The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies (MJALS) upholds a steadfast dedication to integrity, transparency, and scholarly professionalism in all its editorial and publishing operations. Every aspect of the journal—from manuscript evaluation to final publication—reflects our responsibility toward ethical academic communication and the advancement of authentic knowledge.

The journal strictly complies with the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors submitting to MJALS confirm that all co-authors have reviewed, agreed to, and are accountable for the submitted manuscript, ensuring full alignment with these ethical principles.

• Every submission must reflect honesty, originality, and accountability.
• Editorial evaluations are conducted transparently, impartially, and without bias.
• Misconduct—including plagiarism, falsification, or any ethical breach—is strictly prohibited.

Authors must provide complete and accurate information regarding their institutional or organizational affiliations. This ensures proper acknowledgment of the entities that facilitated, financed, or hosted the research.

• Non-research papers: The author should indicate the institution with which they are currently affiliated.
• Authors who changed institutions: When an author relocates before publication, the manuscript must specify the institution related to the study, followed by the current affiliation.
• Independent researchers: Individuals unaffiliated with any institution must clearly state their independent research status.

Properly identifying institutional ties supports transparency, accountability, and recognition of all organizations contributing to the research.

The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies (MJALS) follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling appeals or grievances related to editorial judgments or peer-review procedures.

Authors may submit well-founded appeals supported by evidence, additional analysis, or data that directly address reviewer or editor feedback. Every appeal is treated impartially, with a commitment to transparent and respectful communication.

Contact: appeals@mesopotamian.press

General Guidelines

Authorship recognizes individuals who have made substantial intellectual or practical contributions to a study and who are accountable for its integrity. To qualify, a contributor must satisfy all of the following conditions:

• Played a key role in designing, conceptualizing, collecting, analyzing, or interpreting data.
• Helped draft or critically revise the manuscript for essential intellectual content.
• Approved the final version for submission to MJALS.
• Reviewed all subsequent revisions and the accepted version.
• Assumed responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the research.

Changes to Authorship

Any change in authorship—whether addition, removal, or order modification—requires written consent from every listed author. The corresponding author must document this consent and submit an official Change of Authorship Form. Requests after publication are handled through formal correction notices.

If authors intend to withdraw a manuscript, the corresponding author must complete a Manuscript Withdrawal Form endorsed by all co-authors.

Authorship Criteria

Credit for authorship must stem from notable involvement in three domains:

1. Study Design & Data Analysis: Initiating ideas, designing experiments, acquiring and analyzing data.
2. Manuscript Preparation: Drafting or extensively revising content of intellectual value.
3. Final Approval: Reviewing and endorsing the complete version for publication.

Activities such as securing funding or routine data collection alone do not warrant authorship. All listed authors must contribute meaningfully and remain accountable for their roles.

Contribution Details

Each contributor must specify their precise involvement under categories such as:

• Conceptualization and study design
• Defining intellectual content
• Literature review
• Experimental or analytical execution
• Data acquisition and compilation
• Data or statistical analysis
• Drafting and editing the manuscript
• Final review before submission

Citations

Authors are required to substantiate every statement with relevant, credible, and recent references, ideally from peer-reviewed sources. Excessive self-citation or any attempt to manipulate citation counts is considered unethical and will be addressed accordingly. For complete reference guidance, consult the COPE Citation Guidelines.

Non-Research Articles

In reviews, essays, or opinion pieces, references must represent a fair and balanced overview of existing scholarship. Citation practices should remain impartial, avoiding undue emphasis on specific authors, journals, or institutions.

Uncertain Sources

When uncertain about a source’s credibility or appropriateness, authors are encouraged to consult the editorial office prior to submission. This ensures that only accurate and reliable materials are included, preserving the journal’s academic rigor and citation integrity.

Conflicts of Interest

All contributors—authors, reviewers, and editors—must openly declare any possible conflicts of interest. These may include institutional associations, financial support, or personal connections that could influence objectivity or interpretation. Reviewers are required to complete and submit a Conflict of Interest Form prior to review. This transparent process ensures fairness, trust, and academic independence.

