Publication Ethics

Ethical Standards for Publishing in Al-Fath Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences

Al-Fath Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences is published by the College of Basic Education, Diyala University. The journal is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all researchers. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit and intellectual content, without discrimination based on gender, beliefs, ethnicity, nationality, or political orientation.

The journal places the highest priority on adherence to professional and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors are all expected to uphold these principles. This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities governing the publication process and is aligned with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international standards for publication ethics and malpractice.

Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief, in coordination with the editorial board and external experts, is responsible for:

Selecting qualified reviewers based on their expertise and the subject matter of the manuscript.
Ensuring the confidentiality of the review process.
Making final decisions regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection based on reviewers’ evaluations and academic standards.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The journal’s editorial board consists of experienced scholars whose affiliations are publicly available on the journal’s website. Their responsibilities include:

Supporting the Editor-in-Chief in enhancing the journal’s academic quality and vision.
Assisting in the selection of appropriate peer reviewers.
Maintaining strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and the peer review process.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to:

Adhere to the highest standards of research integrity and ethical conduct.
Ensure the accuracy of data and present findings honestly without fabrication, falsification, or manipulation.
List all contributing authors according to the extent of their contributions.
Properly cite and reference all sources used in the research.
Revise manuscripts in accordance with reviewers’ comments or provide a clear and justified explanation for any rejected suggestions.
Avoid submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.

Peer Review Process

All submitted manuscripts are evaluated by three independent expert reviewers in the relevant field.
The journal ensures full confidentiality of reviewers’ identities and reports.
Reviewers must provide objective, unbiased, and constructive evaluations.
Reviewers are responsible for identifying any signs of plagiarism or academic misconduct.

Plagiarism Policy

The journal strictly prohibits all forms of plagiarism and considers it a serious violation of publication ethics. Accordingly:

Authors must submit original work that has not been plagiarized.
All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin).
Proper citation and documentation of all sources are mandatory.
The journal reserves the right to take appropriate action against any ethical violations.

Duplicate Submission and Publication

Manuscripts must not have been previously published or be under consideration elsewhere.
Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is strictly prohibited.
Authors may submit their work to another journal only after receiving an official rejection or formal withdrawal approval from this journal.

Publishing Ethics and Misconduct

The journal takes all necessary measures to prevent the publication of research involving unethical practices. Any detected misconduct will be handled in accordance with established ethical guidelines.