These publication ethics principles have been developed in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international standards applied by reputable peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The publication of scientific articles in the quarterly journal “Roads and Bridges – Drogi i Mosty” constitutes an important element in the dissemination of scientific knowledge and reflects the quality of the conducted research, the integrity of the authors, and the standards of the institutions represented by the authors. All parties involved in the publishing process — authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher — are committed to adhering to the highest standards of publication ethics, transparency, academic integrity, impartiality, and responsibility.

Road and Bridge Research Institute, as the publisher of the journal “Roads and Bridges – Drogi i Mosty”, exercises the utmost diligence to ensure the integrity of the publishing process at every stage. Editorial decisions are independent of commercial influence, sponsorship, advertising campaign, reprints, or other financial benefits.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to:

• present research results honestly, transparently, and in accordance with the principles of academic integrity,
• ensure the originality of submitted manuscripts,
• properly acknowledge and cite all sources used,
• avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, and citation manipulation,
• refrain from submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal,
• disclose any conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of research results or the publication process,
• clearly indicate the actual contribution of all co-authors.

Only persons who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the manuscript may be listed as authors. The Editorial Board opposes ghostwriting and guest authorship practices.

Authors are required to disclose the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools in the preparation of the manuscript if such tools influenced the content, data analysis, translation, or language editing of the text. The author bears full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Where research involves human participants, animals, or requires approval from an ethics committee, authors are obliged to provide information confirming that the relevant approvals and ethical standards have been obtained and followed.

2. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are required to:

• maintain the confidentiality of reviewed materials,
• prepare reviews objectively, constructively, and within the agreed timeframe,
• disclose any conflicts of interest,
• inform the Editorial Board of any suspected plagiarism, scientific misconduct, or breaches of publication ethics.

Reviewers must not use information contained in reviewed manuscripts for personal, scientific, or professional purposes.

3. Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editorial Board makes decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts solely on the basis of their scientific merit, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, and contribution to the development of the discipline.

The peer-review process is conducted in accordance with the principles of confidentiality, impartiality, and objectivity.

The Editorial Board is committed to:

• preventing all forms of scientific misconduct,
• maintaining the confidentiality of authors’ and reviewers’ information,
• ensuring transparency of editorial procedures,
• responding to allegations of publication misconduct in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics,
• publishing corrections, clarifications, errata, or article retraction notices whenever necessary.

The Editorial Board provides authors with the right to appeal editorial decisions. Appeals are considered impartially and in accordance with the journal’s procedures.

4. Research Data and Transparency

Authors may be requested to provide the raw data related to their publication for the purpose of verifying research results. The Editorial Board supports research transparency and good practices regarding the archiving and sharing of scientific data.

5. Procedures in Cases of Publication Ethics Violations

In cases of suspected breaches of publication ethics, the Editorial Board follows procedures recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics. Depending on the nature and severity of the misconduct, the Editorial Board may:

• request explanations from the authors,
• conduct an internal investigation,
• inform the author’s affiliated institution,
• publish a correction or clarification,
• publish an article retraction notice,
• reject the manuscript or retract a published article.