Ethical Guidelines for the Editors

Section	Guidelines
1. Editor’s Responsibilities	- Maintain the overall quality and integrity of the journal. - Ensure publication of original, credible, and ethically conducted research. - Promote academic freedom and freedom of expression within legal and cultural limits. - Maintain ethical standards and provide corrections or clarifications where necessary. - Serve the needs of both authors and readers while safeguarding the journal’s credibility.
2. Good Editorial Practices	- Encourage innovative ideas from authors, reviewers, and the Editorial Board. - Apply double-blind peer review strictly and fairly. - Promote anti-plagiarism and research integrity policies. - Educate contributors on ethical publishing standards. - Implement and periodically review journal policies independently.
3. Editorial Board Formation	- Ensure the Editorial Board consists of qualified scholars from diverse backgrounds, including at least 50% from international institutions. - Divide responsibilities between the Editorial Committee (logistics) and Advisory Committee (reviewing). - Conduct at least two Editorial Board meetings annually. - Inform new members of ethical standards and journal updates. - Maintain journal quality in alignment with national/international standards (e.g., HEC).
4. Fair Play and Impartiality	- Select papers solely based on academic merit, originality, and relevance. - Avoid bias based on gender, ethnicity, religion, institutional affiliation, or seniority. - Ensure impartial evaluation through blind peer review. - Respond promptly to author inquiries and ensure fair processing of all submissions.
5. Confidentiality	- Maintain confidentiality of authors and reviewers during the review process. - Share manuscript details only with those directly involved (authors, reviewers, editorial staff). - Protect participant privacy and personal data. - Prevent unauthorized use or sharing of manuscript content prior to publication.
6. Editing and Formatting	- Provide clear and updated author guidelines on formatting and submission. - Declare the preferred citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago). - Ensure all formatting and style policies are published in each issue.
7. Review Process	- Ensure all manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review, with at least one international reviewer. - Provide reviewers with detailed instructions and evaluation forms. - Maintain confidentiality and neutrality in review handling. - Communicate reviewer comments to authors promptly and ensure corrections are incorporated. - Maintain an updated database of qualified reviewers. - Refer complex review conflicts to the Advisory Committee for resolution.
8. Dealing with Misconduct	- Encourage reviewers to identify ethical concerns or misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication). - Verify plagiarism through reliable detection tools (e.g., Turnitin). - Retract or correct published articles if misconduct is confirmed. - Promote a transparent process for addressing ethical breaches.
9. Transparency	- Limit one paper per author (as principal investigator) per issue. - Editorial Board members may publish only one paper per issue. - Ensure clear authorship policies to prevent honorary or unethical authorship.
10. Conflict of Interest	- Avoid handling submissions from authors or institutions where conflicts exist. - Require all Editorial Board members to declare potential conflicts (financial, academic, or personal). - Assign independent editors for papers submitted by the Editor or Board members. - Maintain confidentiality of reviewer identities in such cases.
11. Disclosure	- Prohibit use of unpublished material for personal gain. - Maintain strict confidentiality of all materials and data obtained during the review process.
12. Publication Decisions	- Base acceptance/rejection decisions solely on scholarly merit, originality, and alignment with journal scope. - Provide clear justification for rejection (e.g., poor quality, ethical concerns, lack of relevance). - Communicate editorial decisions promptly and transparently. - Avoid reversal of decisions without due cause.
13. Appeals Procedure	- Establish a formal appeal mechanism for authors concerning: a) Manuscript rejection. b) Objections to published content causing harm. c) Alleged ethical violations. - Ensure appeals are handled objectively and confidentially.