Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (J Position Navig Timing; JPNT)
Indexed in KCI (Korea Citation Index)
OPEN ACCESS, PEER REVIEWED
pISSN 2288-8187
eISSN 2289-0866

Research & Publication Ethics

Code of Ethics

Enacted on July 16, 2012
Revised on December 20, 2013
Revised on July 2, 2025

Article 1 (Purpose) This Code provides the basic ethical principles and directions that the members of the Institute of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing must follow in conducting research activities, with the intent of maintaining the high level of the Journal of Position, Navigation, and Timing and contributing to the development of research on global navigation satellite systems. (Revised on July 2, 2025)

Article 2 (Authorship) Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, 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) agreeing to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that the questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work can be appropriately investigated and resolved. The authors should meet these four conditions. If the number of authors is equal to or greater than two, there should be a list of each author’s role in the submitted paper. The description of co-first authors is accepted if the corresponding author believes that they fulfilled these roles in contributing to the manuscript.

  1. Correction of authorship: After the initial submission of a manuscript, any changes whatsoever in authorship (adding author(s), deleting author(s), or re-arranging the order of authors) must be explained by a letter to the editor from the corresponding author(s). This letter must be signed by all authors of the paper. The journal does not correct authorship after final acceptance unless a mistake has been made by the editorial staff.
  2. The roles of all authors must be specified upon submission and documented in the manuscript.
  3. Role of corresponding author: The corresponding author takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal during the manuscript submission, peer review, and publication process. The corresponding author typically ensures that all of the journal’s administrative requirements, such as providing the details of authorship, ethics committee approval, clinical trial registration documentation, and conflicts of interest forms and statements, are properly completed, although these duties may be delegated to one or more coauthors. The corresponding author should be available throughout the submission and peer review process to respond to editorial queries in a timely manner, and after publication should be available to respond to critiques of the work and cooperate with any requests from the journal for data or additional information or questions about the article.
  4. Co-first authors: The journal allows multiple co-first authors (maximum two) for one article, provided that a notice of equal contribution is submitted and accepted by the journal, and that the study was clearly conducted jointly by the designated co-first authors.
  5. Contributors: Any researcher who does not meet all four criteria for authorship discussed above but contributes substantively to the study in terms of idea development, manuscript writing, conducting research, data analysis, and/or financial support should have their contributions listed in the Acknowledgments section of the article. (Revised on July 2, 2025)

Article 3 (Originality, plagiarism and duplicate publication) Submitted manuscripts must not have been previously published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere. No part of the accepted manuscript should be duplicated in any other scientific journal without the permission of the Editorial Board. Submitted manuscripts are screened for possible plagiarism or duplicate publication by Similarity Check upon arrival. If plagiarism or duplicate publication is detected, the manuscripts may be rejected, the authors will be announced in the journal, and their institutions will be informed. There will also be penalties for the authors.

A letter of permission is required for any and all material that has been published previously. It is the responsibility of the author to request permission from the publisher for any material that is being reproduced. This requirement applies to text, figures, and tables.

Article 4 (Secondary publication) It is possible to republish manuscripts if the manuscripts satisfy the conditions of secondary publication of the ICMJE Recommendations (https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/overlapping-publications.html).

Article 5 (Conflict of interest statement) The corresponding author must inform the editor of any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the authors’ interpretation of the data. Examples of potential conflicts of interest are financial support from or connections to companies, political pressure from interest groups, and academically related issues. In particular, all sources of funding applicable to the study should be explicitly stated.

Article 6 (Statement of human and animal right) Research on humans should be done in accordance with the Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, outlined in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (revised 2013), available from: https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/. Studies on humans that do not meet the Helsinki Declaration will not be considered for publication. Human subjects should not be identifiable, such that their names, initials, dates of birth, or other protected information should not be disclosed. For animal subjects, research should be performed based on the National or Institutional Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the ethical treatment of all experimental animals should be maintained.

Article 7 (Statement of informed consent and institutional review board approval) Copies of written informed consent documents should be kept for studies on human subjects, which includes identifiable information or sensitive information. For clinical studies of human subjects, a certificate, agreement, or approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the author’s institution is required. If necessary, the editor or reviewers may request copies of these documents to resolve questions about IRB approval and study conduct.

Article 8 (Definitions of Research and Publication Misconduct) The journal defines research and publication misconduct as follows:

  1. Redundant or duplicate publication
    • Definition: Submitting the same manuscript, or substantially similar content, to more than one journal.
    • Example: Publishing the same data and conclusions in two different journals without cross-reference.
  1. Plagiarism
    • Definition: Presenting others’ ideas, processes, results, or words without proper attribution.
    • Example: Copying entire paragraphs from a previously published article without quotation or citation.
  1. Data fabrication or falsification
    • Definition: Making up data (fabrication) or manipulating data (falsification) to mislead.
    • Example: Altering images or selectively omitting data points to support conclusions.
  1. Inappropriate changes in authorship
    • Definition: Improper inclusion or exclusion of authors without consent.
    • Example: Adding someone as a co-author who did not contribute to the work.
  1. Undisclosed conflicts of interest
    • Definition: Failing to disclose financial or personal relationships that may influence research.
    • Example: Not reporting sponsorship by a company that could benefit from the study’s results.
  1. Misappropriation of ideas or data by reviewers
    • Definition: A reviewer using content from a manuscript under review for their own research.
    • Example: Submitting similar work based on unpublished data from a reviewed manuscript.
  1. Misconduct by reviewers or editors
    • Definition: Unethical behavior by reviewers or editors, including misuse of confidential information, bias, or failure to declare conflicts of interest.
    • Example: An editor sharing reviewer identities with authors.

