Editorial Policies

1. Editorial Independence and Governance

The Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace is committed to maintaining editorial independence, academic rigor, transparency, and fairness throughout its publishing activities. Editorial decisions are based on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, methodological soundness, and contribution of submitted manuscripts to aerospace thermal sciences, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, propulsion, and related fields.

The Editor-in-Chief has overall responsibility for the journal’s academic direction and publication decisions, supported by the Associate Editors, Deputy Editor where appointed, and Editorial Board. The publisher provides the necessary publishing infrastructure and administrative support but does not interfere with independent editorial judgments. Commercial, financial, institutional, or personal considerations must not override scholarly merit or ethical standards.

2. Manuscript Submission and Initial Assessment

The Journal welcomes original research articles, review papers, and other scholarly contributions consistent with its aims and scope. Submissions must represent original work, comply with the Journal’s author instructions, and not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Each submission undergoes an initial editorial assessment to determine its relevance, completeness, originality, methodological credibility, and compliance with applicable ethical requirements. Manuscripts that fall outside the Journal’s scope, fail to meet minimum scholarly standards, or present serious unresolved ethical concerns may be rejected without external peer review.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

The Journal follows a double-blind peer-review process in which reviewers and authors are not informed of each other’s identities during review, to the extent reasonably possible. Manuscripts that pass the initial assessment are normally evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise.

Authors must provide identifying information on a separate title page and remove identifying details from the main manuscript and supplementary files wherever practicable. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and provide objective, evidence-based assessments.

The Journal may seek additional reviews when reports are conflicting, incomplete, or insufficient to support an informed decision. Reviewer recommendations are advisory; the final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized handling editor.

4. Reviewer Selection and Author Recommendations

Authors may recommend qualified independent reviewers and request the exclusion of particular individuals when a reasonable justification exists, such as a relevant conflict of interest. Suggested reviewers should have verifiable professional credentials and appropriate subject expertise.

The Journal retains full authority to select reviewers and determine whether exclusion requests are justified. Author suggestions are not binding, and no reviewer is appointed where a significant conflict of interest may compromise the independence of the assessment.

5. Editorial Decisions and Revisions

Following assessment of the reviewers’ reports and the manuscript’s overall merits, the editorial decision may be acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Decisions are based on the scientific contribution, methodological quality, relevance, ethical compliance, and adequacy of the evidence presented.

Authors invited to revise a manuscript should provide a revised version and a point-by-point response explaining how each substantive reviewer comment has been addressed. Where a recommendation is not followed, a reasoned explanation should be provided. Revised submissions may undergo further peer review or editorial assessment. A revision invitation does not guarantee acceptance.

Editorial appointments, reviewer selection, and publication decisions are governed by academic competence, research quality, originality, relevance, and ethical standards. The Journal does not tolerate discriminatory or harassing behavior and encourages participation from researchers representing diverse institutions, disciplines, and geographical regions. Any concerns regarding unfair or discriminatory treatment may be brought to the editorial office for appropriate consideration.

6. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal an editorial decision if they believe it resulted from a substantial procedural error, factual misunderstanding, or failure to consider relevant evidence. Appeals must be submitted in writing to appeals_and_complaints@insightharbour.com, clearly explaining the grounds for reconsideration and providing supporting information. Appeals will be assessed independently where practicable.

 The Journal also accepts complaints concerning editorial conduct, peer review, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, and other aspects of its publishing process. Complaints will be handled impartially, confidentially, and within a reasonable timeframe. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee reversal of the original decision or further peer review.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members must disclose financial, professional, institutional, personal, or other relationships that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their judgment. Relevant competing interests should be declared in the manuscript or disclosed to the editorial office, as appropriate.

Individuals with a significant conflict must not participate in decisions or assessments where impartiality could be compromised. When an editor has a conflict, the manuscript will be reassigned to an independent editor.

8. Publication Schedule and Article Processing Charges

The Journal communicates its publication frequency, submission requirements, and any applicable publication charges clearly on its website. Editorial decisions are based on academic merit and ethical compliance, not on payment status, ability to pay, or commercial considerations. Any waiver or discount arrangement does not influence the peer-review process or the final editorial decision.

9. Open Access Policy

The Journal operates an open-access publishing model under which published articles are freely available online without subscription fees or pay-per-view charges. Readers may access, read, and download articles immediately upon publication.

This model is intended to facilitate the international dissemination of aerospace research, support knowledge exchange, and improve access to scholarly findings for researchers, engineers, academic institutions, and industry professionals. Open access does not remove the requirement for rigorous peer review, ethical compliance, or editorial quality control.

10. Copyright Policy

Authors retain copyright and ownership of the intellectual property rights in their published articles. Publication does not transfer copyright ownership to the Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace or the publisher, Insight Harbour.

