Publication Ethics

1. Introduction

At al Bahith Journal, we are committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in the publishing process. This policy provides the ethical framework for all participants in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the journal’s editorial board. By adhering to these ethical standards, we aim to uphold the integrity of scholarly publishing and ensure that the research we publish is credible, trustworthy, and contributes positively to academic knowledge.

2. Ethical Principles for Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to al Bahith Journal must adhere to the following ethical guidelines:

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit only original work. Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited. If any part of the manuscript is derived from other sources, proper citation must be provided.
Data Integrity: Authors must ensure that all data presented in their manuscripts are accurate and free from fabrication, falsification, or manipulation. Data should be presented transparently to allow replication of results.
Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that might influence the research or its interpretation.
Authorship: All individuals listed as authors must have made significant contributions to the study, including conceptualization, data collection, analysis, or manuscript writing. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript.
Human and Animal Ethics: If the research involves human or animal subjects, authors must ensure that the study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines. Informed consent from human participants must be obtained, and approval from an appropriate ethical review board should be provided.
Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors should appropriately acknowledge the contributions of others, including sources of funding, authors of referenced work, and any individuals who contributed to the research.

3. Ethical Principles for Editors

Editors play a critical role in ensuring the ethical integrity of the journal. The responsibilities of the editor include:

Fair and Unbiased Decision Making: Editors are committed to making decisions based solely on the quality of the work, relevance to the journal’s scope, and adherence to ethical standards, without bias related to the author’s nationality, gender, or institutional affiliation.
Confidentiality: Editors must treat all manuscripts as confidential and must not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the reviewers and the author(s), unless required by law.
Conflict of Interest: Editors must not be involved in the decision-making process if they have a conflict of interest with the author or manuscript. Any potential conflicts must be disclosed and managed.
Transparency: Editors should ensure transparency in the publication process. They must ensure that the peer review process is conducted fairly and that any ethical issues raised during the review are addressed.
Handling Misconduct: Editors must take appropriate action if they suspect any form of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data falsification, or ethical violations in the research process. They must cooperate with any investigations and, if necessary, retract or correct published work.
Publication of Corrections: Editors must publish corrections, retractions, or clarifications if necessary, to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record.

4. Ethical Principles for Reviewers

Reviewers contribute significantly to the integrity of the journal. The following ethical principles apply to reviewers:

Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat the manuscript as a confidential document. Manuscripts should not be shared with third parties or discussed publicly without the author’s consent.
Constructive Feedback: Reviewers should provide fair, constructive, and timely feedback to authors, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback should be objective, professional, and based solely on the content of the manuscript.
Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must declare any potential conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript. If any conflict arises during the review process, reviewers should withdraw from the review.
Impartiality and Bias: Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts based on their scientific merit, not on personal opinions, preferences, or biases. Reviews should be based on objective criteria such as clarity, rigor, and relevance.
Ethical Concerns: Reviewers should notify the editorial team if they suspect any ethical issues in the research, including concerns about plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical research practices.
Timeliness: Reviewers should complete their reviews within the specified time frame. If they are unable to meet the deadline, they should notify the editorial team promptly.

5. Ethical Handling of Manuscript Content

Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism: Any instance of plagiarism or self-plagiarism discovered in a manuscript will be investigated and may result in rejection of the manuscript. The journal uses plagiarism detection tools to identify such issues.
Duplicate Submission: Manuscripts that are under review or have been published elsewhere should not be submitted to al Bahith Journal. Authors must ensure that their submission is unique and has not been previously published.
Data and Image Integrity: Any manipulation or falsification of images, graphs, or data is considered unethical. If there is any suspicion of such activity, the manuscript will be rejected and the appropriate actions will be taken.

6. Publication Ethics

Transparency in Publication: The journal ensures that all published content is transparently presented and that all sources of funding, author contributions, and potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.
Corrections and Retractions: If errors are discovered in published work, the journal will issue corrections or retractions as appropriate. The integrity of the research record is paramount, and the journal will take necessary steps to ensure accuracy.
Retraction Policy: In the case of serious ethical issues such as data manipulation or plagiarism, the journal will retract the paper. A retraction notice will be issued, and the reason for retraction will be clearly stated.

7. Transparency and Accountability

Disclosure of Funding: Authors must disclose all sources of funding for their research. This includes government grants, corporate sponsorship, and any other financial support received.
Review Process Transparency: The peer review process should be transparent and impartial. The journal provides clear guidelines for reviewers, authors, and editors to ensure an open and ethical process.
Complaints and Appeals: The journal has a formal procedure for handling complaints or appeals related to manuscript decisions, including plagiarism or conflicts of interest. Authors or reviewers can raise ethical concerns through appropriate channels.

8. Compliance with International Standards

al Bahith Journal adheres to the highest international standards for research ethics. This includes compliance with ethical guidelines provided by major organizations, such as:

The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for research ethics
Local Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) for human and animal studies