Announcements

IJTIMES has upgraded the Become a Reviewer page to require three additional professional identification fields, effective immediately for all new reviewer registrations.

🆔 New Required Fields

1. Scopus Author ID
The unique numeric identifier from Elsevier's Scopus database. Provides a verifiable publication record, h-index, and institutional affiliation history — confirming the reviewer has a genuine indexed research record.

2. ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID)
A globally recognized, persistent digital identifier (format: 0000-0000-0000-0000) maintained by the non-profit ORCID organization at orcid.org. Free to register; follows a researcher throughout their entire career. Integrates with major publishers, funding agencies, and institutions worldwide.

3. Google Scholar Profile ID
The alphanumeric ID from the reviewer's public Google Scholar profile URL. Provides additional visibility into publication history, citation metrics, h-index, and i10-index.

🎯 Why This Matters

• Enhances credibility and verifiability of the IJTIMES reviewer pool
• Enables better assessment of subject expertise and research track record
• Improves conflict-of-interest detection through co-authorship history checks
• Reduces unqualified reviewer applications
• Aligns IJTIMES with international open-scholarship standards

Existing reviewers are encouraged to log in and update their profiles with these IDs at their earliest convenience.

In response to the rapid growth of AI-powered writing and research tools in academic workflows, IJTIMES has formally adopted the Use of AI Tools by Authors and Reviewers Policy.

✍️ For Authors — Permitted Uses

• Grammar and language correction; sentence clarity and readability improvement
• Literature search assistance and reference formatting
• Code generation for computational studies (with disclosure)

🚫 For Authors — Prohibited Uses

• Generating substantial portions of manuscript text (introduction, methodology, results, discussion)
• Generating or fabricating research data, results, or conclusions
• Writing the abstract or composing the scientific narrative
• AI tools cannot be listed as an author — authorship responsibility remains with humans

🔍 For Reviewers

• AI must NOT be used to write or substantially generate review reports
• Manuscript content must NEVER be input into external AI tools — this is a breach of confidentiality
• Limited use of AI for grammar-checking reviewers' own comments is permitted

📄 Mandatory AI Use Declaration

All manuscripts submitted from July 1, 2025 must include an AI Use Declaration section before the References. Authors must state one of:

• "The authors declare that no AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."
• "The authors used [Tool Name] for [purpose]. All AI-assisted content was reviewed and edited by the authors, who take full responsibility for the content."

Missing declarations will result in a revision request before final publication.

IJTIMES has completed its 2025 Annual Policy Review. All updated documents are live on the respective policy pages with current revision dates.

📋 Eight Policy Documents Reviewed and Updated

1. Peer-Review Process
2. Peer Review Policy
3. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
4. Ethics & Policies
5. Refund Policy
6. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy
7. Article Correction and Retractions Policy
8. Compliance with Ethical Standards

🔑 Key Updates

• Timelines — Updated to reflect current actual editorial performance metrics
• Third-Party Material — Expanded guidance on using copyrighted images, tables, and data
• Authorship Disputes — Refined resolution procedures with a defined mediation process
• Post-Publication Corrections — Clearer step-by-step instructions for requesting corrections
• Data Integrity — Enhanced language on reproducibility and statistical reporting standards
• Refund Timelines — Processing time improved from 30 to 21 working days
• COPE Alignment — All documents re-aligned with COPE Core Practices 2024

As part of its biennial policy review cycle, IJTIMES has conducted a thorough, systematic review and update of all institutional policy documents.

📋 Policies Reviewed and Updated

The following documents were reviewed, revised, and republished: Peer-Review Process — updated reviewer selection criteria, conflict-of-interest checks, and appeal procedures; Peer Review Policy — strengthened confidentiality obligations and conflict-of-interest definitions; Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement — aligned with updated COPE Core Practices 2023, expanded authorship dispute protocol; Ethics & Policies — consolidated cross-references, added editorial independence guarantee, updated open-access license clarification (CC-BY 4.0).

✅ New: Compliance with Ethical Standards

A new policy section has been formally introduced covering:

• IRB / Ethics Committee Approval — Studies involving human subjects must state the approval number in the manuscript
• Informed Consent — Authors must confirm informed consent was obtained from all participants; consent for identifiable images must be documented
• Animal Studies — Must comply with 3R principles (Replace, Reduce, Refine) and national/institutional ethics guidelines
• Data Availability Statement — Mandatory; must indicate how underlying research data can be accessed
• Conflict of Interest Declaration — Mandatory from all authors; funding sources and sponsor roles must be disclosed
• Vulnerable Populations — Additional safeguards required for research involving minors, prisoners, pregnant women, or other vulnerable groups

After a thorough assessment of operational costs and benchmarking against comparable international open-access journals, IJTIMES has revised its Article Processing Charges (APC).