By publishing in the Journal, authors grant the Journal and its publisher a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual license to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, archive, preserve, index, and promote the article in electronic, print, and other formats, and to identify the Journal as the original place of publication. Authors are responsible for securing permission to reproduce third-party copyrighted material where required.

Authors may reuse, share, and deposit their published work in accordance with the applicable Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) and the Journal’s self-archiving policy, provided that the original publication is appropriately acknowledged.

11. Licensing Policy

All published content of Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license permits copying, sharing, redistribution, and adaptation of the licensed material for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and the Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace, a link to the original publication is included, and modifications are indicated.

Commercial reuse is not permitted under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license without separate authorization from the relevant copyright holder, i.e. authors. Third-party content included in an article may be subject to different rights or restrictions, which should be respected independently of the article’s license. The applicable license and copyright information will be identified in each published article.

12. Long-Term Archiving and Digital Preservation

The Journal recognizes the importance of preserving the scholarly record and maintaining long-term access to published articles. Digital preservation arrangements will be used to protect content against data loss, technical failure, or interruption of publishing operations.

The Journal’s preservation services may include the PKP Preservation Network  (PKP PN), the LOCKSS network, or other recognized digital preservation systems. The Journal will maintain appropriate backup and preservation procedures and review these arrangements as its publishing infrastructure develops.

Authors may deposit accepted manuscripts or published articles in institutional, subject-specific, or other recognized repositories in accordance with the applicable license and self-archiving conditions. Deposited versions should identify the Journal as the original publisher and link to the official version of record, including its DOI where available.

13. Research Data and Reproducibility

The Journal encourages transparent reporting and responsible sharing of data, code, computational models, simulation settings, experimental protocols, and other materials necessary to assess or reproduce published findings. Authors are encouraged to include a Data Availability Statement indicating how supporting data or materials may be accessed.

Where feasible and appropriate, data should be deposited in a suitable repository with a persistent identifier. Any legal, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other legitimate restrictions on access should be clearly explained. Reviewers and editors must respect the confidentiality of unpublished data and supporting materials.

The Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace is committed to maintaining an inclusive, respectful, and impartial academic publishing environment. All authors, reviewers, editors, and contributors are entitled to fair treatment without discrimination based on nationality, geographical location, institutional affiliation, academic position, professional background, or other personal characteristics unrelated to scholarly merit.

14. Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

The Journal respects the privacy of authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in its publishing activities. Personal information obtained through manuscript submission, peer review, and publication is used solely for legitimate editorial and administrative purposes and is not disclosed without appropriate justification, except where required by law or necessary for publication-related operations and ethical investigations.

Submitted manuscripts, unpublished research, reviewer comments, editorial correspondence, and other non-public materials must remain confidential. All participants in the editorial process are expected to protect such information against unauthorized access or disclosure. Authors must also ensure appropriate protection and anonymization of personal or sensitive research data.

15. Special Issues Policy

The Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace may publish Special Issues focusing on emerging developments, significant research themes, and specialized areas within aerospace engineering, thermal sciences, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, propulsion, aerodynamics, and related disciplines. Special Issues are intended to encourage focused scholarly contributions, promote research collaboration, and provide a platform for addressing important developments and challenges within the Journal's scope.

Proposals for Special Issues must clearly identify the proposed theme, its academic significance, relevance to the Journal, anticipated contributions, and the qualifications of the proposed Guest Editor(s). All proposals are subject to evaluation and formal approval by the Editor-in-Chief or designated editorial authority before any announcement or manuscript solicitation takes place.

Guest Editors may coordinate the development of the Special Issue, invite potential contributors, recommend suitable reviewers, and assist in managing submissions. They are expected to possess appropriate academic expertise and uphold the Journal's editorial and publication ethics standards. However, their responsibilities do not supersede the authority of the Editor-in-Chief or the Journal's established editorial procedures.

All manuscripts submitted to a Special Issue, including invited contributions, must undergo the same preliminary editorial assessment, plagiarism screening, and independent double-blind peer-review process applicable to regular submissions. Acceptance is determined exclusively on the basis of originality, scientific and technical quality, methodological soundness, relevance, and compliance with publication ethics requirements. Guest Editors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest and must not participate in decisions concerning manuscripts in which they have a personal, professional, institutional, or collaborative interest. Such submissions will be handled independently by an appropriate editor.

The Journal reserves the right to revise the scope, postpone, suspend, or discontinue a Special Issue if the submitted manuscripts do not meet the required academic standards, the expected level of scholarly participation is not achieved, or ethical and editorial concerns arise. Articles accepted for publication in Special Issues are subject to the Journal's standard Article Processing Charge (APC) policy unless an approved waiver or alternative arrangement has been formally communicated. Financial arrangements, sponsorships, or APC payments must not influence reviewer assessments or editorial decisions.

