Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists (JGUAA2) - Publication Ethics

Ethical Guidelines for Authors (Based on Elsevier ethical guidelines for authors)

• JGUAA supports the academic community by disseminating scientific research in the JGUAA journal, which is responsible for developing, upholding, choosing, and accepting submitted articles. The Ethical guidelines primarily stem from the journal's perception of the requirements for the quality of academic work and how it should be presented.
• JGUAA presents a set of ethical guidelines for those involved in scientific research publications, especially editors, authors, and manuscript reviewers.
• The following guidelines must be adhered to approve the scientific research.   
• Authorship of the Manuscript:
• Authorship reflects the contribution an individual has made to the manuscript and provides a means of crediting and acknowledging the work of researchers. Each author must provide their final consent before the manuscript may be published. This includes ensuring that concerns about the accuracy or integrity of any part of the manuscript are appropriately investigated and resolved. The order of authorship should reflect the relative contributions of each author.
• The first author usually contributed the most to the work. While all those who have made significant contributions as co-authors and others who participated in certain substantive aspects should be listed as contributors. The principal author(s) should obtain agreement from all participating authors to communicate and act on their behalf. It is also important to update them on the status of the manuscript throughout the submission, review, and publication stages. Moreover, JGUAA invites author(s) to acknowledge anyone who provided proofreading, editing and writing assistance in the Acknowledgments section of their manuscript. This ensures accuracy and integrity, appropriately attributing sources and disclosing any conflicts of interest.
• Author(s) must abide by specific ethical commitments relating to the accuracy, originality or integrity of any part of the work. Suppose these ethical commitments are violated during or after writing, drafting, and revising. In that case, the author(s) must adequately investigate, address and resolve these issues before publication.
• The author has the right to publish, copy, communicate or use an article on academic websites and other media, or any of its contents, provided that this is not a commercial activity because the Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists maintains the exclusive commercial rights.
• Reporting Standards
• Author(s) must accurately report their original manuscript, dispassionately analyse its importance and present a detailed synopsis, including information details, agreements, and references when requested to protect their lawful interests.
• Data Access and Retention
• Authors are asked to provide raw data for editorial review. The author(s) should prepare those raw data accessible to the public access consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases. In any case, this raw data should be available for a reasonable time after publication.
• Acknowledgement of Sources
• Acknowledging sources must be correctly given. The author(s) should cite publications that significantly impactedtheir manuscript.
• When borrowing facts or ideas from unrelated sources, it is imperative to credit the original author(s) using footnotes or a bibliography. Information obtained during confidential services, such as reviewing grant applications or manuscripts, must be used with a written permission of the author(s) involved in these services.
• This aids in preventing plagiarism and promotes integrity and accountability throughout the study process.
• Originality and Plagiarism
• It is the writers' responsibility to attest to the originality of their writing. If the author(s) have copied short phrases from others, they must be either cited or quoted.
• Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work or ideas without providing proper credit or acknowledgment. This includes copying and pasting text, work that has been paraphrased without proper attribution, and using someone else's ideas without permission. It is important to consider that plagiarism occurs with all types of sources, including text taken from manuscripts, illustrations, images, quotations, recordings, material downloaded from websites or other forms of media; published and unpublished material, including lectures, presentations, MA and Ph.D. dissertations.
• In our publication, the editing team examines all entries using various technical tools. Plagiarism cannot be allowed under any circumstances. Submissions that are believed to contain plagiarism, in whole or in part, will be immediately rejected, and the author(s) not be permitted to apply to JGUAA in the future. Suppose plagiarism is discovered after a submission has been published. In that case, we will consult our editors to determine the best course of action, including a revision, author(s) restriction, or full retraction.
• Additionally, the author(s) needs approval from the appropriate governmental entity to publish previously unpublished antiquities. We also anticipate that users, critics, and editors point out any inconsistencies in the submitted work that may raise questions about plagiarism.
• Plagiarism is a severe offence in academic and professional settings and can result in consequences such as loss of credibility, legal action, and academic sanctions.
• Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
• Submitting or publishing the same manuscript or a significant part of it in more than one journal, conference, or other publishing venue is generally considered unethical and discouraged. This can happen in the same language or more than one language, especially Arabic and English. Multiple or redundant releases can lead to various problems, including wasted resources, confusion, and duplication of effort. This behavior can also misrepresent the scientific record by exaggerating the importance of manuscript results.
• JGUAA has a strict policy against multiple or redundant publications and requires the author(s) to disclose any previous or related publication of their work. In cases where multiple publications are deemed necessary for academic discourse, author(s) should obtain permission from all involved parties and clearly indicate in all publications that the work has been previously published or is under review elsewhere. Author(s) must confirm that their works are not already with another publisher or approved for publication in another journal, book, or a different venue, as we anticipate our readers, reviewers, and editors to flag any allegations of reused or duplicate publication.
•  Data and Supporting Evidence: (Transparency)
• JGUAA believes that data transparency is an essential aspect in order to ensure the integrity and credibility of scientific findings
• Transparency involves several vital principles, including:

Data should be available to other researchers in order to verify the findings and build upon the manuscript results. (Especially in the applied studies of monument restoration research)
Methods used in the research should be clearly described and documented so that other researchers can replicate the study. (Especially in the applied studies of monument restoration research)
Negative results of the research should be published along with positive results to prevent publication bias.

