Publication Ethics

Ra’ah Journal upholds the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. All parties involved in the publication process editors, reviewers, and authors are expected to adhere to ethical principles aligned with internationally recognized scholarly publishing standards.

Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Publication Decisions

Editors have full authority to accept, reject, or request revisions of submitted manuscripts based on reviewers’ evaluations, the journal’s editorial policies, and the manuscript’s scholarly merit. Editorial decisions must be free from external influence and comply with applicable legal and ethical standards, including those concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors are responsible for the integrity and quality of every article published in the journal.

Manuscript Evaluation and Peer Review

Editors conduct an initial screening to ensure compliance with the journal’s scope, formatting standards, and ethical requirements. Editors must guarantee that the peer-review process is conducted in a fair, objective, and confidential manner under a double-blind review system. Manuscripts are assigned to reviewers with appropriate expertise and without conflicts of interest.

Fairness and Impartiality

Editorial decisions must be based solely on the academic merit, originality, clarity, and relevance of the manuscript. Discrimination based on gender, race, religion, nationality, or institutional affiliation is strictly prohibited.

Confidentiality
Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and author information. Manuscripts must not be disclosed to any party other than those directly involved in the review and publication process.

Conflict of Interest and Disclosure

Editors must avoid any situation that may constitute a conflict of interest. If a potential conflict arises, the editor must recuse themselves from handling the manuscript.

Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Reviewers assist editors in making publication decisions and contribute to improving the quality of manuscripts through constructive and objective feedback.

Confidentiality
All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers may not share, discuss, or use the content for personal advantage. Any request for author information must be directed through the editor.

Objectivity and Professional Standards

Reviews must be conducted objectively and supported by clear arguments. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Evaluations should focus on scholarly quality, methodological rigor, originality, and clarity.

Acknowledgment of Sources and Ethical Concerns

Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the author and notify the editor of any substantial similarity, plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline the review if they have any conflict of interest related to the manuscript’s content, authors, or institutions. The review process must be completed within the assigned deadline. If unable to do so, reviewers must promptly inform the editor.

Expertise Relevance

If a reviewer considers that the manuscript falls outside their area of expertise, they should notify the editor and withdraw from the review process.

Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors must present accurate, original, and transparent research findings. Data must not be fabricated, falsified, or manipulated. Manuscripts should provide sufficient detail and references to allow replication and further scholarly development.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. Proper citation practices must be applied when referencing the work of others. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.

Multiple or Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Duplicate or redundant publication is considered unethical. Research outputs from the same project must be clearly differentiated to avoid overlap.

Acknowledgment of Sources

All data sources, references, and supporting materials must be properly acknowledged. Appropriate citation reflects respect for intellectual contributions and academic integrity.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship must accurately reflect individual contributions to the research and manuscript preparation. Only individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions should be listed as authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the interpretation of their research. All sources of funding or institutional support must be clearly stated.

Correction of Errors

If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the editor and cooperate in retracting or correcting the article.

Ra’ah Journal is committed to fostering ethical scholarship, transparency, and academic responsibility to ensure the credibility and integrity of published research.