In cases where research misconduct is suspected, the Society shall promptly and fairly investigate the matter in accordance with the provisions of Article 14 concerning the Research Ethics Committee. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 9 (Process for handling cases requiring corrections, retractions, and editorial expressions of concern) Cases that require editorial expressions of concern or retraction shall follow the COPE flowcharts available from: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts. If correction needs, it will follow the ICMJE Recommendation for Corrections, Retractions, Republications and Version Control available from: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/publishing-and-editorial-issues/corrections-and-version-control.html as follows:

Honest errors are a part of science and publishing and require publication of a correction when they are detected. Corrections are needed for errors of fact. Minimum standards are as follows: First, it shall publish a correction notice as soon as possible detailing changes from and citing the original publication on both an electronic and numbered print page that is included in an electronic or a print Table of Contents to ensure proper indexing; Second, it shall post a new article version with details of the changes from the original version and the date(s) on which the changes were made; Third, it shall archive all prior versions of the article. This archive can be either directly accessible to readers; and Fourth, previous electronic versions shall prominently note that there are more recent versions of the article.

Article 10 (Editorial responsibilities) The Editorial Board will continuously work to monitor and safeguard publication ethics: guidelines for retracting articles; maintenance of the integrity of the academic record; preclusion of business needs from compromising intellectual and ethical standards; publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies when needed; and excluding plagiarism and fraudulent data. The editors maintain the following responsibilities: responsibility and authority to reject and accept articles; avoiding any conflict of interest with respect to articles they reject or accept; promoting publication of corrections or retractions when errors are found; and preservation of the anonymity of reviewers.

Article 11 (Code of Ethics for Authors) Authors of submitted papers must comply with the following code of ethics in writing and submitting the papers.

  1. Authors must secure generality in the respect for human rights, compliance with bioethics and environmental protection in the research process and conduct research on topics of sufficient academic value.
  2. Authors must describe the research contents and findings completely, concisely, and accurately in the submitted papers, and must not use the data of other researchers inappropriately (plagiarize) or distort the research findings.
  3. Authors, when using open academic data that is closely related to the research contents of their papers, must include it in the references and clearly state the sources.
  4. Authors, when citing undisclosed information obtained through personal contact, must use the information after obtaining the consent of the researcher who provided the information.
  5. Submitting a paper to this Journal redundantly, even though it is already submitted to or published by another journal or is expected to be submitted, is an unjust behavior and thus not permitted.
  6. All researchers that contributed significantly to the research process must be coauthors, and corresponding authors must be responsible for all parts of the papers.
  7. For non-academic support such as administrative and financial support or simple academic advice, it is desirable to indicate the relevant details in the “Acknowledgements”.
  8. Authors must obtain approval from the relevant parties regarding copyright before submitting the papers when necessary and confirm that no form of dispute may arise later.
  9. If errors are found in submitted papers, it is the authors’ duty to revise or withdraw the papers.

Article 12 (Code of Ethics for Reviewers) Reviewers must comply with the following code of ethics in examining the submitted papers.

  1. Reviewers must fairly and objectively examine the paper with a consistent standard without prejudice against the author’s gender, age, race, organization or personal connections.
  2. Reviewers must avoid examination based on their personal academic beliefs or assumptions that are not perfectly verified.
  3. Reviewers must respect the personality of authors as specialized intellectuals, and clarify in detail their judgments, revisions, and supplementations regarding the examined papers.

Article 13 (Code of Ethics for Editors) Editors (Editor-in-Chief, editors) must comply with the following code of ethics in examining and judging the submitted papers.

  1. Editors must fairly and objectively judge the examined paper according to the fixed guidelines without prejudice against the author’s gender, age, race, organization or personal connections.
  2. Editors must determine whether to publish or reexamine the submitted papers with a consistent standard based on the examination results of the reviewers.
  3. Editors must not disclose or misuse information obtained in the process of examination.

Article 14 (Standing Research Ethics Committee: Composition and Procedures) The Research Ethics Committee may be temporarily activated to investigate unethical behaviors, and investigative and disciplinary measures will be taken against unethical behaviors according to the following procedures.

