Editorial Board Policy

The Editorial Board of Geliotekhnika is composed of scholars and specialists with appropriate academic qualifications, publication experience, professional standing, and expertise in solar energy, renewable energy technologies, and related engineering fields.

The Editorial Board contributes to the development of the journal’s scientific direction, supports the academic quality of published content, safeguards impartial and independent editorial decision-making, and promotes compliance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.

Purpose of the Editorial Board

The primary purpose of the Editorial Board is to strengthen the journal’s scientific reputation, academic quality, editorial independence, and international standing.

The Editorial Board advises on the journal’s development strategy, provides scientific expertise to editorial processes, and supports the publication of high-quality research consistent with the journal’s aims and scope.

Editorial Board members may have relevant expertise in one or more of the following areas:

• solar radiation and radiation measurement;

• photovoltaic materials, devices, and systems;

• solar thermal energy;

• solar collectors and concentrators;

• energy storage and hybrid energy systems;

• solar heating, cooling, drying, and water desalination;

• applications of solar energy in buildings, industry, and agriculture;

• energy efficiency, system reliability, and environmental sustainability;

• modelling, optimization, and control of energy systems;

• artificial intelligence and digital technologies in solar energy;

• other interdisciplinary and engineering fields directly related to solar energy.

Editorial Structure

The journal’s editorial structure includes the following roles:

Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief:

• provides overall leadership for the journal’s scientific and editorial activities;

• safeguards editorial independence;

• determines the journal’s scientific direction and development strategy;

• participates in the selection and performance evaluation of Editorial Board members;

• decides complex scientific, ethical, or procedural matters;

• has final editorial authority over the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts.

The Editor-in-Chief considers the recommendations of reviewers and handling editors but remains personally accountable for the final editorial decision.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

The Deputy Editor-in-Chief:

• assists the Editor-in-Chief in managing the journal;

• coordinates editorial processes;

• handles manuscripts assigned by the Editor-in-Chief;

• performs designated duties during the temporary absence of the Editor-in-Chief;

• participates in the development and implementation of journal policies.

Coordinating Editor

The Coordinating Editor:

• coordinates manuscript receipt and technical completeness checks;

• manages administrative communication with authors, editors, and reviewers;

• monitors the progress and timelines of peer review and editorial procedures;

• maintains editorial records, decisions, and correspondence;

• participates in the organizational preparation of journal issues.

The Coordinating Editor does not independently make a final scientific decision to accept or reject a manuscript unless specifically assigned the relevant scientific and editorial authority.

Section Editors or Associate Editors

Where appointed by the journal, Section Editors or Associate Editors:

• manage manuscripts within their fields of expertise;

• select independent reviewers and supervise the peer review process;

• evaluate reviewer reports and authors’ responses;

• provide the Editor-in-Chief with a reasoned editorial recommendation.

Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members:

• provide advisory and expert support for the journal’s scientific development;

• participate in initial assessment or peer review according to their authority and expertise;

• recommend qualified and independent reviewers;

• contribute to the improvement of journal policies and scientific priorities;

• represent the journal appropriately within the academic community.

Main Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

Within the scope of their authority, Editorial Board members are expected to:

• contribute to the development of the journal’s scientific direction and long-term strategy;

• periodically review the journal’s aims and scope;

• participate, where appropriate, in the initial scientific assessment of manuscripts;

• recommend appropriately qualified and independent reviewers;

• review manuscripts within their areas of expertise;

• provide scientific and methodological advice on editorial matters;

• support the originality, relevance, methodological reliability, and scientific significance of published content;

• promote compliance with publication ethics, research integrity principles, and journal policies;

• develop international scientific cooperation and academic relations;

• assist in attracting high-quality manuscripts;

• propose special issues and thematic collections;

• contribute to the journal’s international visibility and scientific reputation;

• participate regularly in Editorial Board meetings and consultations.

