procedure

Operational Guidelines of Salam International Academic Journal

In order to regulate, clarify, and standardize the process of receiving, evaluating, and publishing scholarly articles, Salam International Academic Journal has formulated these operational guidelines structured around the following main axes:

Axis I: Announcement and Collection of Articles

1. Publication Frequency

Salam International Academic Journal is published regularly in two issues per year (Summer and Autumn).

2. Call for Papers

Three months prior to the publication date of each issue, a call for paper submissions is announced through the journal’s official website, the Salam University website, the journal management website, and other credible academic platforms.

3. Internal Notification

For researchers and faculty members of Salam University, official notification in addition to the public announcement is conducted through faculty research committee meetings as well as through formal written and administrative correspondence.

4. Submission of Articles

Articles are received through the journal’s official website and may also be submitted electronically (soft copy) through various approved means. Submitted articles must be prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, research ethics principles, and the journal’s academic standards.

5. Initial Review (Conditional Acceptance)

After receiving the articles, the Editorial Board conducts a preliminary review in terms of alignment with the journal’s objectives, compliance with academic writing principles, originality of the work, and formal requirements. Articles that meet the minimum initial criteria are granted conditional acceptance and are forwarded to the peer-review stage.

Axis II: Article Evaluation Stage

Articles are evaluated through a multi-stage process from three perspectives: formal, substantive, and linguistic.

A. Formal Review

  1. The formal review of articles is conducted by professional and experienced personnel at the Research Center of Salam University.
  2. This stage includes examination of the article’s structure, compliance with the journal’s format, referencing style, completeness of article components (abstract, keywords, introduction, research methodology, findings, conclusion, and references), and adherence to research ethics principles.
  3. After formal approval, the article is sent to peer reviewers based on its subject matter and field of specialization.

B. Substantive Review (Academic Peer Review)

  1. Substantive evaluation is conducted confidentially by at least two specialized reviewers (Peer Review Committee) under a double-blind peer-review system.
  2. The duration of the academic peer-review process is set at a maximum of one month.
  3. Reviewers evaluate the article according to the journal’s academic criteria and the designated review form, assessing originality, methodology, academic coherence, citations, and added scholarly value.
  4. Upon completion of the review, the article along with comments, suggestions, and required revisions is sent to the author for implementation within the specified period.
  5. If necessary, the revised article is returned to the reviewers for re-evaluation.

C. Linguistic Review and Academic Editing

  1. Following final substantive approval and endorsement of the article at the Editorial Board meeting, the linguistic review and academic editing stage begins.
  2. At this stage, linguistic, stylistic, and literary revisions, as well as standardization of academic terminology, are carried out in accordance with the journal’s standards.
  3. Simultaneously, a final acceptance notification is sent to the corresponding author.
  4. The maximum period for preparing the article for publication at this stage is one month.
  5. Where journal policy applies, the corresponding author is formally informed of financial obligations related to publication.

Axis III: Article Publication Stage

  1. After full implementation of final revisions and payment of publication fees, the author submits the final version of the article to the Editorial Board.
  2. Upon completion of all peer-review stages and administrative procedures, the article is placed on the list of publishable articles.
  3. Each article is published online in the current issue immediately after successful completion of the peer-review process and technical stages.
  4. The printed (hard copy) version of the journal is sent for printing after the specified deadline has passed and all financial, administrative, and copyright forms have been completed. Authors retain the copyright of their articles published in the Salam International Academic Journal.
  5. The journal reserves the right to edit, finalize formatting, and determine the publication timing of articles, while respecting the author’s academic rights.

Axis IV: Publication Ethics, Conflict of Interest, and Plagiarism Prevention

Salam International Academic Journal is committed, at all stages of submission, evaluation, and publication, to observing international standards of publication ethics in accordance with the regulations of COPE, DOAJ, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

A. Publication Ethics

  1. The journal is committed to academic integrity, transparency, impartiality, and fairness in the peer-review and publication decision-making process.
  2. All articles must be the result of original research by the author(s) and must not have been previously published in any journal or other scholarly source.
  3. Simultaneous submission of the same article to more than one academic journal constitutes a violation of publication ethics and, if proven, results in rejection and academic action in accordance with the journal’s policy.
  4. Authors are required to accurately and systematically cite all sources used.

B. Conflict of Interest

  1. Authors, reviewers, and Editorial Board members are required to disclose transparently any academic, financial, organizational, or personal conflicts of interest that may affect the review or decision-making process.
  2. In the event of a significant conflict of interest, the journal reserves the right to remove the concerned reviewer or article from the evaluation process or to appoint an alternative reviewer.
  3. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest constitutes an ethical violation and may result in rejection or retraction of the article, even after publication.

C. Plagiarism Prevention

  1. All submitted articles are examined for textual similarity using recognized plagiarism detection software prior to entering the academic peer-review stage.
  2. Acceptable similarity thresholds are determined according to journal policy and international standards, and articles exceeding the permissible limit are rejected or returned for substantial revision.
  3. Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, result manipulation, or use of others’ work without proper citation is considered serious academic misconduct and leads to immediate rejection and prohibition of future collaboration with the journal.

Axis V: Compliance with International Indexing Standards

In order to enhance its academic standing and meet the requirements for indexing in reputable international databases such as Scopus, DOAJ, and Google Scholar, Salam International Academic Journal adheres to the following principles:

  1. Maintaining an active, diverse, and qualified Editorial Board with recognized national and international academic affiliations.
  2. Full implementation of a double-blind peer-review system.
  3. Regular and timely publication of journal issues in accordance with the announced schedule.
  4. Complete transparency in operational procedures, publication policies, research ethics, and the rights and responsibilities of authors and reviewers.
  5. Providing open access to published articles through the journal’s official website.
  6. Assignment of International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) and adherence to recognized international citation standards.
  7. Digital registration and archiving of articles on the journal’s website, along with provision of complete metadata for indexing purposes.
  8. Compliance with quality standards for language, abstracts, keywords, and author information in accordance with indexing database requirements.

Final Note

These operational guidelines have been developed to ensure academic quality, uphold publication ethics, prevent research misconduct, and provide the necessary framework for international indexing of Salam International Academic Journal. Upon approval by the Editorial Board, these guidelines may be reviewed and updated as necessary.