Publication Ethics and Misconduct

Statement of Principles

AL-MAQĀṢID is committed to the highest standards of research and publication ethics. This policy is guided by the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) Core Practices and Best Practice Guidelines, Elsevier's publishing ethics framework, and the MyCite selection criteria. All parties involved in the publication process — authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher — are expected to uphold these standards.

Duties of Authors

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted work is entirely their own, is original, and has not been published previously in any form, nor is currently under consideration by any other publication. The use of others' work must be properly acknowledged through appropriate citation or quotation. Plagiarism in any form — including copying text, paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism, and data fabrication — constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and will result in immediate rejection or retraction.

Authorship

Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported research. All co-authors must have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included and that no persons who do not meet authorship criteria are listed. Guest authorship and ghost authorship are not permitted.

Multiple Submission and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript, or substantially similar work, to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting a manuscript that has been published elsewhere — in whole or in part — without proper disclosure and acknowledgement constitutes redundant publication and is unacceptable.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support for their research and any relationships or interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their work. A conflict of interest declaration must be included in the manuscript.

Data Accuracy and Integrity

Authors are expected to present research results accurately and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation. Sufficient methodological detail must be provided to allow replication of the work. Authors should be prepared to provide raw data for editorial review upon request and to retain data for a reasonable period following publication.

Errors in Published Work

Authors who discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and cooperate with the editorial office to issue a correction or retraction, as appropriate.

Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and applicable national regulations. Research involving animals must comply with the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and relevant institutional guidelines. Authors must declare any relevant ethical approval obtained.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Reviewers must maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts and related correspondence.
  • Reviews must be conducted objectively, fairly, and without personal bias.
  • Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest prior to accepting a review assignment and must decline to review if such conflicts exist.
  • Reviewers must not use unpublished material from a manuscript under review for their own purposes without explicit written consent of the authors.
  • Reviewers must notify the Editor-in-Chief of any suspected ethical violation identified during review, including plagiarism, redundant publication, or data irregularities.
  • Reviewers should complete reviews within the agreed timeframe; if unable to do so, they must notify the editorial office promptly so alternative reviewers can be engaged.

Duties of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board

  • Manuscripts must be evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, without regard to authors' race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious belief, or institutional affiliation.
  • The Editor-in-Chief has sole responsibility and authority for deciding which submitted manuscripts will be published.
  • Editors must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts under review and must not disclose their content to anyone other than the relevant authors, reviewers, and editorial staff.
  • Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest.
  • Editors must take reasonable responsive measures when ethical complaints concerning submissions or published papers are raised.

Research Misconduct and Investigation

Allegations of research misconduct — including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, redundant publication, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and inappropriate authorship — will be investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines. The editorial board reserves the right to contact authors' institutions in serious cases. If misconduct is confirmed, the editorial board may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

Post-Publication Amendments

Erratum

An official notice correcting a significant error introduced by the journal during production that affects the scientific record or the reputation of the authors.

Corrigendum

An official notice correcting a significant error made by the author(s) that affects the accuracy or integrity of the published work.

Retraction

A formal declaration that invalidates a published article on grounds of major scientific error, data fabrication or falsification, plagiarism, or serious ethical violation. Retracted articles remain on the journal website, clearly marked as retracted, to preserve the scholarly record.

Addendum

A supplementary notice providing additional information relevant to the published article, such as data or clarifications not available at the time of original publication.