Policies

Journal Editorial Process:
The Wadi Al-Shati University Journal of Humanities adheres to a high-quality and rigorous editorial review and publication process. The key steps are outlined below:

Initial Review: Upon submission, the journal’s editorial team evaluates the manuscript for suitability—including adherence to the journal's aims and scope—and checks for compliance with guidelines regarding ethical principles for animal research.

Similarity and AI Check: The editorial team assesses the manuscript using Turnitin software to check for similarity and the use of Artificial Intelligence. If the results exceed the permissible limits, the manuscript is immediately rejected; if they fall within the acceptable range, the manuscript proceeds to the next stage of evaluation.

Double-blind peer review: Research papers that pass the initial screening undergo a double-blind peer review process, meaning the identities of both authors and reviewers remain concealed from one another to ensure objectivity. At least two independent reviewers with expertise in the relevant field are selected to evaluate the paper. Reviewers assess the research's originality, methodology, significance, clarity, and alignment with the journal's scope.

Reviewer recommendations: Reviewers provide detailed feedback to the editors, along with a recommendation that may include: Acceptance without revision, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.

Editorial Decision: The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding the publication of the manuscript, based on the reviewers' comments and recommendations.

Revision Process: If revisions are required, authors are asked to address the reviewers' comments and submit a revised version of the manuscript, along with a file containing responses to the reviewers' comments and a copy of the manuscript with the revisions highlighted in a different color.

Journal Authorship Policy:

The journal adheres to the authorship standards set forth in the Wadi Al-Shatii University Scientific Research Ethics Guide. All authors must have made a clear contribution to the intellectual or practical aspects of the research. Such contributions include research design, data collection or analysis, and drafting or substantially revising the manuscript. The inclusion of authors who did not actively participate in the research is prohibited, and the order of authorship must be agreed upon by all authors prior to submission.
Authors must submit a formal declaration affirming that the submitted research is not derived from another study or academic thesis and has not been published—nor is it currently under consideration for publication—in any journal, conference proceedings, or other source (whether in print or online). The authors bear full legal and ethical responsibility should this declaration prove to be inaccurate.

Journal Publication Guidelines:

Submitted research must offer a new and original contribution; it must not have been previously published elsewhere, nor derived from academic theses or dissertations (whether by the author or others).
The length of the research paper must not exceed twenty-five pages.
The paper must be written in Arabic and be linguistically proofread; it must include a comprehensive abstract in both Arabic and English, along with a list of keywords.
The paper must include—on its first page—the author’s full name (four-part name), as well as details regarding their workplace, position, academic rank, qualifications, phone number, and email address.
Submitted papers undergo a confidential review process by specialized academics to determine their suitability for publication; the journal subsequently informs authors of the reviewers' feedback and suggestions.  The research paper must be computer-typed using the "Times New Roman" font; headings should be in size 16 and the body text in size 14. Pages must be numbered sequentially, including all tables, figures, images, plates, and the list of footnotes or references.
Upon acceptance for publication, the researcher must complete any required revisions within a period not exceeding 15 days.
The researcher must adhere to standard scientific research methodology, concluding the paper with findings, followed by recommendations, and finally the footnotes or references.
References cited in the text must be indicated using Arabic numerals in parentheses at the end of the quotation (e.g., the first reference is marked as (1), the second as (2), and so on). These citations should not appear at the bottom of the page; instead, the full list of references must be provided at the end of the paper, arranged according to the numerical order of their appearance (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) or regarding references: At the end of each citation, the author's name, the date, and the page number must be indicated in parentheses; the full reference list at the end of the paper must be arranged alphabetically by author surname.
Tables, figures, and illustrations must be numbered sequentially and provided with appropriate captions.
Based on the reviewer's recommendations and in the interest of the research, the journal reserves the right to modify the paper—whether by adding, deleting, or altering sections—provided such changes do not compromise the core substance of the research.
The editorial board of the *Journal of Humanities* at Wadi Al-Shatii University reserves the right to reject any research paper that does not adhere to the aforementioned guidelines or falls outside the journal's scope.
The opinions, ideas, and conclusions expressed in the research papers reflect solely the views of their respective authors.

