Knowledge Journals shall not accept or publish manuscripts in its online journals without prior peer review. There shall be a review process of manuscripts by independent referees who are conversant in the pertinent subject area. Editors shall follow the review process which shall be clearly defined. Authors should strive for maximum clarity of expression, bearing in mind that the purpose of publication is the disclosure of technical knowledge and that an excessively complex or poorly written presentation can only obscure the significance of the work presented. Material which is not essential to the continuity of the text (e.g., proofs, derivations, or calculations) be placed in Appendices.
Referees shall treat the contents of papers under review as privileged information not to be disclosed to others before publication. It is expected that no one with access to a paper under review will make any inappropriate use of the special knowledge which that access provides.
The editor evaluates the recommendation and notifies the author of the manuscript status. The manuscript may be:
- Accepted for publication as is;
- Accepted for publication with minor changes, with no re-review necessary;
- Accepted for publication after substantial revision and additional review; or
- Rejected
The comments of the anonymous reviewers will be forwarded to the authors, and when the authors are ready to submit their revised manuscript, read the comments of the editors and reviewers, and respond to them by telling what modifications they have made in their manuscript or why they have not made the suggested changes. Note that revisions must be completed and submitted after the authors received the reviewers' comments.
Material which has been previously copyrighted, published, or accepted for publication will not be considered for publication in Knowledge Journals.
The selection of referees is based on a number of criteria that include:
- Some-one who is knowledgeable in the techniques of analysis that are being employed;
- Some-one is familiar with the topic area of the paper being reviewed;
- Some-one whose work is cited by the author;
- Some-one who has published on the same topic previously;
The journal uses a minimum of 2 referees, and thus in a number of cases we do not expect referees to exactly replicate each other - but across all referees the required criteria will be met. In addition, the journal will often use people with technical expertise from different fields.
Since we are the members of the global research community and are directly or indirectly responsible for improvisation in technology thus affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, we commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:
- To accept responsibility in making research related decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public.
- To be Honest and Fair.
- To strive for technical excellence in the engineering profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills. Not to steal property, time or resources.
- To avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible. When possible to demonstrate our performance capability with our skills via projects, leadership, and/or accredited educational programs and will encourage others to do so as well. Not to hesitate to seek assistance or guidance when faced with a task beyond our abilities or experience.
- To embrace other professionals' advice and learn from their experiences and mistakes.
- To treat this as an opportunity to learn new techniques and approaches. When the situation arises that our assistance is called upon.
- To respond willingly to share our knowledge with others.
- To reject bribery, kickbacks and professional misconduct in all its forms.
- To strive to convey any knowledge (specialist or otherwise) that we have gained to others so everyone gains the benefit of each other's knowledge. To improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences.
- To seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others.
- To treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin. Admit mistakes and correct them promptly. Not to injure others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action. Not to use availability and access to information for personal gains through corporate espionage.
- To distinguish between advocacy and Science and not to present analysis and opinion as fact.
- To respect intellectual property and will be careful to give credit for other's work. Never to steal or misuse copyrighted, patented material, trade secrets or any other intangible asset.
- To assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.