Corrections

A formal Correction Notice is issued whenever an error is discovered that affects interpretation but not the overall validity of the study. Corrections may take one of two forms:

• Corrigendum: Rectifies mistakes introduced by the author(s).
• Erratum: Addresses publishing or production errors made by the journal.

Retractions

When a published article contains serious ethical or methodological flaws that invalidate its conclusions, a Retraction Notice will be issued. Common reasons include plagiarism, falsified data, ethical noncompliance, or duplicate submission. Retractions follow COPE Guidelines and are clearly linked to the original record to maintain transparency.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be published if substantial doubts arise regarding a paper’s integrity but an investigation is still in progress. Once the issue is resolved, this statement will be replaced with a correction or retraction as appropriate. Inquiries regarding disputed publications can be sent to dispute@mesopotamian.press.

Removals

In rare situations where neither a correction nor a retraction is sufficient—such as cases involving legal violations, defamation, or court orders—a Removal Notice replaces the withdrawn article while preserving a transparent record of editorial action.

The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies (MJALS) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the academic record. All forms of research or publication misconduct are handled with zero tolerance and investigated following COPE procedures. Verified cases result in appropriate editorial action and may include retraction, institutional notification, or submission bans.

Examples of Misconduct

• Plagiarism or self-plagiarism, including verbatim or paraphrased duplication without attribution.
• Data fabrication or falsification in text, figures, or tables.
• Manipulating citations to artificially boost impact metrics.
• Duplicate or redundant publication of the same work.
• Improper author contribution, exclusion, or misattribution.
• Image editing that distorts scientific meaning.
• Exploiting ethical loopholes (“ethics dumping”).
• Using copyrighted or third-party material without authorization.
• Undue influence or coercion during the peer review process.
• Failure to disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Specific Misconduct Categories

• Duplicate Submission: Sending the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously.
• Citation Manipulation: Adding citations for the sole purpose of inflating impact factors.
• Redundant Publication: Segmenting a single study into multiple papers inappropriately.
• Improper Attribution: Listing contributors who did not qualify for authorship.
• Data or Image Falsification: Presenting modified or fabricated data that misrepresents findings.

Definition & Consequences

Misconduct encompasses any act violating the ethical framework of COPE, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), or the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM). Penalties may include manuscript rejection, retraction, submission bans, or notification of the author’s institution or funding body. These actions aim not to punish honest mistakes but to preserve the integrity of scholarly publishing.

The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies (MJALS) operates a transparent and objective peer-review system to maintain scholarly excellence. All manuscripts undergo a multi-stage evaluation designed to ensure quality, accuracy, and ethical compliance.

Plagiarism Policy

MJALS enforces an uncompromising stance against plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, duplicate, partial, or repetitive submission regardless of language. Every manuscript is screened using professional detection software. Submissions with unacceptable similarity levels are rejected outright. Preprint archives are not regarded as duplicate publication.

Preprint Policy

Authors may post preprints of their manuscripts on reputable repositories such as arXiv or RePEc before or during submission. Upon acceptance, they must link the preprint to the published article through its DOI and may update the repository with the accepted version, promoting accessibility while safeguarding the integrity of the final record.

Patient Identifying Information

To preserve privacy, no identifying data—names, images, scans, or genealogical details—may appear unless essential for scientific clarity. In such cases, authors must secure informed consent from the participant or, for minors, from legal guardians. The manuscript must explicitly confirm that consent was obtained.

Consent Responsibility

Authors bear full responsibility for obtaining, documenting, and securely storing consent forms. These forms must not be uploaded with the submission or transmitted via email to the journal office, thereby ensuring privacy protection and ethical compliance.

Research Involving Humans

Studies that include human participants must adhere to the Declaration of Helsinki and obtain prior approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or equivalent ethics committee. Manuscripts should specify the approving institution, committee name, and approval reference number. Retroactive approvals are not acceptable. Informed consent is mandatory, and participant privacy must be safeguarded throughout the study.