• Image Manipulation, Falsification and Fabrication:
• When conveying important information with images, the author(s) must be aware of the techniques used and utilize them responsibly and should always be explained. JGUAA strongly urge the author(s) to present images as they appear in the original sources. Changes to original images can easily lead to falsification, fabrication, or misrepresenting of intended results; it is morally repugnant.
• Conflicts of Interest and Funding:
• Author(s) are entitled to declare any possible conflicts of interest that affect the research objectives. Conflicts of interest could be financial, professional or personal and may cause an undue influence and unfair impact on how the manuscript is presented, examined, or published.
• Defamation and Freedom of Expression:
• Defamation and freedom of expression are two significant concepts that often conflict. Defamation refers to the communication of falsehood that harms an individual's or organization's reputation. JGUAA believes in the right to express opinions and ideas without interference, constraint, or concern. Furthermore, crucial rights, including the right to privacy, a decent reputation, and emotional distress, must be considered. Therefore, it is imperative to balance freedom of expression and reputation protection. In cases of conflict between freedom of expression and reputation protection, the JGUAA editors team will carefully consider all the relevant factors. They will make a decision that balances competing interests.
• Research Frauds and Misconduct:
• Research fraud and misconduct refer to practices that deviate from accepted scientific standards and ethical principles. This might involve fabricating data and outcomes to match the desired results. JGUAA has clear policies and procedures for reporting and investigating research fraud or misconduct allegations. The author(s) must adhere to the highest ethical and scientific standards, including proper data management and transparency.
• An author(s) must promptly inform the journal editor when they discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published manuscript. Retractions or corrections of the manuscript must be done in cooperation with the editor. When the editor learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, the author(s) is responsible for retracting, rewriting, or proving the work's accuracy.
• Research Reviewal and Approval Processes.
• The Journal of the General Union of Arab Archaeologists conducts double-blind reviews, which are thoroughly overseen and evaluated by the editorial board, which is responsible for the initial and preliminary assessments before complimenting the review process.
• Initial evaluation includes quality and ethical considerations such as plagiarism. In contrast, technical evaluation includes ensuring the existence of all the manuscript sections, such as abstract, keywords and references, according to the journal guideline described in the author's manual. The funding announcement, ethical statement, and permissions are all included in the technical evaluation.
• After passing a preliminary review, the manuscript will be forwarded to blind arbitration in accordance with a list of arbitrators and researchers authorized by the editorial board from various Arab countries, with the arbitrator's name, work destination, exact specialization, and means of communication. The editor-in-chief selects two arbitrators based on the recommendation of the editorial board.  
• Guidelines for Reviewers:
• JGUAA allows the author(s) to submit their manuscripts regardless of their place of origin, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, or political opinions and promotes equal publication possibilities. The reviewer must verify the manuscript's authenticity and effectiveness and follow JGUAA guidelines before publication.
• JGUAA guidelines are based on Elsevier standards to avoid interfering with the peer-review process. The reviewer must take into account the following:

· Carefully read the manuscript and ensure an understanding of the research question, methodology, and results.
· Ensure the manuscript adheres to the JGUAA's guidelines, such as formatting, referencing, and citation style.
· Evaluate the manuscript objectively without any personal prejudice and focus on the research's scientific validity, relevance, and originality.
· Provide constructive suggestions and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript to help the author(s) for improvement.
· Identify relevant published works that the author(s) do not cite.
· The reviewers can recommend additional reviewers with subject expertise relevant to the manuscript.
· Maintain confidential information regarding the manuscript and its contents, and refrain from disclosing any of it except as authorized by the editorial board.
· Declare any conflicts of interest to the editorial board, such as a personal or professional relationship with the author(s).
· In most cases, reviewers are given two weeks to submit their reviews. The reviewers receive a reminder email in the middle of the period, while the editorial board should be notified if an extension is necessary.
· A reviewer must only go through one manuscript in one edition.

• Reviewing report should be conducted via the online reviewing system provided by JGUAA, or the reviewer may email his report directly to the editor at: arabarch@yahoo.com
• The reviewing report includes a questionnaire that asks about the originality of the research and an evaluation of the research objectives, problems, results, figures and references.
• If one of the reviewers rejects the manuscript, a third arbitrator is requested. Once the arbitration is finished, the editorial board decides whether to publish or reject the manuscript. The author(s) will receive the arbitration's results and have two weeks from the delivery date to make any required alterations.
• Once all required modifications have been completed, the manuscript is returned to the arbitrators, who then offer their final judgment. The study may take one to two months to reach its conclusion. The whole search and review process is done on the journal's website. Paper correspondence for either articles or arbitrations is not allowed.
• If the arbitrator's ruling is not acceptable to the author(s), he submits an accurate academic report to the editorial board for review.
• Guidelines for Editors:
• Editing is essential to the publication process, ensuring the manuscripts are clear, concise, and accurate. Here are some key points JGUAA considers based on Elsevier’s legal guide for editor duties.

