Publication Malpractice

                                           AJAS Publication Policies

Receiving Manuscripts

  1. The journal accepts only digital files sent via the journal's website. Please do not send via paper or digital format via e-mail.
  2. Once the manuscript is submitted, the authors will be asked to complete the Declaration Form.
  3. The journal uses “iThenticate" software to check for instances of similar text in submitted manuscripts.

A: Refereeing Process:

  1. Qualified experts with extensive research experience records and distinguished academic ranking shall referee all published research papers and studies
  2. The referee's academic rank shall be higher than that of the research paper author (in case the author is an individual) or any co-authors (in case of multiple authors). In all cases, the referees' academic rank shall not be below associate professor level.
  3. A list of approved referees for each journal's subject areas and disciplines exists. The list is updated regularly in light of previous experience.
  4. Referees shall provide feedback on the research paper in question in the form of a written report using predefined determinants, such as:
    • The originality of the research paper and the extent of its contribution and importance to the area of specialization and Kuwait and the region
    • The suggested methodology and approach
    • A sufficient list of sources, references, and notes
    • The quality of the research paper in terms of structure, language, and conclusions
    • At the end of the review, each referee is requested to provide a summary of the quality of the research paper for publication.
  5. AJAS requires at least two referees for each research paper. AJAS's editor-in-chief may request a third referee if either of the two referees rejects the paper. In case of rejection, the author shall be informed that the research paper will not be published.
  6. If the research author(s) is from Kuwait, the referees must be outside Kuwait. Discretion is left to the editor-in-chief to assess instances that require refereeing from within Kuwait in case of the possible selection of a third referee.

B: AJAS Rights:

  1. The editorial board reserves the right to conduct the initial examination of the research paper and report its adequacy for refereeing. The referees' opinions shall be binding on the editorial board and editor-in-chief. 
  2. The editor-in-chief shall provide the author(s) of the rejected research paper with the referees' assessment or a summary thereof - upon request - maintaining the referees' anonymity and shall not be obligated to respond to the author's (s') objections.
  3. The research paper shall be considered withdrawn if the author is late (more than three months from receiving the AJAS assessment) in incorporating the necessary amendments into the paper unless there are valid reasons acceptable to the editorial board.
  4. Priority in publishing accepted papers shall be given to authors from Kuwait University, particularly research papers related to regional studies.
  5. Research papers shall only be published in academic journals once the decision is made to post the same in one of the Academic Publication Council journals.
  6. AJAS shall have the right to republish papers – in print or electronic form- previously published without the author's consent. AJAS shall have the right to permit others to save its research papers on various databases, whether or not, in return for a fee.

C: Author's Rights:

  1. The editor-in-chief shall inform the author of the paper's eligibility for publication within two weeks of receiving the referees' assessments.
  2. The author(s) may republish an article previously published in the AJAS as part of a book three years from the publication date in AJAS, subject to permission from AJAS and citing the source.

D: Disciplinary Procedures in Case of Breach of Undertaking:

  1. If there is evidence that the author has published a paper –in written or electronic form – before, during, or after presenting the same to AJAS, the latter reserves the right to disqualify any future association with the Journal and other journals of the Academic Publication Council for not less than 12 months, as decided by the editorial board, and to inform the author's employer thereof.
  2. The author(s) shall bear all costs and fees incurred by the journal, including referees' fees and postage, if (a) the author does not incorporate the necessary amendments into the research paper as suggested by the referees and the journal, or (b) the author withdraws the research paper before publication.