The journal reserves the right to publish accepted material in the appropriate issue and in accordance with its publication schedule, provided the aforementioned conditions are met.
The journal does not accept or review any research paper containing ideas that undermine national or societal security, or that exhibit any form of prejudice, hostility, extremism, or ideological rhetoric.
The journal undertakes to notify the researcher of the acceptance or rejection of their paper immediately upon the conclusion of the review process; the researcher shall receive a copy of the issue in which the paper is published, as well as a letter confirming publication, upon request.

Journal Review Policy:

All research papers submitted to the journal undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the highest standards of academic quality and scientific integrity. Following submission, the editorial board conducts a preliminary review to verify the paper's suitability regarding the journal's publication criteria; the paper is also screened for originality and reviewed by the scientific secretariat. It is then referred to an anonymous review committee—where the reviewers remain unknown to the author and the author’s identity remains unknown to the reviewers—ensuring that the material is evaluated solely on its own merits.

Reviewers assess the paper based on originality, methodological rigor, clarity, significance, and scientific contribution. Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the editorial board makes a decision to either accept the paper, request revisions (whether minor or substantive), or reject it for publication.

The peer-review process typically takes 4 to 6 weeks, though the duration may vary depending on reviewer availability and the nature of the research.

This policy aims to elevate the quality of published research, enhance the journal's credibility, and ensure adherence to international scientific standards.

Selection and Recruitment of Reviewers:

Reviewers are selected based on their academic and professional expertise in the relevant field.
They must possess a solid record of scholarly publications and be qualified to evaluate research according to academic standards.
Diversity in expertise and specialization is considered to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the research.
The journal utilizes a database of approved reviewers whose competence and scholarly records have been verified.
New reviewers are recruited through direct invitations or recommendations from editorial board members, subject to verification of their qualifications.

The journal provides new reviewers with clear guidelines regarding review criteria, ethics, and journal policies to ensure objective and accurate evaluations.
The editorial board periodically reviews the performance of reviewers and maintains a record of the quality of their evaluations for use in future selection.
The publisher provides a financial honorarium to reviewers for each manuscript they review and for which they submit a report, regardless of whether the manuscript is accepted or rejected.
Reviewers must notify the editorial board of their acceptance or rejection of a review request within four days of receiving it. Upon acceptance, they are required to adhere to the specified timeframe for the review process (approximately six weeks).

Ethical Policy and Publication Ethics

As an entity within Wadi Al-Shati University, the *Wadi Al-Shati University Journal of Humanities* adheres to all ethical regulations and laws established by the University’s Scientific Research Ethics Committee. We also comply with all international rules and standards governing ethics in scientific research and publication, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding any suspected violations in this area. Authors are required to strictly observe these ethical rules, as well as any other standards relevant to their specific fields of research. For further details regarding ethical guidelines for research involving human subjects, please refer to the Journal’s policies.

Authors must be fully aware of the forms of misconduct listed below prior to submitting their research to the journal:

Submitted Research Paper: The paper must be previously unpublished and not a duplicate study (unless only an abstract or a thesis was published); it must not be currently under consideration by another journal. We take publication ethics seriously and verify whether the paper has been published elsewhere.

Plagiarism: We check submitted papers for plagiarism using text-matching software and reject any papers found to contain it. Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person's ideas, data, images, tables, research methods, results, or words without attributing them to the original author or source, and claiming them as the submitting author's own work. 

Therefore, please ensure proper citation when quoting the research of others or your own previously published work (self-citation). If citing your own previously published work, there is a limit on the proportion of such sources used (not exceeding 6%). The same applies to the reuse of tables or figures (the source must be cited).

List of co-authors: This is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the research (conception, study design, data collection, analysis, and drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for intellectual content). The corresponding author must confirm that all co-authors have approved the final version submitted to the journal. 

Securing funding, collecting data, or supervising a research group is not sufficient, in itself, to justify authorship. Such contributions should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

Conflict of Interest: All authors contributing to the research must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest at the time of submission. Any personal or financial relationships with individuals or organizations that could influence the scientific content or the interpretation of results must be disclosed.