Verify the accuracy of the data, statistics and references cited in the manuscript. Ensure that the methodology used in the study is appropriate and that the results presented are consistent with the methodology.
· Ensure the manuscript is formatted correctly,
· Ensure the manuscript follows the JGUAA proper style guidelines, including headings, subheadings, citations and references. Furthermore, check grammar and punctuation mistakes.
· Maintain the author's style and tone while providing constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.

•  The validation procedure for the manuscript is usually faithful and straightforward. In contrast, some ethical issues may arise during review or after publication. Plagiarism is the most unethical problem editors may run upon.
• The Editorial Board

v  Editor-In-Chiefl:

• With the assistant editors, the editor-in-chief creates the editorial board of the JGUAA.
• The Editor-in-Chief’s duties include:

Oversees the publication's editorial direction and ensures all content alignes with the JGUAA's overall vision.
Managing the editorial team of editors, writers, and other staff members who work on the publication, ensuring they meet deadlines and produce high-quality content.
The chief editor is responsible for overseeing publication ethics, which is a significant part of the editing and peer-review process.
Reviewing and editing every published content, from articles and features to headlines and captions. Furthermore, making final decisions on what content makes it into the publication and what does not.
The Editor-in-Chief should deal with the complaint, take all allegations of misconduct seriously and has the responsibility to look into the complaint's specific points.
Managing the publication's budget to ensure it stays within budget and meets revenue targets.
Building strong relationships with contributors, sources, and other stakeholders to ensure the publication can access the best content.
Staying informed about the latest tendencies and best practices in the publishing industry and incorporating these into the used publication's strategy and operations.
The editor-in-chief could travel to represent the magazine at events, during interviews, and in other contexts.

v  Editors :

• The Editors of the JGUAA are responsible for providing high-quality content to its readers. Their responsibilities include:

As part of the editorial process, the editorial board determines the outlined topics the publication will cover and its styles and voices.
The editorial board identifies potential contributors and solicits their manuscripts for publication.
Review submissions and select manuscripts that meet the publication's quality standards and relevance, ensuring content is delivered on time.
Making editorial decisions in an appropriate amount of time and communicating with the author clearly and constructively.
Ensure that all manuscripts meet accuracy, clarity, and style publication standards. Ensure that the content is appropriate for the intended audience.
Ensuring that all content is free of bias and accusations of misconduct by the author(s) or anyone involved in the peer-review process. Adhering to legal and ethical publication requirements.
Protecting author confidentiality and manuscripts.
Managing publication finances, including setting the budget and allocating resources.

v  ASSISTANT EDITORS

•  Assistant editors work under the supervision of the editor-in-chief; their duties are multifaceted and require strong communication, organizational, and editing skills.
• The assistant editor's responsibilities include:

Editing and proofreading content before publication, then uploading, publishing and tagging content.
coordinate with authors and editors, ensure deadlines are met, and track manuscript progress.
Assuring that everyone involved in the process is on the same page of the JGUAA website.
Assistant editors may be responsible for managing social media accounts. This may include creating and curating content on the account and monitoring others' engagement.

•  The integrity of Record:
• Various procedures are involved in maintaining the integrity of records, including:
• JGUAA uses appropriate validation criteria and controls to provide correct data. According to the editorial team, only correct and pertinent information should be placed into the system. JGUAA always keeps the academic records the same, without modifying or manipulating even for promotional reasons.
• JGUAA upheld a methodical and organized approach to make record retrieval easier and developed defined regulations to guarantee uniformity and comprehensiveness.
• JGUAA protects information from unauthorized access, loss, or damage. Access to the record was restricted, and backup methods were well managed by keeping and backing up on the computer(s) and digital media (such as diskettes, backup servers, Zip discs, etc.), provided that the editorial team is the only ones with easy access to these devices. Any acknowledged discrepancies or inconsistencies were quickly and thoughtfully resolved.
• The published information provided by JGUAA describes each publication's details thoroughly. It is retained as much as possible unless it is necessary to change the records in one way or another.
• Record files are securely destroyed after being stored for the required period of time, as determined by legal and regulatory requirements.
• JGUAA editorial staff are accountable for replying to all author(s) in various submission areas with the utmost respect and attention regarding ethical concerns, policies about their field of study, and required guidelines.
• If the author(s) have any concerns regarding these publication ethics, principles or procedures, please do not hesitate to email the editor-in-chief at journalofarabarch@gmail.com