Membership of the Editorial Board does not require a member to review every manuscript submitted to the journal. Each member is nevertheless expected to make a regular and meaningful contribution within their area of expertise.

Composition and Selection of Editorial Board Members

The Editorial Board must include at least five editors with appropriate qualifications and expertise. Members are selected according to the following criteria:

• scientific expertise relevant to the journal’s scope;

• an appropriate academic degree or equivalent professional experience;

• a record of publication in recognized scholarly journals and active research engagement;

• experience in peer review and editorial processes;

• commitment to research integrity and publication ethics;

• professional standing and academic integrity;

• ability to participate regularly in the journal’s activities;

• potential to contribute to diversity in country representation, institutions, scientific schools, disciplines, and career stages.

The Editorial Board must not be composed exclusively of representatives of a single institution or a narrow academic group. International diversity is assessed not merely by the total number of foreign members but by the number of countries represented on the Editorial Board and the meaningful participation of those representatives.

Appointment and Consent

Before joining the Editorial Board, each candidate provides:

• full name;

• academic degree and title;

• professional position;

• principal institutional affiliation and country;

• institutional email address;

• ORCID identifier, where available;

• information about research activity and area of expertise.

Each candidate must explicitly consent to serve on the Editorial Board and to the publication of their professional information on the journal’s website. No person may be listed as an Editorial Board member without prior consent.

Term of Appointment and Review of Membership

Editorial Board members are appointed for a term defined in the journal’s internal governance documents. Appointments may be renewed on the basis of active participation, scholarly contribution, compliance with journal requirements, and the journal’s current needs.

The composition of the Editorial Board is reviewed periodically to ensure continued relevance, alignment with the journal’s scope, institutional and country diversity, and meaningful participation by its members.

Editorial Independence and Decision-Making

The work of the Editorial Board is based on scientific impartiality, transparency, confidentiality, and editorial independence.

Decisions concerning manuscripts are based solely on:

• scientific quality and originality;

• methodological reliability;

• accuracy and verifiability of the results;

• relevance to the journal’s aims and scope;

• scientific and practical significance;

• compliance with publication ethics requirements.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by an author’s position, academic title, institutional affiliation, citizenship, nationality, gender, religion, political views, or other personal characteristics.

The owner, founder, publisher, funding bodies, public authorities, commercial organizations, and other interested parties must not interfere with editorial decisions concerning individual manuscripts. The payment or waiver of an article processing charge must not influence an editorial decision.

Competing Interests

Editorial Board members must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived competing interest that may affect their editorial responsibilities.

A competing interest may relate to:

• recent co-authorship or scientific collaboration with an author;

• employment at the same institution;

• supervisory or mentoring relationships;

• personal or family relationships;

• financial interests;

• professional disputes;

• direct academic competition;

• participation in preparing the manuscript or conducting the research.

An Editorial Board member with a competing interest is excluded from handling the relevant manuscript, selecting reviewers, participating in internal discussions, and making an editorial decision.

Manuscripts Submitted by Editorial Board Members

Editorial Board members may submit manuscripts to the journal. Their submissions are subject to the same scientific, ethical, and peer review requirements as manuscripts submitted by other authors.

A manuscript authored or co-authored by an Editorial Board member must:

• be handled by an independent editor who has no relevant competing interest;

• be reviewed by at least two independent external experts;

• be assessed without the participation of the Editorial Board member who is an author;

• receive no preferential or unjustifiably accelerated treatment.

An Editorial Board member who is an author must not have access to reviewer identities, confidential reports, or internal editorial discussions beyond the information normally provided to authors.

To minimize editorial endogeny, the proportion of research articles in which at least one author is an editor, Editorial Board member, or reviewer of the journal must not exceed 25% in either of the journal’s two most recent issues.

Confidentiality

Editorial Board members must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, authors, reviewers, editorial discussions, and unpublished information.

