Qubahan Engineering Journal (QENGJ) is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, transparency, ethical standards, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in addressing concerns about published research and determining when corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions are necessary.

1. Grounds for Retraction

A published article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or conclusions are unreliable due to research misconduct, serious methodological errors, or honest mistakes that substantially affect the validity of the work.

Retractions may be considered in the following circumstances:

• Data Fabrication or Falsification: Fabrication, manipulation, or misrepresentation of experimental data, engineering measurements, structural testing results, computational outputs, simulation findings, or statistical analyses.

• Plagiarism: Substantial unauthorized reproduction of another person's work, ideas, designs, engineering methods, computational models, or research findings without appropriate acknowledgment.

• Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Publication of substantially identical research findings in multiple journals without appropriate disclosure or justification.

• Unethical Research Practices: Serious violations of applicable research ethics, including the absence of required ethical approval, informed consent, research permissions, or appropriate safeguards for human participants and the environment.

• Copyright Infringement: Unauthorized use of copyrighted text, engineering drawings, architectural designs, figures, photographs, software, datasets, technical documents, or other protected materials.

• Major Technical or Methodological Errors: Significant errors in engineering calculations, structural analysis, experimental design, computational modeling, simulation procedures, material testing, or statistical interpretation that invalidate the research findings.

• Authorship and Publication Misconduct: Serious authorship misrepresentation, fraudulent attribution, or unresolved disputes involving evidence that compromises the integrity of the published article.

• Peer Review Manipulation: Evidence of fraudulent peer review, fabricated reviewer identities, or improper interference with the editorial decision-making process.

• Misrepresentation of Research Findings: Deliberate or substantially misleading reporting of findings concerning civil and structural engineering, architecture, computer engineering, construction technologies, sustainable infrastructure, building performance, or related interdisciplinary engineering fields.

• Research Safety and Compliance Violations: Serious undisclosed violations of applicable engineering safety requirements, research regulations, or professional standards that compromise the reliability or ethical integrity of the published research.

2. Retraction Decision Process

Retraction decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief, in consultation with the Editorial Board, relevant engineering specialists, and research ethics experts when necessary, in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Before a final decision is made:

• The journal will conduct an appropriate investigation into the reported concerns.

• The corresponding author and, where appropriate, all co-authors will normally be contacted and given an opportunity to respond.

• Supporting evidence, original research data, experimental records, engineering calculations, computational models, simulation files, technical documentation, ethical approval records, or methodological explanations may be requested, subject to applicable confidentiality and intellectual property requirements.

• Relevant academic institutions, engineering research organizations, professional bodies, ethics committees, or funding organizations may be contacted when independent investigation is required.

• The final decision will be based on the available evidence, applicable ethical standards, and the need to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

A retraction may proceed even if the authors disagree with the decision or fail to respond, provided that sufficient evidence supports the action.

3. Retraction Notice and Publication

When an article is retracted, QENGJ will publish a formal retraction notice that:

• Clearly identifies the retracted article, including its title, authors, publication details, and DOI.

• Explains the reason or reasons for the retraction in a transparent and factual manner without unnecessarily disclosing confidential information.

• Identifies who is retracting the article and, where appropriate, whether the authors agree with the retraction.

• Is published promptly following the final editorial decision.

• Remains permanently accessible as part of the scholarly record.

• Is electronically linked to the original article.

• Is made freely accessible without subscription or payment.

The original article will normally remain available on the journal's website to preserve the scholarly record but will be clearly marked "Retracted" on its pages and in its associated metadata.

The journal will update relevant indexing services and DOI metadata, where technically supported, to reflect the retraction status.

4. Corrections and Expressions of Concern

When errors do not invalidate the overall findings or conclusions of a published article, QENGJ may issue a formal correction (Erratum or Corrigendum) rather than retracting the publication.

An Expression of Concern may be published when credible evidence raises serious questions about the integrity or reliability of an article but an investigation remains incomplete or the available evidence is inconclusive.

Where published findings may pose risks to structural safety, public infrastructure, environmental protection, engineering systems, or public health, the journal will prioritize timely assessment and appropriate communication of the concerns.

All corrections and expressions of concern will be clearly identified, permanently accessible, and electronically linked to the relevant published article.

5. Article Removal

Complete removal of a published article will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as legal requirements, serious privacy violations, substantial risks to public safety, security concerns, or other compelling reasons that cannot be adequately addressed through retraction.

Particular consideration will be given to research involving critical infrastructure, structural safety, confidential engineering designs, proprietary technical information, and potentially hazardous engineering applications.

Where possible, the journal will retain bibliographic information and publish a notice explaining the removal.

6. Compliance with Publication Ethics

Qubahan Engineering Journal applies this policy consistently and fairly to all published articles, regardless of the authors' affiliations, academic positions, nationality, institutional relationships, or funding sources.

The journal is committed to academic freedom, editorial independence, responsible engineering research, professional ethics, public safety, sustainability, and research integrity while addressing publication ethics concerns promptly, transparently, and responsibly.

QENGJ seeks to maintain the accuracy, accessibility, credibility, and permanence of scholarly research in civil and structural engineering, architecture, computer engineering, construction engineering, sustainable infrastructure, architectural heritage, building technologies, and related interdisciplinary engineering fields.

This policy is based on the recommendations and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including its guidance on retractions, corrections, and expressions of concern.