Research Involving Humans or Animals: Authors must comply with the ethical standards applicable to the relevant field of research. For further details, please refer to the Ethical Guidelines section.

Journal Procedures Regarding Ethical Misconduct: Ethical misconduct includes plagiarism, republishing or duplicating research in another journal, data fraud, and the falsification of research records, results, or participant consent. Any allegations of misconduct must be reported to the Editor-in-Chief. Such allegations will be investigated in accordance with the principles established by the Wadi Al-Shati University Ethics Committee for handling ethical misconduct. The procedures to be followed, depending on the timing of the report and verification of the misconduct, are as follows:

Pre-publication: The submitted paper will be rejected following verification of the violation, and the authors' affiliated institutions will be notified.

Post-publication: The paper will be withdrawn from the journal's website in accordance with the withdrawal policy outlined below, and the authors' affiliated institutions will be notified.

Journal Policy on the Withdrawal of Published Papers

The journal adheres to the guidelines on the withdrawal of published research issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Any published research paper may be withdrawn if it involves any of the forms of misconduct mentioned above. Upon removal of the paper from the website, the webpage will display the metadata, indicating that the paper has been withdrawn and stating the reason for the withdrawal. Additionally, a "Withdrawn" mark will be applied to every page of the paper's PDF file.

Correction Policy

In the event of an inadvertent error in a published paper, the editor may correct the paper following consultation with the authors, depending on the nature of the error and the extent to which the content is affected. There are two types of corrections:

Errors made by the journal or publisher that do not affect the paper's original scientific content (such as typographical errors or incorrect numbering in a heading). In such cases—and depending on the severity of the error—the original PDF file will be replaced with an updated version. A correction notice will be posted on the paper’s webpage, detailing the errors in the previous version and the changes made in the new version, alongside a correction note and a reference to the corrected article.

Inadvertent errors by authors that affect the scientific content of the paper, or changes to author names. In such cases, a separate correction notice is published, bearing its own Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

It should be noted that the decision to issue a correction for any of the aforementioned issues rests with the editor, following consultation with the authors.

Open Access Policy:

The Wadi Al-Shati University Journal of Human Sciences adopts an open access policy for all its publications. This policy ensures that scientific research outputs are made freely available online, without financial or technical barriers. It allows users to read, copy, distribute, and print the content—provided the original source is cited—with the aim of fostering the dissemination of scientific knowledge and collaboration, as well as enhancing research impact.

Copyright and Licensing:

Authors retain full, unrestricted copyright to their articles published in this journal.
This journal utilizes the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial International license (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits use, sharing, modification, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons license is provided, and an indication is made if changes were made.

Journal Plagiarism Policy:

Wadi Al-Shatii University Journal of Human Sciences is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and strongly condemns all forms of plagiarism—whether partial or complete, intentional or unintentional. Plagiarism is defined as the use of the work, ideas, or texts of others without explicit attribution to the source.
The Journal is committed to combating all forms of plagiarism; all submitted manuscripts are screened using similarity detection software. If plagiarism is confirmed, or if the level of quoted material exceeds the permissible limit, the manuscript is rejected for publication.
All manuscripts submitted to the Journal undergo screening for similarity and AI-generated content using Turnitin software.

Similarity Index – Similarity Rate 5%–10%: The document contains plagiarism or low-level similarity. Acceptable.  
Similarity Index – Similarity Rate 11%–25%: The document contains plagiarism or moderate-level similarity. Acceptable; please review your research paper.  
Similarity Index – Similarity Rate >25%: The document contains plagiarism or high-level similarity. Rejected: The editorial board will reject the submission.  
 
Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies  
WAUJHS acknowledges the capabilities of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies ("AI tools") when used responsibly to help researchers work efficiently, rapidly gain valuable insights, and achieve better results. Artificial intelligence may have been used to improve language or assist with other editorial tasks without being explicitly cited in the body of the research paper. In such cases, we recommend disclosing the use of AI in the paper's declarations section.
Authors may use AI tools to support their work; however, the extent of AI usage must not exceed 10%. Furthermore, any use of AI must be disclosed in the paper's cover letter, along with an explanation of how it was utilized.
 
