Publication rules

1. Editorial Policies

a. Peer Review Policy

  • The journal follows a double-blind peer review process, where the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential to ensure an objective and fair evaluation.
  • Each manuscript is sent to at least two expert reviewers in the relevant field of research.
  • The review process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. The final decision of acceptance or rejection rests with the Editorial Board, based on the reviewers' recommendations.

b. Open Access Policy

  • Queen Arwa University Journal is a fully and immediately open access journal. All published articles are freely available for everyone to read, download, copy, distribute, and print, in accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition.
  • All works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits reuse and redistribution for any purpose, provided the original work is properly attributed.
  • Authors retain full copyright to their work without restrictions.
  • Upon acceptance, authors grant the journal the Right of First Publication.
  • Authors agree to have their article simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

d. Publication Ethics

  • The journal adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics and follows the core practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
  • Submitted works must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors must avoid all forms of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

e. Archiving Policy

  • The journal ensures the long-term preservation of its digital content through the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) Preservation Network to maintain permanent access to its publications.

2. Manuscript Preparation Guidelines

Authors must follow the journal's approved template and adhere to the following structure:

  1. Word Count: The manuscript should not exceed 10,000 words (up to 15,000 words is permissible with editorial approval).
  2. Title: Clear and concise (max. 20 words) in both Arabic and English.
  3. Author Information: Full name, institutional affiliation (with ROR ID, if available), email, and ORCID iD.
  4. Abstract: A structured abstract (Objective, Methods, Results, Conclusion) of no more than 250 words in both Arabic and English.
  5. Keywords: 3-5 keywords in both Arabic and English.
  6. Main Text: Must follow the scientific structure (Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion).
  7. References: A list of all sources according to the APA 7th Edition style, with Arabic references translated into English.
  8. Appendices, Tables, and Figures (if any).

3. Submission and Review Process

The publication process follows these stages:

  1. Submission: Authors submit their manuscripts through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform or via the official journal email.
  2. Initial Screening: The editorial team conducts a preliminary check to ensure the manuscript aligns with the journal's scope and basic standards.
  3. Peer Review: If the manuscript passes the initial screening, it is sent to expert reviewers for a double-blind peer review.
  4. Editorial Decision: Based on the reviewers' reports, the editorial board makes a decision (accept, accept with revisions, or reject) and communicates it to the author.
  5. Revisions: The author makes the required revisions (if any) and resubmits the revised version.
  6. Final Acceptance & License Agreement: After acceptance, the author agrees to the Publication License Agreement, which confirms that they retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under the CC BY 4.0 license.
  7. Publication: Following copyediting and final formatting, the article is published in the upcoming issue of the journal and made available on its website.