📋 Rationale

The revised APC reflects investment in: enhanced editorial management systems; improved digital preservation (LOCKSS, PKP PN); wider indexing and abstracting coverage; professional copy-editing and XML/HTML conversion; journal website security and performance; and support for open-access global dissemination.

📅 Applicability

• New $100 rate applies to all manuscripts submitted on or after October 1, 2024
• Previous $50 rate applies to manuscripts already submitted and currently under review
• APC is payable only upon formal acceptance — no charge for submitted or rejected manuscripts
• Waiver/discount available for researchers from low-income countries — contact the editorial office

IJTIMES has completed a mid-year review and update of its core policy documents and has enhanced the reviewer registration process with a new subject expertise feature.

📋 Policies Reviewed and Updated

1. Peer-Review Process — Refined reviewer selection with explicit conflict-of-interest steps; updated timelines (initial decision within 15 days); new provisions for appeal and dispute handling.

2. Peer Review Policy — Updated guidance on reviewer identity confidentiality post-publication; refined conflict-of-interest definition; new provisions for peer-review ring detection.

3. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement — Expanded authorship criteria with examples; updated plagiarism screening thresholds; new image manipulation and data integrity provisions; updated misconduct investigation procedures.

4. Ethics & Policies — Consolidated references aligned with COPE 2023 guidelines; added provisions for AI-generated content; updated conflict of interest and data availability requirements.

🔬 Reviewer Subject Expertise Field Added

The Reviewer Registration form has been upgraded with a comprehensive Subject Expertise selection field:

• Primary Expertise — Select from all engineering and applied science disciplines in the journal scope
• Secondary Expertise — Optional adjacent area(s) of expertise
• Expertise Depth — Indicate level: Expert / Proficient / Familiar
• Automated Matching — The system uses this data to suggest reviewers for incoming manuscripts, reducing turnaround times and improving review quality

Existing registered reviewers are encouraged to log in and update their profiles with subject expertise information.

IJTIMES has formally introduced three new policy documents strengthening its commitment to transparent, fair, and responsible publishing.

💰 1. Refund Policy

• Full Refund Eligible — Rejection after payment due to editorial error; duplicate payment; IJTIMES withdraws accepted offer for reasons not attributable to the author
• Partial Refund — 50% for withdrawal after acceptance but before production; 25% during production stage
• No Refund — Manuscripts rejected on academic grounds; voluntary withdrawal after production is complete
• Process — Written request within 30 days of payment; approved refunds processed within 15–30 working days

📤 2. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

• Pre-Review (within 7 days) — Permitted at no charge if reviewers not yet assigned
• Under Review — Discouraged but permitted; formal written justification required from all authors
• Post-Acceptance — Requires explanation letter from all authors; applicable administrative fee applies
• Post-Publication — Published articles cannot be withdrawn; retraction procedure applies instead

🔄 3. Article Correction and Retractions Policy

• Erratum — For errors introduced by IJTIMES during production; correction notice published and linked to original
• Corrigendum — For minor author errors that do not affect study conclusions; formal Corrigendum article published
• Retraction — For data fabrication/falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or errors that fundamentally undermine findings; Retraction Notice published; original article marked retracted but remains accessible
• Expression of Concern — Issued when investigation is ongoing and readers should be aware of potential reliability issues

In alignment with international publishing best practices and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, IJTIMES has formally adopted and published four foundational policy documents.

📋 1. Peer-Review Process

• Model — Double-Blind Peer Review (identities of both authors and reviewers concealed)
• Stages — Initial editorial screening → Subject Editor assignment → Reviewer invitation → Review → Decision → Author notification
• Timeline — Reviewer assignment within 7 days; review within 4–6 weeks; editorial decision within 10–15 weeks of submission
• Reviewers — Minimum two independent reviewers per manuscript; selected by expertise and conflict-of-interest checks
• Decisions — Accept / Minor Revision / Major Revision / Reject

📋 2. Peer Review Policy

• Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality of all manuscript content
• Reviews must be objective, constructive, and free from personal bias
• Potential conflicts of interest must be declared before accepting a review assignment
• Timely completion expected; extensions must be communicated promptly

📋 3. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

• Authorship — Based on substantial intellectual contribution; ghost and gift authorship prohibited
• Plagiarism — All manuscripts screened; high similarity scores result in rejection
• Data Integrity — Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting: grounds for immediate rejection and retraction
• Duplicate Submission — Simultaneous submission to multiple journals strictly prohibited
• Conflict of Interest — All parties must disclose financial, personal, or institutional conflicts

📋 4. Ethics & Policies

Addresses ethical responsibilities of all stakeholders: Authors — originality and accuracy; Reviewers — confidentiality and objectivity; Editors — fair, unbiased decision-making; Publisher — protecting intellectual property and maintaining editorial independence.

