Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original and that the work and ideas of others have been properly cited. Manuscripts must be free from any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism (republishing an author's own previous work without appropriate citation) and content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools without explicit disclosure and rigorous human oversight.
The use of AI-generated text, automated paraphrasing tools, or any content produced by AI platforms (such as ChatGPT and similar technologies) is unacceptable unless fully disclosed and utilized solely for supportive purposes, rather than as a substitute for scholarly analysis or academic writing.
Any AI-assisted content must be clearly delineated, limited in scope, and thoroughly vetted by the authors to safeguard academic integrity.
The journal utilizes the iThenticate plagiarism detection software during the editorial review process to screen all submitted manuscripts. Similarity indices are acceptable only within the permissible thresholds established by the journal's policies. Any evidence of direct copying, improper paraphrasing, AI-driven plagiarism, or citation manipulation will result in immediate rejection or retraction.
Data Integrity and Prevention of Falsification
All data presented in the manuscript must be authentic, accurate, and ethically gathered. Authors are strictly prohibited from:
Fabricating or manipulating data, images, or research findings.
Selectively omitting data with the intent to mislead the reader.
Presenting fraudulent information to substantiate their conclusions.
Any data manipulation shall be deemed a gross breach of scientific ethics.
Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Authors must refrain from submitting their manuscript—in whole or in part—to more than one journal concurrently. Submitting the same work to multiple publishing venues simultaneously, or redundant publication without sound justification or transparent documentation, constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
Acknowledgment of Sources
Proper acknowledgment must be extended to all contributors, supporting institutions, funding bodies, and relevant scholarly literature. Authors are obligated to cite publications that have influenced the reported research and to secure written permissions for the reproduction of any third-party content (such as figures or tables) where applicable.
Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship credit should be limited exclusively to individuals who meet the approved authorship criteria (as detailed in the Umm Al-Qura University Journal Authorship Guidelines). Contributors who do not satisfy these criteria should be appropriately recognized in the acknowledgments section rather than listed as co-authors.
All designated authors must review and approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission. No changes to the author list may be made post-submission without the prior written consent of all registered co-authors.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Authors must transparently disclose any financial, personal, academic, or professional conflicts of interest that could be perceived as exerting influence on the research or the interpretation of its findings. These encompass, but are not limited to:
Funding agencies and financial sponsors.
Employment or consultancies.
Stock ownership or received grants.
Personal relationships or institutional affiliations.
All potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed at the time of manuscript submission and incorporated into the published article. For further details, please refer to the Conflict of Interest Policy.
Ethical Approval and Research Involving Human or Animal Subjects
For research involving human participants, animal models, or sensitive data, authors must:
Secure formal ethical approval from a recognized institutional review board or ethics committee.
Ensure that all human subjects have executed informed consent forms.
Comply strictly with established international and institutional ethical standards for animal care and use.
The manuscript must feature an explicit statement detailing the institutional ethical approval received and verifying the procurement of informed consent where required.
Corrections and Retractions
Should authors identify significant errors or inaccuracies within their published article, they are ethically obligated to notify the editorial board immediately and cooperate in publishing a formal correction (corrigendum/erratum) or retraction. Failure to report identified errors in a timely manner may prompt editorial actions, including the unilateral issuance of a formal correction or retraction notice. For further details, please refer to the Corrections and Retractions Policy.
Image Integrity and Manipulation
Submitted images must be accurate representations of the original raw data and must not be altered in any manner that misleads the reader, such as through selective enhancement or the obscuration of specific features. Where global adjustments are made—such as standardizing brightness or contrast—they must be applied uniformly across the entire image and explicitly documented in the corresponding figure legend.
Investigation of Research Misconduct
Umm Al-Qura University Journals treat all allegations of scientific misconduct with the utmost seriousness. Allegations involving plagiarism, duplicate submission, authorship manipulation, or research ethics violations are rigorously investigated in direct coordination with the authors' host institutions. Umm Al-Qura University Journals strictly adhere to the flowcharts and international best practice guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when managing such cases.