responsible for the content of the manuscript, the accuracy of the information, proper citations, originality of the work, and compliance of the publication with scientific ethics, regardless of the supporting tools used.

Using AI tools solely to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, or to improve the language of the text, without generating new substantive content, does not require a separate declaration.

Significant use of GenAI to create, transform, or develop the content of a manuscript, code, analyses, or other elements of the publication should be disclosed in the manuscript.

Plagiarism and Originality of Publications

All submitted manuscripts may be verified using plagiarism detection tools such iThenticate. Proceedings in cases of violations of publication ethics are conducted in accordance with the applicable regulations of Częstochowa University of Technology.

Editorial Board Responsibilities

The Editorial Board of INSTAL is committed to:

  • making editorial decisions solely on the basis of the scientific merit, originality, and thematic relevance of the manuscript,
  • ensuring an impartial, reliable, and confidential peer-review process,
  • protecting the confidentiality of Authors’ and Reviewers’ data,
  • responding to any suspected cases of breaches of publication ethics,
  • publishing corrections, clarifications, or retracting articles in cases of serious errors or ethical violations.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers cooperating with INSTAL are required to:

  • prepare reviews in a reliable, substantive, and timely manner,
  • maintain the confidentiality of the content of the reviewed manuscripts,
  • inform the Editorial Board of any potential conflicts of interest,
  • report any identified substantive or ethical irregularities or significant similarities to other publications.

Reviews should be constructive and aimed at improving the quality of published works.

Peer Review Process

The journal INSTAL applies a double-blind peer review procedure, in which the identities of Authors and Reviewers remain anonymous.
Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent Reviewers.

Publisher’s Responsibility

The Publisher of INSTAL ensures the independence of editorial decisions and supports the Editorial Board in maintaining high ethical standards, free from commercial, institutional, or political influence.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other interested parties may submit complaints or appeals concerning the editorial process, peer review, publication decisions, ethical issues, or the conduct of the journal.

Complaints and appeals should be submitted in writing to the Editorial Office and should include a clear description of the issue together with any relevant supporting information or documentation.

Appeals against editorial decisions must present specific reasons why the decision should be reconsidered. An appeal does not automatically result in a new peer review or a change in the editorial decision. The Editor-in-Chief or a designated member of the Editorial Board will assess the appeal and may seek additional independent advice where appropriate.

Complaints concerning the conduct of an editor, reviewer, or author will be handled confidentially and in accordance with the journal’s ethical principles and applicable COPE guidelines.

The journal aims to acknowledge complaints and appeals promptly and to provide a reasoned response after appropriate consideration. Decisions resulting from the appeal procedure are final unless new material

Corrections and Retractions

In the event that significant errors, scientific misconduct, or violations of ethical principles are identified, the Editorial Board reserves the right to:

  • publish an erratum or correction,
  • retract the article from the journal’s record,
  • notify the appropriate institutions.