Aims & Scope

The International Journal of iRobotics (Int. j. iRobot.) is dedicated to publishing innovative research outcomes in advanced robotics, intelligent systems, artificial intelligence, and related topics. It is a forum for researchers, academics, professionals, practitioners, and students to exchange knowledge and ideas through high-quality empirical and theoretical research papers, case studies, literature reviews, and book reviews. Our mission is to provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge research and to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration in these exciting fields. The scope of the International Journal of iRobotics includes but is not limited to the following areas:

1. Intelligent Robot System
2. Industrial and Service Robot
3. Collaborative Robot
4. Mobile Robot
5. Intelligent Vehicle System
6. Intelligent Manufacturing System
7. Cyber-Physical System
8. Artificial Intelligence
9. Design Optimization
10. Control Theory and Implementation

The journal welcomes original research articles, review articles, technical notes, and letters to the editor. All articles submitted to the journal undergo rigorous peer review by experts in the field to ensure their scientific quality and relevance.

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Publication Ethics & Publication Malpractice Statement

International Journal of iRobotics aims to publish topics of robotics research and engineering applications with rigorous peer review. Manuscripts that exhibit plagiarism, duplicate submissions, fabrication, ghostwriting, or undisclosed conflicts of interest will not be accepted. We adhere to the ethics and publication malpractice standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. For further information, please refer to https://publicationethics.org.

       Duties of Editors

1. Editors are responsible for checking whether the submitted manuscripts comply with the journal's policy guidelines and hold full authority to reject/accept a paper.
2. The submitted manuscripts are evaluated for relevance to the journal's scope regardless of the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, citizenship, religious belief, political philosophy, or institutional affiliation.
3. The Editor-in-Chief should consider the reviewers' comments and check the compliance with legal requirements regarding libel, copyright, infringement, and plagiarism when making the publication decision.
4. Editor and editorial board members should not use unpublished information or ideas disclosed in a submitted manuscript without the author's written consent.
5. Editors should recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts in which conflicts of interest result from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions connected to the papers.

      Duties of Reviewers

1. Reviewers should assist the Editor-in-Chief in making editorial decisions and help the author improve the manuscript.
2. The reviewers who feel unqualified to review the research in the submitted manuscript should notify the editors and excuse themselves from the review process.
3. Reviewers must not disclose, share, or use any information in the manuscript without the express written consent of the authors. This confidentiality agreement extends to invited reviewers who decline the review invitation and any unpublished material or privileged information obtained through the review process. All parties must abide by these rules to maintain the integrity of the publication process.
4. A conflict of interest occurs when a reviewer's personal or professional relationships, financial interests, or personal beliefs could bias their manuscript assessment. If a reviewer has a conflict of interest with the manuscript they have been invited to review, they should decline the invitation.
5. Reviews should be conducted objectively, with clearly formulated observations and supporting arguments that authors can use to improve their manuscripts. Personal criticism of the authors is inappropriate.
6. Reviewers should ensure that authors have properly cited relevant published work. If the manuscript contains any previously reported observations or arguments, reviewers should provide citations for them. Additionally, if there is any significant overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published or unpublished manuscript that the reviewer is aware of, they should notify the editors. 

      Duties of Authors

1. Authors must present their original research objectively and provide sufficient details and references for others to replicate their work. Review articles should be comprehensive and accurate, while editorial pieces must identify personal opinions. Intentionally false or fraudulent statements are considered unethical and unacceptable in all manuscripts.
2. Authors must ensure that their submissions are original and appropriately cite any use of others' work or words. Referencing significant publications that influenced the manuscript's content is also required. All forms of plagiarism are considered unethical publishing behavior and will not be accepted.
3. Authors should refrain from submitting a manuscript already published in another journal. Submitting a manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is considered unethical and is not an acceptable publishing practice.
4. Authors who use AI tools to create written content, images, or graphics for their manuscript or to collect and analyze data must disclose the details of the AI tool used in the Materials and Methods section or a similar section of the paper. They are responsible for the entire content of their manuscript, including the parts generated by AI tools, and may be held accountable for any breaches of publication ethics.
5. To ensure ethical publication practices, authors must give appropriate credit to the work of others and cite influential publications that have shaped their work. Any information obtained through private communication must not be used or disclosed without receiving explicit written permission from the source. Authors should also obtain explicit permission from the authors of confidential work, such as manuscripts or grant applications, before using any information obtained while providing such services.

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Policies on Publishing Ethics

      Authorship and contributorship

• All listed authors should have made significant contributions to the research and must have approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
• The authorship order should reflect each individual's relative contributions to the research.
• All authors must disclose their affiliations and contributions to the manuscript. 

      Complaints and Appeals

• Authors, reviewers, and readers can submit complaints or appeals if they suspect ethical violations or concerns about the published work.
• The Editor-in-Chief will appoint a committee to thoroughly investigate all complaints and requests while ensuring confidentiality and impartiality.
• The published paper will be retracted if ethical violations are found.

      Conflict of Interests/Competing Interests

• Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships that could be perceived as potential conflicts of interest concerning the research or publication of the manuscript.
• Reviewers and editorial staff involved in the peer-review process must also declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if necessary.
• Transparency and disclosure are essential to maintain the integrity and credibility of the publication.

      Data Sharing and Reproducibility

• Data sharing is encouraged but optional to promote transparency and reproducibility of the research. 
• Authors should provide all necessary details to allow independent verification of their findings.

      Ethical Oversight

• Research involving human subjects, animals, or hazardous materials must have received appropriate ethical approval from relevant institutional or regulatory bodies.
• Authors must provide details of the ethical considerations and approvals in the manuscript.
• In cases of potential ethical concerns, the journal may request additional information or evidence of ethical oversight.

      Intellectual Property

• Authors must respect the intellectual property rights of others and obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted material in their manuscripts.
• Plagiarism or unauthorized use of others' work is strictly prohibited and may lead to rejection or retraction of the manuscript.

      Post-publication discussions and corrections

• The journal will consider publishing constructive post-publication discussions and critiques to encourage scholarly debate and further refinement of published work.
• Authors are expected to cooperate promptly with requests from the journal for post-publication corrections or retractions if errors or inaccuracies are identified.