SENSISTEK: Research of Science and Ocean Technology is an open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Department of Ocean Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hasanuddin University. The journal is published twice a year, in May and November.

SENSISTEK provides a platform for the publication and dissemination of scientific works in marine science, ocean technology, maritime technology, and ocean engineering. The journal publishes original research articles, review articles presenting recent developments in specific fields, case studies, technical notes, and other scholarly works related to innovation in marine science, engineering, and technology.

This publication ethics statement establishes the ethical standards and responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process, including the publisher, editors, peer reviewers, and authors. All parties are expected to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, accountability, and professionalism throughout the editorial and publication process.

The publication process of SENSISTEK is based on the following principles:

1. Neutrality
   Editorial decisions must be free from personal, institutional, financial, political, or other conflicts of interest.

2. Fairness
   Manuscripts must be evaluated objectively, and authorship rights must be granted only to individuals who have made significant contributions to the research and preparation of the manuscript.

3. Honesty and Integrity
   All published works must be free from plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, improper citation, and other forms of academic misconduct.

Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher is responsible for supporting the editorial board in maintaining the quality, integrity, and independence of the journal. The publisher must ensure that editorial decisions are based on academic considerations and are not influenced by commercial, institutional, or personal interests.

The publisher is also responsible for supporting appropriate actions when ethical violations, publication misconduct, or disputes regarding published articles are identified.

Responsibilities of the Editors

The editors are responsible for determining whether submitted manuscripts are suitable for peer review and publication. Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript’s originality, scientific quality, relevance, methodological soundness, clarity, and conformity with the journal’s focus and scope.

Editors must perform their duties according to the following principles:

1. Editors must evaluate manuscripts fairly without discrimination based on the authors’ race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, political views, or other personal characteristics.

2. Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not disclose information about a manuscript to individuals other than the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, editorial board members, and publisher, where appropriate.

3. Editors must not use unpublished materials, data, methods, or ideas contained in submitted manuscripts for personal research or other purposes without the written permission of the authors.

4. Editors must identify and manage any potential conflicts of interest before handling a manuscript.

5. Editors must take appropriate action when there are allegations of plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, copyright infringement, authorship disputes, or other forms of publication misconduct.

6. Editorial decisions must be based on the results of the peer-review process and the manuscript’s compliance with applicable academic, ethical, and legal requirements.

7. Rejected or unpublished manuscripts must remain confidential and may not be used by editors for personal or institutional purposes.

Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers assist the editors in evaluating submitted manuscripts and making editorial decisions. Reviewers may also assist authors in improving the scientific quality and clarity of their manuscripts.

Reviewers must fulfil the following responsibilities:

1. Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, professionally, and constructively.

2. Reviewer comments and recommendations must be supported by clear, relevant, and academically sound arguments.

3. Reviewers must assess the manuscript’s originality, methodology, scientific contribution, presentation of results, quality of discussion, and appropriateness of references.

4. Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been appropriately cited by the authors.

5. Reviewers should inform the editors of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, or substantial similarity with other published or submitted works.

6. Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained during the review process.

7. Reviewers must not use unpublished data, information, arguments, or ideas contained in the manuscripts for personal advantage or research purposes.

8. Reviewers must decline a review assignment when they lack sufficient expertise, cannot complete the review within the required period, or have a conflict of interest involving the authors, institutions, or research described in the manuscript.

9. Reviewers must avoid personal criticism of the authors and focus their evaluation on the scientific content of the manuscript.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are prepared ethically, honestly, accurately, and in accordance with applicable scientific and publication standards.

Authors must fulfil the following responsibilities:

1. Authors must present their research objectives, methods, data, results, discussion, and conclusions accurately and transparently.

2. Submitted manuscripts must be original and free from plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate data manipulation, and duplicate publication.

3. Authors must appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources, ideas, methods, data, and works of other individuals used in the manuscript.

4. Authors must ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made significant contributions to the conception, design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the research.

5. Individuals who have contributed significantly to the research must not be excluded from authorship, while individuals who have not made meaningful contributions must not be listed as authors.

6. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission.

7. Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the research or interpretation of the results.

8. Authors must disclose all sources of financial support, grants, sponsorship, or institutional assistance related to the research.

9. Authors must provide supporting data or additional information when reasonably requested by the editors or reviewers for verification purposes.

10. Authors must obtain the necessary ethical approval, permits, informed consent, or institutional authorization when the research involves human participants, animals, confidential information, protected areas, or regulated activities.

11. Authors must promptly inform the editorial team when they discover a significant error or inaccuracy in a submitted or published manuscript and cooperate in making corrections, retractions, or other necessary actions.

12. Authors must be willing to revise their manuscripts based on relevant comments from editors and reviewers. Editorial and layout corrections may be made without changing the substance, meaning, or main findings of the manuscript.

13. Manuscripts submitted to SENSISTEK must not be simultaneously submitted to, reviewed by, or published in another journal. Authors must wait until the editorial process has been completed or the manuscript has been formally withdrawn before submitting it elsewhere.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

SENSISTEK does not tolerate plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, improper authorship, or other forms of research and publication misconduct.

Submitted manuscripts may be checked using plagiarism-detection software. When potential misconduct is identified, the editorial team may request clarification, supporting data, ethical approval documents, or other relevant evidence from the authors.

Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the journal may take appropriate action, including:

• Rejecting the manuscript;

• Requesting corrections or clarification;

• Withdrawing the manuscript from the editorial process;

• Publishing a correction or retraction;

• Informing the authors’ institutions or relevant authorities; or

• Restricting future submissions from the authors involved.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors, editors, and reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity, integrity, or credibility of the manuscript evaluation and publication process.

A conflict of interest may arise from financial relationships, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic competition, professional collaboration, or other circumstances that could reasonably influence judgment.

Editors and reviewers who have a conflict of interest must withdraw from handling or reviewing the relevant manuscript.

Confidentiality

All submitted manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the editorial process must not disclose, reproduce, distribute, discuss, or use manuscript content without appropriate authorization.

Information obtained through the peer-review process must not be used for personal, professional, institutional, or commercial benefit.

Corrections and Retractions

SENSISTEK is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the published scientific record. When a significant error is identified after publication, the journal may publish a correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and impact of the issue.

Authors are expected to cooperate fully with the editorial team during investigations and corrective actions related to their manuscripts.