Submission Guidelines
1. About the Journal
For information about the journal's aims and scope, publication model, editorial policies, publication ethics, indexing, and archiving, please visit the About the Journal page.
2. Guidelines
- AIJSSH accepts submissions of scholarly works written in English or Arabic.
- Manuscripts must be prepared using Microsoft Word and saved in DOCX (.docx) format.
- The manuscript should be formatted in a single-column layout using the official AIJSSH manuscript template.
- Authors are encouraged to use the spelling and grammar checking tools available in their word-processing software before submission to minimize language and formatting errors.
- Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by another journal.
- The manuscript should generally not exceed 7,000 words (excluding references), unless prior approval is obtained from the Editor-in-Chief. The word limit applies only to the initial submission. Revised manuscripts submitted in response to reviewers' comments may exceed this limit.
- Arabic manuscripts should use Simplified Arabic (14 pt), while English manuscripts should use Times New Roman (12 pt).
- Authors should ensure consistency in formatting, headings, tables, figures, and references throughout the manuscript.
3. Ethics and Policies
Authors are expected to comply with the journal's publication ethics and editorial policies outlined below.
3.1. Authorship
- All authors must have made significant scholarly contributions to the work.
- All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.
- All authors share responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the published work.
- Only one corresponding author should communicate with the journal.
- The author list should be finalized before submission.
- Requests to change authorship before acceptance require editorial approval.
- No authorship changes are permitted after acceptance.
3.2. Funding Statement
Authors must disclose all sources of funding, sponsorship, or financial support related to the research.
3.3. Language and Editing Services
- Authors should use either American English or British English consistently throughout the manuscript.
- Authors who require language editing before submission may use the English Language Editing Service provided by Academic International Publishers.
3.4. Copyright and Licensing
- Authors retain the copyright of their published work while granting the journal the right to publish and distribute the article.
- All published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
3.5. Conflict of Interest
Authors should disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation. If no conflicts of interest exist, authors are encouraged to state: "The authors declare no conflict of interest."
3.6. Research Ethics
Research involving human participants, human data, human tissue, or animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards and applicable institutional and national regulations. Where applicable, authors should provide the name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), the approval number (if available), and confirm that informed consent was obtained. If ethical approval was not required, authors should provide an explanation.
3.7. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Authors may use generative AI tools to improve the language and readability of their manuscripts. AI tools must not be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work. Any substantial use of AI during manuscript preparation should be disclosed at submission.
3.8. Article Processing Charges (APCs)
- Article Processing Charge (APC): USD 250 (or the equivalent in another currency).
- Payable only after formal acceptance.
- No submission or peer-review fees.
- Optional fast-track publishing and language editing services are available for an additional fee.
3.9. Fast Track Publishing
AIJSSH offers an optional Fast Track Publishing Service for authors requiring expedited editorial processing. Fast-track manuscripts undergo the same academic and ethical review standards as regular submissions.
The Fast Track service does not influence editorial decisions.
3.10. DOI and Archiving Policy
Each published article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), registered with Crossref, to ensure permanent identification and citation.
AIJSSH participates in the LOCKSS archiving system to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of published content.
3.11. Peer Review Process
AIJSSH follows a double-blind peer-review process.
Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent reviewers based on originality, methodological rigor, academic relevance, and contribution to knowledge.
3.12. Withdrawal, Correction, and Retraction
- Correction: Issued to correct errors that do not affect the reliability or conclusions of the published article.
- Expression of Concern: Published when there are serious concerns about an article while an investigation is ongoing.
- Withdrawal: Applied to articles released in error before final publication.
- Retraction: Issued when an article is found to contain unreliable findings due to serious errors, research misconduct, or ethical violations.
- Removal: Used only in exceptional cases involving legal requirements or risks to public safety.
- Replacement: A corrected version may replace a retracted article when appropriate.
- Archiving: The journal permanently preserves published articles, corrections, and retraction notices to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
4. Submission System
All manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal's Open Journal System (OJS).
Authors are strongly encouraged to register for an ORCID iD before submission and link it to their manuscript metadata.
4.1. Required Submission Files
- Main Manuscript (Mandatory): The manuscript prepared for anonymous peer review, without author names or affiliations. All tables and figures should be editable and placed in their appropriate positions within the manuscript.
- Author Information File (Mandatory): A separate file containing the author names, affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID iDs.
- Cover Letter (If Required): A cover letter should be submitted when requested by the Editor or required by the journal.
- Similarity and AI Writing Reports (Recommended): Authors are encouraged to submit a similarity report (similarity index below 20%) and an AI writing report, preferably generated using Turnitin or equivalent plagiarism-detection software, as supplementary files.