Research Involving Animals

Animal experiments must comply with recognized international, national, and institutional guidelines governing welfare and humane treatment. Ethical clearance must be obtained beforehand from an authorized body such as the IACUC. Submissions must include an ethics statement mentioning the approving institution, approval ID, rationale for animal use, and measures taken to reduce suffering.

Research Involving Plants

Plant-related studies should follow institutional, national, and international research standards. Authors must confirm that all required permits or licenses were obtained prior to data collection. Compliance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is mandatory for any study involving protected or endangered species.

Standards of Reporting

To ensure transparency and reproducibility, all research must be presented clearly, systematically, and with sufficient methodological detail. Authors are required to describe the research framework thoroughly so that other scholars can replicate or expand upon the work with accuracy and confidence.

• Rationale: Provide a concise yet comprehensive explanation of the study’s aim, importance, and theoretical foundation.
• Research Protocol: Present full experimental or observational procedures used throughout the research.
• Methodology: Include all materials, instruments, and data collection techniques applied.
• Data Analysis: Clearly explain the analytical and statistical methods used to interpret findings.

Data Availability Statement

Authors are encouraged to make all data, materials, and analytical code openly available to enable transparency and reproducibility. When data cannot be shared due to privacy, legal, or ethical restrictions, this must be clearly stated within the manuscript’s “Data Availability” section.

Consistent and transparent reporting not only builds trust in scholarly communication but also strengthens the global research ecosystem by allowing further verification and innovation.

Use of Third-Party Material

When authors use text, figures, tables, datasets, or multimedia originating from external sources, they must first secure explicit permission from the rightful copyright holder. Limited reproduction may be acceptable under fair use provisions for educational or critical commentary, but all such uses must be properly cited and acknowledged. Even when reusing materials available under open licenses, correct attribution of the original source remains mandatory.

Use of AI in Writing

Authors may employ artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tools to enhance grammar, clarity, or linguistic fluency. However, the generation of intellectual content—such as conceptual development, analytical reasoning, and interpretation of results—must remain entirely human-authored. Any portion of the text produced with AI assistance must be carefully reviewed, validated, and edited by the authors to ensure factual accuracy and neutrality.

Authors must also disclose any AI involvement within their manuscript. A statement acknowledging AI assistance will appear in the published article for full transparency. Since accountability requires human responsibility, AI tools cannot be listed as co-authors under any circumstances.

Authorship Responsibilities

Human authors retain complete accountability for their submitted work’s originality, precision, and ethical integrity. This includes verifying that no content infringes on intellectual property rights, approving the final version prior to submission, and taking responsibility for any subsequent errors, corrections, or ethical issues arising after publication.

Use of AI in Peer Review

AI systems must not replace human judgment in peer review. Reviewers and editors are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts or reviewer reports into AI platforms, as this could compromise confidentiality and data security. All reviews, decisions, and editorial communications must be composed, evaluated, and stored by human participants only.

AI tools may, however, be ethically used for editorial assistance—such as plagiarism detection, similarity checking, or reviewer recommendation—provided data privacy and ethical transparency are maintained at all times.

Acknowledgment of Ethical Standards

The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies (MJALS) and its contributors reaffirm their dedication to the highest international principles of scholarly ethics. Authors, reviewers, and editors must consistently follow the policies outlined by leading organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). By submitting manuscripts to MJALS, authors affirm their understanding and acceptance of these ethical obligations and their accountability for the accuracy and originality of their work.

Editors and reviewers are equally bound to uphold fairness, confidentiality, and impartiality in every stage of the publication process. Any allegation of ethical breach or misconduct is thoroughly investigated following COPE’s established procedures to ensure justice and transparency.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

MJALS actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion among its authors, reviewers, and editorial board members. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit, without regard to gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, or institutional affiliation.

Closing Statements

MJALS is committed to sustaining integrity, transparency, and accountability across all aspects of scholarly publishing. Through a culture grounded in honesty and respect for intellectual contributions, the journal aims to strengthen trust within the academic community and ensure that all published works meet rigorous ethical and professional standards.