The Journal of Aqaba University of Technology for Studies and Research expects authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold research integrity, transparency, fairness, and confidentiality.
1. Originality and responsible publication
Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration by another journal. Authors must disclose related publications, preprints, theses, and conference versions, explain any overlap, and follow the Author Guidelines. Sources must be acknowledged, and permission obtained for reused material where required. Plagiarism, undisclosed redundant publication, inappropriate text recycling, and citation manipulation are unacceptable. Similarity reports require editorial interpretation; a percentage alone does not establish plagiarism or determine acceptance.
2. Authorship and contributions
Authorship requires a substantial scholarly contribution, participation in drafting or critical revision, approval of the final manuscript, and accountability for the work. Contributions must be reported accurately; honorary and ghost authorship are unacceptable. Contribution statements, including CRediT where applicable, do not replace authorship requirements. Changes to authorship after submission require an explanation, written agreement from all affected authors, and editorial approval.
3. Ethical approval, consent, and privacy
Where applicable, research must have appropriate ethical approval obtained before it begins. Any exemption or waiver must be documented by the competent authority. Authors must report relevant approvals and informed-consent arrangements, protect participants’ privacy, and obtain specific consent for publishing identifiable information. Animal research must comply with applicable ethical approvals and welfare requirements.
4. Data integrity and availability
Fabrication, falsification, and misleading manipulation of data or images are prohibited. Authors must retain appropriate research records and cooperate with reasonable editorial requests for verification. Data availability statements must accurately explain access arrangements or restrictions. Confidential or sensitive information must not be disclosed contrary to consent, ethical requirements, or applicable law.
5. Funding and competing interests
Authors must disclose funding sources, the funders’ roles, and relevant financial or non-financial competing interests. Where none exist, this must be stated explicitly. Reviewers and editors must disclose conflicts and withdraw from decisions where their independence could be compromised.
6. Artificial intelligence
AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors must disclose their use as required by the Author Guidelines and remain responsible for accuracy, references, originality, and permissions. Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential material to external or AI services without prior journal authorization and any necessary author permission, with confidentiality and rights protected.
7. Editorial and reviewer responsibilities
Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit and the journal’s published policies. Reviewers must provide constructive, evidence-based assessments, maintain confidentiality, and avoid using unpublished information for personal advantage. Editors and reviewers must not request irrelevant citations to increase citation counts. Submissions involving editors must be handled independently.
8. Concerns, complaints, and corrections
Concerns about submitted or published work should be sent through the journal’s official contact channels with supporting information. They will be assessed impartially, with an opportunity for those concerned to respond. Relevant institutions may be contacted where appropriate. Depending on the findings, the journal may reject a submission or publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction. Notices will explain the action and be linked to the affected article, preserving the scholarly record. Decision appeals follow the Peer Review Process policy.