Confidentiality of Submitted Manuscripts
All manuscripts submitted to Umm Al-Qura University journals are treated as strictly confidential documents.
Editors, members of the editorial staff, and peer reviewers are prohibited from disclosing any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone other than those directly involved in the editorial and publishing process, such as the corresponding author, designated reviewers, and editorial board members.
Manuscripts must not be shared with any third party without explicit prior written authorization from the Editor-in-Chief.
Reviewer Confidentiality
Reviewers must treat all manuscripts and associated materials received for peer review with absolute confidentiality.
Disclosing, distributing, or utilizing any part of a submitted manuscript for personal or academic advantage 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 submit an inquiry to the relevant editorial board member and ensure that any participating party strictly complies with these confidentiality terms.
Editorial Board Confidentiality
Editors and editorial board members must not use any unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research purposes without the explicit written consent of the author.
All communications pertaining to submitted manuscripts must be handled confidentially and maintained through secure, protected systems.
Breach of Confidentiality
Any breach of confidentiality—including unauthorized sharing, distribution, or appropriation of confidential content—constitutes a grave ethical violation.
The journal reserves the right to take appropriate disciplinary and corrective actions, which may include:
Removal from the editorial board or the reviewer roster.
Notification of the relevant institutional authorities, employers, and funding agencies.
Publication of an official editorial notice in extreme cases.
Post-Decision Confidentiality
The obligation of confidentiality persists beyond the conclusion of the peer-review process. Information concerning manuscript rejections, editorial deliberations, and reviewer identities remains strictly confidential indefinitely, even after a final editorial decision has been rendered.
Author Responsibilities
Authors must refrain from attempting to identify reviewers or improperly influence the peer-review process through any informal or off-record communication channels.
If a manuscript is withdrawn from consideration, its confidentiality remains in full effect; neither the journal nor the reviewers may disclose its contents.
Data Protection and Communication
All correspondence related to submitted 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 approved, secure channels to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.