They must not:

• share manuscripts with unauthorized persons;

• use unpublished information for personal or professional advantage;

• discuss manuscripts without the journal’s authorization;

• disclose confidential editorial information.

The obligation of confidentiality continues after Editorial Board membership ends.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Editors and Editorial Board members must not upload manuscripts, peer review reports, authors’ responses, or confidential editorial correspondence to publicly available generative artificial intelligence tools or systems that do not guarantee confidentiality.

Artificial intelligence cannot replace human professional judgment in scientific assessment, the evaluation of peer review reports, or editorial decision-making. Secure tools approved in advance by the journal may be used only for administrative or language assistance, provided that confidentiality, data protection, and human oversight are maintained. Final responsibility always remains with the authorized editor.

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

Editorial Board members must comply with the following principles:

• fairness and impartiality;

• editorial independence;

• confidentiality;

• disclosure of competing interests;

• respectful treatment of authors and reviewers;

• prevention of plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification;

• prevention of peer review, authorship, or citation manipulation;

• protection of the reliability of scientific and editorial decisions.

If an Editorial Board member identifies suspected misconduct, the member must report the matter confidentially to the Editor-in-Chief or Editorial Office while preserving the available evidence. A member must not independently investigate an author or contact third parties without the journal’s authorization.

Participation and Performance Evaluation

Editorial Board members are expected to:

• respond to journal communications within a reasonable period;

• provide peer review or editorial advice where appropriate;

• notify the journal of changes to their professional information;

• participate in Editorial Board meetings and strategic discussions;

• comply with journal policies and ethical requirements;

• contribute regularly to the journal’s scientific development.

The participation and performance of Editorial Board members are evaluated periodically.

Termination of Membership

An Editorial Board member may resign at any time by providing written notice to the Editorial Office.

The journal may terminate membership in the following circumstances:

• prolonged inactivity in journal activities;

• repeated failure to respond to editorial communications;

• failure to disclose a competing interest;

• breach of confidentiality;

• violation of publication ethics or research integrity requirements;

• unauthorized statements made on behalf of the journal;

• submission of false or misleading professional information;

• conduct that seriously damages the journal’s scientific reputation;

• the member’s expertise no longer aligns with the journal’s needs.

A decision to terminate membership must be reasoned, fair, and made through a process free from competing interests.

Openness and Transparency

The following information about each Editorial Board member is published on the journal’s official website:

• full name;

• editorial position;

• academic degree and title;

• principal institutional affiliation;

• city and country;

• ORCID identifier, where available;

• link to an institutional profile, Scopus Author ID, or Web of Science Researcher Profile, where available.

The Editorial Board list is kept up to date. Members must notify the Editorial Office of changes to their institution, position, or other professional information. The journal does not list individuals who are not genuine Editorial Board members and removes information about former members in a timely manner.

Distinction Between Editorial Board Members and Reviewers

Editorial Board membership means that a person performs an ongoing editorial or advisory role for the journal. Peer reviewers are independent experts who assess individual manuscripts on the basis of their subject expertise.

The journal does not present its reviewer list as an Editorial Board list and maintains a clear distinction between these two roles.

External Standards

The activities of the Editorial Board of Geliotekhnika are informed by:

• COPE Core Practices;

• COPE guidance on editorial independence, competing interests, and editorial board participation;

• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing;

• DOAJ Guide to Applying;

• Scopus Content Policy and Selection;

• Web of Science Journal Evaluation Process and Selection Criteria;

• the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement;

• the journal’s Peer Review Policy;

• applicable national legislation and internationally recognized standards of research integrity.

Policy Administration

This policy takes effect on the date of its publication on the journal’s official website and is reviewed periodically to maintain alignment with applicable ethical standards and the journal’s editorial practices.

Questions and requests concerning Editorial Board activities, membership, competing interests, or editorial independence should be submitted to the Editorial Office at ftikans@uzsci.net.

All relevant matters are considered in accordance with the journal’s applicable policies and current COPE guidance.