  1. The Research Ethics Committee shall operate as a standing body and be responsible for deliberating upon and handling matters related to research ethics within the Society.
  2. The Committee shall consist of the Editor-in-Chief (ex officio chairperson) and at least two but no more than seven internal and external members. At least one external expert must be included.
  3. The term of office for members shall be two years and may be renewed. The chairperson shall be elected from among the members. Committee decisions shall require the attendance of a majority of members and the approval of a majority of those present.
  4. If the Committee determines that an investigation into research misconduct is warranted, it shall commence the investigation within 30 days and must guarantee the respondent an opportunity to provide an explanation.
  5. The Committee shall report the results of the investigation in writing to the Editorial Board. Based on this report, the Editorial Board shall determine the level of disciplinary action and submit the case to the Board of Directors.
  6. All information related to the investigation shall be kept confidential. After the investigation is concluded, the relevant parties may be notified if necessary. If the case involves a published article, cancellation of publication or issuance of a correction may be implemented. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 15 (Use of Artificial Intelligence in Authorship and Peer Review) This policy is based on international guidelines and best practices regarding the use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in scholarly publishing.

  1. Authors may use generative AI or AI-assisted tools solely to enhance the readability and language quality of their work. However, these tools must not be used to generate scientific content, such as data interpretation, hypothesis generation, conclusions, or recommendations. Generative AI must not replace essential scholarly tasks that require original intellectual contribution.
  2. Use of these tools should be conducted with human oversight and control. Authors must critically review and edit any AI-generated content, recognizing that such tools may produce inaccurate, incomplete, or biased information.
    • Authors are fully responsible and accountable for the entire content of their submitted manuscript, regardless of the use of AI.
  1. Authors must disclose any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in a dedicated section titled:
      • Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies in the Writing Process
    • This section should be placed before the References list in the manuscript file.
      • Example statement:
        During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME of TOOL / SERVICE] to [REASON]. The author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of this publication.
  1. Restrictions on AI authorship: Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship entails accountability for the integrity of the work and the ability to approve the final version—duties that only humans can fulfill.
  2. Restrictions on image processing: The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create, modify, or manipulate images in the manuscript is strictly prohibited.
    • This includes enhancing, obscuring, removing, or adding image features.
    • Acceptable adjustments: Brightness, contrast, or color balance—only if they do not obscure or eliminate original data.
  1. Authors should ensure that all image modifications comply with the journal’s Research and Publication Ethics Policy.
  2. Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. They must not upload manuscripts or any part thereof to generative AI platforms, as this may breach the following:
    • Confidentiality obligations
    • Author’s intellectual property
    • Data privacy laws (e.g., if personally identifiable information is involved)
  1. Similarly, peer review reports often contain sensitive or manuscript-specific content. Reviewers are strongly discouraged from using AI tools to draft or refine review reports, even if only for grammar or readability improvement. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 16 (Data Availability and Transparency) The purpose of the Data Availability Statement is to enhance research transparency and reproducibility by clarifying whether and how the data supporting the findings of a manuscript can be accessed. Authors are encouraged to share research data in a public repository whenever possible and to include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript. If data cannot be shared due to security, confidentiality, or contractual obligations, authors are encouraged to clearly explain the reasons for the restriction in the statement. Depending on the nature of the research and data accessibility, authors may use one of the following examples or adapt them as appropriate:

  1. Publicly available data: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Repository Name] repository at [DOI or URL].
  2. Data not available due to security restrictions: The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available due to security restrictions related to a classified research project.
  3. Institutional or contractual restrictions: The datasets used in this study are not publicly available due to institutional policies and contractual confidentiality obligations.
  4. Data available upon reasonable request: The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with permission from the funding agency or affiliated institution.
  5. Third-party data: The data supporting this study were obtained from [Organization], and restrictions apply to their availability. Data may be available from the authors with permission from [Organization]. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 17 (Research Record Retention) Authors must ensure that original research data and documentation are retained for a minimum of three years after publication. If the data are deposited in a trusted public repository, separate retention by the author is not required, provided that access to the data remains available during this period. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 18 (Whistleblower Protection) The Journal guarantees the anonymity and protection of whistleblowers who report research misconduct. Retaliation against informants is strictly prohibited. (Newly added on July 2, 2025)

Article 19 (Others) Matters not included in this Code are decided based on related acts and subordinate statutes as well as social norms.

Supplementary Provisions

  1. This Code comes into effect starting July 16, 2012.
  2. This Code comes into effect starting December 20, 2013.
Ethics Charter

Enacted on July 16, 2012

All members of the The Institute of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing shall give top priority to improving the quality of human life as the main agent of improving scientific knowledge and bringing technological innovation, and behave honestly and justly so that they can preserve honor, integrity and authority with high ethics as GNSS experts.

1. We shall give top priority to improving the quality of human life, and use and contribute to our knowledge and technology.

2. We shall contribute to developing GNSS technology and industry through our activities at the Society, and strive to enhance public safety, health and welfare.

3. We shall be honest and fair in education, research activities, publication of findings and participation in reality, and be faithful to ethicality and conscience as scientific technicians and scholars.

4. We shall conduct general activities according to the foundation purpose of the The Institute of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.

5. We shall not present in our papers or writings the research or arguments of others as if our own, and respect the research and development achievements of others.

6. We shall not pursue unjust or inadequate profits using information obtained in academic activities or research.

7. Members in charge of examination, advice and evaluation of papers and research must be fair in their activities only by their academic conscience.

For Authors

Online Submission
Instructions for Authors
Manuscript Template
Copyright Transfer Agreement

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