16. Advertising and Sponsored Content Policy

The Journal does not currently publish commercial advertisements, paid promotional articles, advertorials, or sponsored editorial content. Its publishing activities and editorial decisions operate independently of commercial or promotional interests.

Should advertising or sponsorship arrangements be introduced in the future, they will be governed by clear procedures ensuring that commercial considerations remain entirely separate from manuscript assessment, peer review, and publication decisions. Any such material must be clearly identified and must not compromise the academic credibility, transparency, or editorial independence of the Journal. The Journal reserves the right to decline promotional content that is misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with its scholarly objectives.

17. Disclaimer Policy

The articles published in the Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace represent the research, interpretations, opinions, and conclusions of their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Journal, its editors, Editorial Board, or publisher. Publication of an article does not constitute endorsement of the theories, models, computational methods, software, equipment, products, or recommendations discussed therein.

Although the Journal endeavours to maintain appropriate standards of scientific quality, technical accuracy, and publication integrity, responsibility for the content and conclusions of individual articles rests with their authors. Readers should exercise their own professional judgment when interpreting or applying published findings. The Journal and Insight Harbour accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or consequences resulting from the use, interpretation, or application of information published in the Journal.

18. Publication Ethics and Integrity

All submissions and published articles are subject to the Journal’s Publication Ethics Policy. Authors must report their work accurately, provide appropriate attribution, disclose funding and competing interests, and obtain necessary research approvals and permissions. Plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, duplicate publication, manipulated images, and other forms of research or publication misconduct are not acceptable.

18.1. Plagiarism, Redundant Publication, and Improper Reuse of Published Material

The Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace requires all submitted manuscripts to demonstrate originality and appropriate acknowledgement of existing scholarly work. Authors must not reproduce another person's work, ideas, text, data, or technical illustrations without proper attribution. Submission of previously published articles, substantially similar manuscripts, or the same work to more than one journal at the same time is not permitted. Reuse of material from an author's earlier publications must also be properly acknowledged and must not misrepresent previously published findings as new contributions. Any reproduced or adapted figures, tables, equations, or other copyrighted content must comply with applicable permissions and licensing conditions. The Journal may employ similarity-checking procedures to identify potential violations and investigate suspected cases in accordance with its publication ethics requirements.

18.2. Data Manipulation, Fabrication, and Falsification

The Journal considers the creation, alteration, or misrepresentation of research evidence a serious breach of academic integrity. Authors must not invent experimental observations, numerical measurements, simulation outputs, computational findings, mathematical results, references, or any other information presented as genuine research evidence. Similarly, the deliberate modification, suppression, or selective presentation of research data, computational outputs, graphical results, or experimental images in a manner that distorts the actual findings is unacceptable.

All reported results must accurately represent the investigations performed and be supported by appropriate experimental, mathematical, or computational evidence. Authors are expected to maintain the integrity of their research records and provide relevant supporting information when requested by the editorial office. Suspected cases of data fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation will be examined and addressed under the Journal's publication ethics procedures.

18.3. Ethical Requirements for Research Involving Sensitive Information

Research submitted to the Journal of Advanced Thermal and Fluid Systems in Aerospace may occasionally incorporate information sources containing sensitive information. Such investigations must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical principles and applicable institutional and regulatory requirements.

Where a study requires ethical oversight, authors must obtain approval from an appropriate institutional review board or recognized ethics committee before commencing the research. Informed consent must be obtained from participants whenever required. Manuscripts should clearly indicate the relevant ethical approval and consent arrangements. Authors must also ensure that confidential or personally identifiable information is not disclosed without appropriate authorization and that all sensitive data are securely managed, anonymized, and used in accordance with applicable privacy and data-protection requirements.

19. Post-Publication Corrections and Scholarly Discussion

The Journal may investigate concerns arising before or after publication and take appropriate action, including rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, where warranted.

The Journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the published record. Errors identified after publication will be assessed according to their nature, significance, and effect on the reliability or interpretation of the article.

Where appropriate, the Journal may publish a correction, clarification, expression of concern, or retraction. Substantive post-publication concerns will be reviewed fairly, and authors may be contacted for a response. Notices will clearly identify the affected article and explain the reason for the action, subject to applicable confidentiality and legal requirements.

20. Policy Review and Implementation

These policies apply to authors, reviewers, editors, and other participants in the Journal’s publishing process. The Journal may revise its policies as publishing standards, technologies, and ethical requirements evolve. Updated policies will be made publicly available, and significant changes will be communicated where appropriate.