Confidentiality of Submitted Manuscripts
All manuscripts submitted to Umm Al-Qura University journals are treated as strictly confidential documents.
Editors, editorial team members, and peer reviewers are strictly prohibited from disclosing any information regarding a submitted manuscript to any party not directly involved in the publication process, with the exception of the corresponding author, designated peer reviewers, and editorial board members.
Sharing manuscripts with any third party is strictly prohibited without explicit written authorization from the Editor-in-Chief.
Peer Reviewer Confidentiality
Reviewers must maintain absolute confidentiality regarding the contents of submitted manuscripts and any associated supplementary materials.
Disclosing, distributing, or using any part of a submitted manuscript for personal or academic gain is strictly prohibited.
Reviewers are not permitted to involve colleagues or students in the review process without prior written permission from the editorial board.
Should specialized consultation be required, the reviewer must consult the handling editor via formal inquiry channels and ensure that all participating parties adhere strictly to confidentiality obligations.
Editorial Board Confidentiality
Editors and editorial board members are strictly prohibited from using any unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research purposes without the explicit written consent of the author.
All communications concerning manuscripts must be handled with utmost confidentiality and securely stored through protected systems.
Breach of Confidentiality
Any breach of confidentiality—including unauthorized sharing, distribution, or misuse of confidential content—constitutes gross ethical misconduct.
The journal reserves the right to take appropriate disciplinary measures, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Removal from the editorial board or the reviewer roster.
Notifying relevant institutions, affiliations, or funding agencies.
Publishing an official editorial notice in extreme cases.
Post-Decision Confidentiality
Confidentiality obligations extend beyond the completion of the peer review process; no information regarding rejected manuscripts, editorial deliberations, or reviewer identities may be disclosed, even after a final editorial decision has been rendered.
Author Responsibilities
Authors must refrain from attempting to uncover reviewer identities or unduly influencing the peer review process through informal communication channels.
Should a manuscript be withdrawn from the journal, confidentiality protections remain fully effective, and neither the journal nor the reviewers may disclose its contents.
Data Protection and Communications
All correspondence related to manuscripts is governed by the approved data protection and privacy policies of Umm Al-Qura University journals.
Communications with authors and reviewers are conducted exclusively through secure, official channels to ensure confidentiality and data integrity.