Publication Ethics
Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies (AJRS) (ISSN Print: 1684-0615; ISSN Online: 2616-2814) adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics in scholarly research. The journal's "Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement" is guided by COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. All parties involved in the publishing process—the authors, editor-in-chief, editorial board, peer reviewers, and publisher—must agree to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior in research
publication.
Publication Decisions
The editor-in-chief is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal should be published. This decision is based on the recommendations of the editorial board members and reviewers. The journal adheres to legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor consults with the editorial team and reviewers in making this decision.
Non-Discrimination
The editors and reviewers evaluate manuscripts for intellectual content without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
Confidentiality
The editor, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, potential reviewers, the editorial team, and the publisher, as appropriate.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used by any editorial board members or reviewers in their own research.
Funding
Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies does not receive funding from any external institution. It is funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at AlAhliyya Amman University.
Advertising
Advertisements for any external institution are not accepted on Al-Balqa Journal website. However, advertising is exclusively permitted for Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies through the AlAhliyya Amman University website.
Direct Marketing
Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies markets itself by indexing papers in multiple academic databases, including EBSCOhost, Dar Al-Mandumah, Arab Journals Platform, e-Marefa, J-Gate, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and Shamaa. Marketing also occurs through the Al-Ahliyya Amman University website, announcements for the academic staff at Al-Ahliyya Amman University, and official communications between Jordanian universities.
DUTIES OF REVIEWERS
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
The journal employs a double-blind review process. Reviewers advise the editor-in-chief in making editorial decisions. The editor-in-chief communicates with authors as needed, assisting them in improving the quality of their research papers.
Promptness
The journal editors are committed to providing timely reviews for authors. If a reviewer does not submit their report promptly, the paper is immediately sent to another qualified reviewer.
Confidentiality
Manuscript content is treated with the utmost confidentiality. The journal employs a double-blind review process. Manuscripts cannot be discussed with anyone other than the editor-in-chief, editors, and reviewers.
Standards of Objectivity
Editors and reviewers are required to evaluate papers based on content. Review comments must be respectful to the authors. Reviewers are also required to justify their decisions and recommendations.
References
Reviewers must ensure that references and in-text citations are formatted appropriately according to Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies publishing instructions. It is unacceptable for a reference to be listed without a corresponding in-text citation, or vice versa. Reviewers are required to notify the editor and the author if any referencing issues are detected.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any statement indicating that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also bring to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published papers of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers. Additionally, reviewers are prohibited from requesting authors to cite their own publications.
DUTIES OF AUTHORS
Publication and Submission Fee
There are no charges for article submission, processing, or publication. However, if the author chooses to withdraw their article after it has been assessed, they shall reimburse Al-Balqa for the cost of reviewing the paper.
Reporting Standards
Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed, along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be accurately represented in the paper. Sufficient detail and references must be provided to allow others to replicate the work whenever possible. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide the raw data related to a paper for editorial review. They should be prepared to provide this data within a reasonable timeframe.
Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their works are entirely original. If they have used the work and/or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. We utilize Turnitin to check for plagiarism. Papers found to have such issues are automatically rejected, and authors will be notified. If the plagiarism percentage in a paper exceeds 20%, the editor will notify the author to reduce the plagiarism. If the percentage remains above 20% after adjustments by the author, the paper will be rejected. If a reader discovers plagiarism in a published manuscript, please contact the editors of Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
An author should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Splitting the research and submitting it to multiple journals is not permitted. Additionally, submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Submitting the same research in a different language is also prohibited.
Publishing Instructions and Referencing
Authors must adhere to the referencing style and publishing instructions of Al-Balqa Journal for Research and Studies. If any issues are detected with the references, authors are required to respond to the editor and the reviewer. Modern references are essential for enriching the manuscript. The research must include a discussion and results to achieve the aims and methodology of the study.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is required. Authors must cite publications that have
contributed to their current research.
Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the research reported in the manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for keeping co-authors informed about the review process. If the paper is accepted for the peer review process, the corresponding author is required to provide a signed publication pledge affirming that the research is their original work.
Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
If the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment with any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantial conflicts of interest that might be perceived to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project must also be disclosed.
Disagreement
If an author disagrees with the reviewer's decision, the author may provide a detailed scientific response in the response letter during the peer review process. This response will be sent to the reviewer by the editor while maintaining confidentiality between the reviewer and the author.
Fundamental Errors in Published Works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