Journal Data Sharing:
The journal is committed to fostering transparency and credibility in humanities research by encouraging researchers to disclose the data or materials upon which their research is based, in accordance with ethical principles and legal constraints governing scientific research. 

Researchers are requested to provide a clear statement regarding data sharing in their research. This statement should clarify whether the data is available for review or use and where it can be accessed, or indicate any reasons preventing its sharing—such as privacy concerns, copyright issues, or institutional agreements.
The journal recognizes the unique nature and complexities of research in the humanities; therefore, data sharing is not mandatory. However, researchers are encouraged to clarify the availability of their data and to provide it upon request whenever possible, while ensuring adherence to research ethics and the protection of participants.

Digital Archiving and Preservation Policies

The Wadi Al-Shati University Journal of Humanities is committed to the long-term preservation of its digital content. The journal employs strategies to ensure that published articles remain accessible and usable for future generations. These strategies include:

Storage on multiple servers: The journal utilizes multiple servers located in different places to store its digital content. This helps ensure that content is not lost in the event of a server failure.
Use of standard file formats: The journal uses standard file formats, such as PDF, to ensure that content remains accessible across various software and hardware platforms in the future.

Regular Backups: The journal performs regular backups of its digital content to prevent data loss.
Migration to New Technologies: The journal migrates its digital content to new technologies as they become available. This helps ensure that the content remains accessible despite technological changes.
Participation in Digital Archiving Platforms: The journal participates in various digital archiving platforms—such as Portico, CLOCKSS, and the PKP Preservation Network—to ensure the long-term preservation of its content.
By implementing these strategies, the *Wadi Al-Shatii University Journal of Humanities* ensures the continuous availability of published research, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge and scientific inquiry.

Author Self-Archiving Policy:

The journal permits authors to archive only the final published version—following its publication in the journal—in academic repositories or on personal or institutional websites, provided that the full article citation is included and a direct link to the original journal version is provided.
The journal does not permit the archiving of pre-prints or un-peer-reviewed versions prior to publication.

Journal Privacy Policy:

WAUJHS ensures comprehensive protection for all personal data received from or provided by you. Such data will be processed solely for purposes related to the Journal’s activities and for your scholarly benefit; it will not be made available for any other purposes or to any third party.

Conflict of Interest Policy

WAUJHS is committed to ensuring transparency and objectivity in the publication of research. A conflict of interest arises when professional judgment regarding a primary interest (such as the validity of the research) is influenced by a secondary interest (such as financial gain). Therefore, the Journal’s conflict of interest policy requires the following:

Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of their work, including financial, personal, or professional relationships with other individuals or organizations that might inappropriately influence their work.
Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest that could lead to bias in their review of the research. They should refrain from reviewing research if such a conflict exists.
Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their decision-making process.
Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically result in the rejection of the research; rather, it allows the journal to assess the situation and take appropriate action, such as:

Requesting further disclosures in the published article.
Requesting additional reviews.
In some cases, rejecting the research.
Through this policy, the journal aims to uphold the integrity of published research and ensure that the work is reliable and credible.

Complaints and Grievances Policy:

The journal is committed to providing a fair and transparent publishing environment for all stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, and readers. The journal places particular importance on addressing complaints regarding the publication process or the conduct of any party involved in the editorial process.

Types of complaints that may be submitted:

Unjustified delay in the review or decision-making process by an editorial board member or reviewer.
Unprofessional conduct by an editorial board member or reviewer.
Clear bias or conflict of interest during the review process.
Issues regarding research integrity or plagiarism.
Technical malfunctions affecting the submission or review of research.

How to submit a complaint:

Complaints must be sent via the journal's official email or submitted in writing.
The complaint must include the following information:
The complainant's name and contact details.
The title of the research or the nature of the issue.
A clear and detailed description of the complaint.
The complainant's requested outcome (e.g., resolution, clarification, review).
Handling the complaint: An acknowledgment of receipt will be sent within one week.
The complaint will be referred to the relevant party within the editorial board or to the Editor-in-Chief. The complaint is investigated with complete confidentiality and impartiality.The final response is sent to the complainant within 30 days of receipt.