Journal of Powder Materials (JPM) follows the ethical guidelines for research and publication outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) and the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) Recommendations (https://www.icmje.org). All procedures for addressing research and publication misconduct adhere to the COPE flowcharts (https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts). Any instances of duplicate publication or plagiarism will result in immediate rejection and may negatively impact the acceptance of future submissions.

Table of Contents

• 1. Authorship
• 2. Originality, plagiarism, and duplicate publication
• 3. Secondary publication
• 4. Conflicts of interest
• 5. Management of research and publication misconduct
• 6. Handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern
• 7. Inclusive language
• 8. Editorial responsibilities
• 9. Research ethics council

1. Authorship

All designated authors should meet the criteria for authorship and be appropriately listed. Authorship credit should be based on substantial contributions to the following four categories established by the ICMJE: (1) conception and design, or acquisition, or analysis and interpretation of data; (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; (3) final approval of the version to be published; and (4) agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. Individuals who do not meet these criteria may be acknowledged as contributors in the Acknowledgments section. Acquisition of funding, collection of data, and general supervision of the research group, by themselves, does not justify authorship.

• • Role of corresponding author: The corresponding author takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal throughout the submission, peer review, and publication processes. This author ensures that all administrative requirements of the journal are met, including providing details of authorship and completing conflicts of interest forms and statements. While some of these tasks may be delegated to coauthors, the corresponding author remains accountable for their completion. They must be available to respond promptly to editorial queries during submission and peer review, and address critiques and journal requests for data post-publication.
• • Correction of authorship: Requests for changes in authorship (adding/removing authors or rearranging order) after submission but before manuscript acceptance must be submitted in writing to the editor with justification, signed by all authors, and require the editor’s approval. All authors must complete the copyright assignment form. Post-publication, authorship changes will not be permitted, even in the case of editorial staff errors, as authors are responsible for verifying authorship during the final proofreading process.
• • Recommendations for working with individuals with personal connections: Authors must disclose if minors (under 19) or family members (spouse, children, relatives) are involved in the research or publication in the cover letter. Refer to the “Guidelines for Preventing Illegitimate Authorship ” by the National Research Foundation of Korea for details.
• • Use of AI-assisted technologies: AI tools (e.g., generative AI, language models, chatbots) may be utilized to enhance scientific writing by improving language accuracy, grammar, and overall expression. However, AI tools cannot be listed as authors. The following guidelines apply:
  • AI tools and manuscript writing: AI tools can assist in revising and refining a manuscript's language, but they cannot be used to draft or write the manuscript itself. Authors are strictly prohibited from directing AI tools to generate substantial portions or entire drafts of the manuscript.
  • Declaration upon submission: authors must declare upon manuscript submission that the AI tools have not been used to generate or complete the manuscript draft. This declaration ensures that the intellectual contribution and content creation remain solely within the responsibility of the authors.

2. Originality, plagiarism, and duplicate publication

All submitted manuscripts must be original and not under consideration by other journals. Accepted manuscripts should not be duplicated in any other journal without permission from the Editorial Board. If duplicate publication is detected, the authors will be publicly announced, their institutions informed, and penalties imposed. We do not consider posting on a preprint server to be duplicate publication, and it will not affect the manuscript's consideration for publication.

Plagiarism: Similarity Check is used to screen manuscripts for plagiarism or duplicate publication. Plagiarism is defined as reproducing another work without attribution. If plagiarism is detected before or after acceptance, or after publication, the author will have a chance for rebuttal. Unsatisfactory rebuttals will result in retraction and a publication ban for a period determined by the editor(s). Figures and tables can be used freely if the original source is verified according to the Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. Authors must resolve any copyright issues when citing figures or tables from non-open access journals. The editorial board reserves the right to request documentation of permissions if necessary.

3. Secondary publication

Manuscripts can be republished if they meet the ICMJE Recommendations for secondary publication available from https://www.icmje.org/:

• (1) Certain types of articles, such as guidelines from governmental agencies and professional organizations, may be published in multiple journals to reach a broader audience with the consent of the authors and editors.
• (2) Secondary publication in another language or country is permissible if: both journals' editors approve (the editor concerned with the secondary publication must have access to the primary version), and publication interval of at least one week is maintained, unless otherwise agreed.
• (3) The secondary version targets a different readership and may be abbreviated. It must reflect the primary version's data and interpretations accurately. The title page of the secondary version must indicate its secondary nature and cite the primary publication, e.g., “This article is based on a study first reported in [journal title, full reference].”