IJTIMES is pleased to announce two significant developments reinforcing its commitment to editorial excellence and continued growth.

👥 New Editorial Board Members Approved

Following a rigorous nomination, evaluation, and approval process, IJTIMES has officially inducted new members into its Editorial Board. Selection criteria included:

• Academic qualifications (Ph.D. or equivalent in a relevant engineering/science discipline)
• Research output — minimum publication record in reputed indexed journals
• Active peer-review contribution and engagement with the research community
• Institutional affiliation with accredited universities or recognized research institutes
• Commitment to publication ethics and COPE guidelines
• Geographic and disciplinary diversity to ensure broad scope coverage

The complete, updated list of Editorial Board members — including names, designations, institutional affiliations, and areas of expertise — is now available on the Editorial Board page.

📬 Submission Portal Open for 2023

IJTIMES officially opens manuscript submission for Volume 9, Year 2023. Researchers worldwide are invited to submit original, unpublished manuscripts. Upcoming issues:

• Issue 1 — January–March 2023
• Issue 2 — April–June 2023
• Issue 3 — July–September 2023
• Issue 4 — October–December 2023

Authors should review the Author Guidelines, prepare manuscripts using the IJTIMES template, and submit via the online portal. Early submission is strongly encouraged for timely processing.

In a significant step towards greater transparency in the editorial process, IJTIMES will enhance the paper detail page (view-paper.php) to display comprehensive manuscript tracking information.

📋 New Tracking Dates Displayed per Paper

• Date of Manuscript Received — Date the original manuscript was submitted
• Date of Revised Manuscript Received — Date authors submitted their revised manuscript after peer review
• Date of Manuscript Accepted — Date of final acceptance decision by the editorial team
• Date of Online Publication — Date the paper went live on the IJTIMES website

📄 Additional Information on Paper Detail Page

The view-paper.php page will also include:

• Full author names with institutional affiliations and department details
• Corresponding author email address
• Full abstract and all author-provided keywords
• Digital Object Identifier (DOI) with active hyperlink
• Volume, Issue, Year, and Page Numbers
• Full reference list as published in the paper
• PDF download button with download count indicator
• Citation format suggestions (APA, MLA, IEEE, Chicago)
• License and copyright information (Creative Commons / Open Access terms)

🎯 Purpose

This update provides authors with verifiable proof of their publication timeline for academic evaluations and promotions; helps institutions verify dates; and improves IJTIMES credibility by demonstrating editorial turnaround transparency — increasingly required by indexing and abstracting databases.

IJTIMES has undertaken a comprehensive review and formal update of its foundational documents, reflecting the journal's evolution, expanded international reach, and sustained commitment to high-quality open-access publishing.

📌 Updated Vision Statement

To be a globally recognized, high-impact open-access journal that fosters interdisciplinary innovation, advances engineering knowledge, and bridges the gap between academic research and real-world technological applications — empowering researchers, practitioners, and students across the globe to contribute to a knowledge-driven, sustainable future.

📌 Updated Mission Statement

IJTIMES is committed to publishing high-quality, rigorously peer-reviewed, original research that: promotes technological innovation and scientific advancement; supports sustainable engineering development; encourages collaboration between academia, industry, and government; provides open, equitable access to scholarly knowledge worldwide; and upholds the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity.

📌 Updated Aim of the Journal

To serve as a premier platform for rapid dissemination of peer-reviewed original research, review articles, and innovative technical papers across all areas of Engineering, Basic Sciences, and Applied Sciences — bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical engineering applications.

📌 Updated Scope — Key Disciplines Covered

• Computer Science & Engineering — AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, Software Engineering
• Electronics & Communication Engineering — VLSI, Signal Processing, Embedded Systems
• Mechanical Engineering — Manufacturing, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Robotics
• Civil Engineering — Structural, Geotechnical, Transportation, Water Resources
• Electrical Engineering — Power Systems, Control Systems, Smart Grids, EVs
• Information Technology — Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, IoT, Blockchain, Big Data
• Chemical, Biomedical & Biotechnology Engineering
• Applied Physics, Applied Chemistry, Material Science, Nanotechnology
• Environmental Science, Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology
• Interdisciplinary and emerging engineering & science fields