Ethics for Journal

Based on the “Ethical Guidelines for Journals” by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, developed in collaboration with the University of the Punjab, Lahore.

For Authors

Reporting Standards

• Research reports and data must contain sufficient detail and accurate references.

• Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements are unethical and unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism

• All manuscripts must be original and free from plagiarism.

• Verbatim material must be enclosed in quotation marks and properly cited.

• Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 19% will either be rejected or conditionally accepted at the discretion of the Editorial Board, as per HEC policy.

Declaration

• Authors must declare that their submission is original and not under review elsewhere.

• For co-authored papers, all authors must agree on authorship and order.

Acknowledgment of Sources

• Proper citation of others' work is required.

• Authors must acknowledge support from individuals, institutions, or funding agencies.

Authorship Credit

• Authorship is limited to individuals who made substantial contributions to the research.

• The corresponding author must ensure all co-authors approve the final version of the manuscript.

Privacy of Participants

• Authors must respect participants’ privacy.

• If revealing participants' identities, informed consent must be obtained.

Data Access and Retention

• Authors may be asked to provide raw data during review.

• Image data must be accurate and free of manipulation.

Manuscript Acceptance and Rejection

• Authors may contact the Editor during review for updates.

• If revisions are requested, authors must address all reviewer comments.

• Authors may appeal a rejection decision by contacting the Editor.

For Reviewers

Reviewer Responsibilities

• Reviewers must inform the Editor if they lack the expertise to review a manuscript.

• Reviews should be submitted within the requested timeframe.

Standards of Objectivity

• Reviews must be objective and based on scholarly standards.

• Decisions should not be influenced by personal or financial interests.

• Unpublished material must not be used without editorial permission.

• Any conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

• Reviewers should recuse themselves if they cannot remain unbiased.

Confidentiality

• Manuscripts must be treated as confidential documents.

• Content should not be shared or discussed without editorial approval.

Ethical Considerations

• Suspected plagiarism or unethical research practices must be reported to the Editor with evidence.

• Concerns about fabricated or manipulated results should also be reported.