4. Conflicts of interest

The corresponding author must ensure that any conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript are disclosed in the manuscript and take responsibility for this disclosure. Potential conflicts should be reported even if the authors believe they were not influenced in preparing the manuscript. All authors must disclose i.e., (1) financial relationships (such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony), (2) personal relationship, (3) academic competition, and (4) intellectual passion. These disclosures should be included on the title page.

5. Management of research and publication misconduct

When the journal faces suspected cases of research and publication misconduct, such as redundant (duplicate) publication, plagiarism, fabricated data, changes in authorship, undisclosed conflicts of interest, a reviewer appropriating an author’s idea or data, complaints against editors, and other issues, resolution processes will follow the applicable COPE flowchart (https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts). Suspected cases will be discussed and decided upon by the Editorial Board of JPM.

6. Handling corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern

JPM aims to ensure the integrity of the academic record of all published or potential publications. Whenever it is recognized that a significant inaccuracy, misleading statement, or distorted report has been published, it must be corrected promptly and with due prominence. If, after an appropriate investigation, an item proves to be fraudulent, it should be retracted. The retraction should be clearly identifiable to readers and indexing systems.

Correction

Errors in published papers may be identified in the form of a corrigendum or erratum when the Editor-in-Chief considers it appropriate to inform the journal readership about a previous error and makes a correction to the error in the published article. The corrigendum or erratum will appear as a new article in the journal and will cite the original published article.

Retractions

An article may be retracted when the sincerity of the published work is undermined due to the errors in the conduct, analysis and/or reporting of the study. Violation of publication or research ethics may also result in a study’s retraction. The original article is marked as retracted, but a PDF version remains available to readers, and the retraction statement is bi-directionally linked to the original published paper. Retraction statements will typically include a statement of assent or dissent from the authors.

Editorial expression of concern

Where a certain amount of doubt arises as to the honesty or integrity of a submitted or published article, journal editors may issue an expression of concern. However, it should only be issued if an investigation into the problems relating to the article has proven inconclusive, and if there are strong indicators that the concerns are valid.

7. Inclusive language

Authors are encouraged to use inclusive language that acknowledges diversity, respects all individuals, and promotes equal opportunities. Avoid assumptions about the reader's beliefs or identities, and refrain from language that implies superiority based on factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, disability, or health condition. Writing should be free of bias, stereotypes, and cultural assumptions. Gender neutrality is encouraged by using plural nouns (e.g., "researchers") instead of gendered pronouns ("he/she"). Descriptors of personal attributes should only be used if relevant and valid.

8. Editorial responsibilities

The Editorial Board is committed to upholding publication ethics by continuously monitoring and safeguarding ethical standards. This includes retracting articles when necessary, maintaining the integrity of the academic record, and ensuring that business needs do not compromise intellectual and ethical standards. The Board is also responsible for publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when needed, and for preventing plagiarism and fraudulent data in publications. Editors have the responsibility and authority to accept or reject articles. They must avoid any conflicts of interest with respect to the articles they evaluate and ensure the accuracy of accepted papers. Additionally, editors are responsible for promoting the publication of corrections or retractions when errors are found and for preserving the anonymity of reviewers.

9. Research ethics council

For the consideration of research ethics and related issues, the journal operates a Research Ethics Council (the Council). The Chairperson of the Publication Committee of the JPM serves as the chair of the Council. The composition of the Council is determined by the Publication Committee of JPM, and its operations follow regulations set by the Council. The roles of the Research Ethics Council are as follows:

• 1) The Council reviews ethics issues arising from the publication of the Journal and related papers (original articles, review articles, and others).
• 2) The Council investigates allegations of forgery, alteration, plagiarism, wrongful authorship indication, or multiple/duplicate publication for published papers and reports the findings to the Executive Committee of the JPM.

Administration of ethics violation

• 1) When research ethics violations occur, the Chair of the Council must convene a meeting immediately to review the situation and report the findings to the Executive Committee.
• 2) The Council must keep any investigation of ethics violations confidential and ensure that the investigation does not conflict with the interests of the Journal.
• 3) Upon completing the investigation, the Council will decide on the appropriate level of punishment for the violator (author or corresponding author) based on the severity of the violation. The Council may prohibit the violator from publishing in the Journal for a specified period or exclude them permanently.
• 4) The Council will keep a record of the investigation and the results of any ethical misconduct.
• 5) If the Council confirms ethical misconduct in a paper, the Executive Committee will announce the case and disapprove the publication of the paper in the Journal. If the paper has already been published, it will be removed from the Journal’s list of papers, and this action will be announced to the Journal's members and related academic institutions.