Ethical Policy

PEER REVIEW POLICY AND PROCESS
1۔ PEER REVIEW POLICY
JIHAT UL ISLAM considers peer review a fundamental component of scholarly publishing and is committed to maintaining the academic quality, integrity, credibility, and transparency of its publication process. The journal follows a rigorous double-blind peer review system in accordance with its editorial policies and the applicable guidelines and requirements of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.
Under the double-blind peer review system, the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other. All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial assessment, and manuscripts considered suitable for further evaluation are forwarded to independent subject experts for external peer review.
JIHAT UL ISLAM is a biannual (semi-annual) research journal that publishes two regular issues each year, ordinarily in June and December. Manuscripts may be submitted and processed throughout the year.
2۔ INITIAL SCREENING AND DESK REVIEW
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial screening or desk review by the editorial team before external peer review.
The initial assessment includes:
★ Relevance to the aims and scope of the journal
★ Originality and potential scholarly contribution
★ Compliance with author guidelines and formatting requirements
★ Appropriateness of research methodology and research design
★ Quality of argumentation, analysis, and presentation
★ Adequacy and relevance of references
★ Compliance with publication ethics and research integrity
★ Similarity/plagiarism screening, where applicable
Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's minimum academic, ethical, technical, or formatting requirements may be returned for correction or declined without external peer review.
The initial screening and desk review normally takes approximately 1–3 weeks.
3۔ DOUBLE-BLIND EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW
Manuscripts successfully passing the initial screening are considered for external peer review under the journal's double-blind peer review system.
★ Authors must remove names, institutional affiliations, acknowledgements, and other identifying information from the anonymized manuscript.
★ The editorial office may remove inadvertently included identifying information before sending a manuscript for review.
★ Reviewers are expected to maintain strict confidentiality and must not disclose, distribute, reproduce, or use unpublished information contained in manuscripts assigned to them.
The journal makes reasonable efforts to preserve the anonymity of authors and reviewers throughout the peer review process.
4۔ SELECTION OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REVIEWERS
Reviewers are selected independently by the editorial team on the basis of academic expertise, qualifications, research experience, publication record, subject specialization, independence, and suitability to evaluate the manuscript.
Reviewers should normally:
★ Hold a PhD or an equivalent advanced academic/professional qualification in a relevant discipline
★ Have recognized expertise and research experience in the relevant subject area
★ Have scholarly publications in reputable academic or professional journals
★ Not be affiliated with the same institution as the author(s)
★ Be free from actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest
★ Possess appropriate methodological expertise, where relevant
★ Agree to maintain confidentiality and provide an objective and timely review
National and/or international reviewers are appointed in accordance with the journal's editorial policy and applicable HEC requirements. International reviewers, where required, are selected from outside Pakistan based on relevant subject expertise and academic credentials.
Authors are not permitted to select or appoint reviewers for their own manuscripts. Reviewer selection remains the sole responsibility of the journal's editorial team.
5۔ REVIEW CRITERIA
Reviewers are requested to evaluate manuscripts objectively and provide constructive scholarly feedback. The assessment generally covers:
★ Originality and significance of the research
★ Relevance to the journal's aims and scope
★ Clarity of research objectives, questions, or hypotheses
★ Appropriateness of theoretical or conceptual framework
★ Quality of research methodology and research design
★ Reliability of data, analysis, and interpretation, where applicable
★ Logical consistency of arguments and conclusions
★ Contribution to existing scholarship
★ Quality and relevance of references and literature
★ Organization, clarity, and academic quality of presentation
★ Compliance with publication ethics and research integrity
6۔ REVIEWER RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDITORIAL DECISION
After evaluating a manuscript, reviewers may recommend:
★ Accept without Revision
★ Accept Subject to Minor Revision
★ Reconsider after Major Revision
★ Resubmit for Further Review
★ Reject/Decline
Reviewer recommendations are advisory. The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, further review, or rejection rests with the Editor or authorized editorial authority, taking into consideration the reviewers' reports, authors' responses, scholarly quality, ethical requirements, and the journal's editorial policies.
7۔ REVIEW TIMELINE
Reviewers are normally requested to submit their reports within approximately 4–6 weeks of accepting a review invitation.
If a reviewer is unable to complete the review within the stipulated period, the editorial office may send a reminder, grant a reasonable extension, or appoint an alternative reviewer.
The journal makes reasonable efforts to complete the review process efficiently; however, timelines may vary depending on reviewer availability, manuscript complexity, and the number of revision rounds required.
8۔ REVISION AND RESUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPTS
Where revisions are required, authors are provided with relevant reviewer and editorial comments.
Authors should submit:
★ A complete revised manuscript
★ A detailed point-by-point response to reviewers' comments
★ Clearly indicated or highlighted changes, where requested
Minor revisions should normally be submitted within 1–2 weeks, while major revisions should normally be submitted within 2–4 weeks. Reasonable extensions may be granted upon request.
Revised manuscripts are assessed to determine whether the reviewers' and editors' comments have been addressed satisfactorily. Depending on the extent of revisions, a manuscript may be assessed internally, returned to the original reviewer(s), or sent for additional external review.
Submission of a revised manuscript does not constitute acceptance for publication.
9۔ ESTIMATED PEER REVIEW AND PUBLICATION WORKFLOW
★ Manuscript Submission — Day 0
★ Initial Screening and Desk Review — Approximately 1–3 weeks
★ Assignment to External Reviewers — Following successful desk review
★ External Peer Review — Approximately 4–6 weeks
★ Communication of Review Decision — Approximately 1 week after receipt of sufficient review reports
★ Minor Revision — Normally 1–2 weeks
★ Major Revision — Normally 2–4 weeks
★ Assessment of Revised Manuscript — Approximately 1–3 weeks
★ Additional Review, if Required — Approximately 2–4 weeks
★ Final Editorial Decision — Normally within 1 week after completion of the required review and revision process
★ Copyediting, Proofreading and Production — According to the production schedule
The stated timelines are estimates and may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript, availability of appropriate reviewers, responsiveness of authors, and the number of revision rounds.
10۔ PUBLICATION FREQUENCY
JIHAT UL ISLAM is a biannual (semi-annual) journal and publishes two regular issues per calendar year:
★ Issue 1: January–June — ordinarily published by the end of June
★ Issue 2: July–December — ordinarily published by the end of December
Manuscript submission and editorial processing operate throughout the year. Acceptance of a manuscript does not automatically guarantee publication in the immediately forthcoming issue. Manuscripts are scheduled for publication according to successful completion of peer review, editorial requirements, production capacity, and the journal's publication schedule.
11۔ CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
Editors and reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that may affect their ability to evaluate a manuscript objectively.
A reviewer should decline an assignment where a significant personal, professional, institutional, supervisory, financial, or collaborative conflict exists.
Where an Editor has a conflict of interest concerning a manuscript, responsibility for handling the manuscript should be transferred to another suitably qualified Editor or Editorial Board member.
Editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and suitability for the journal. Publication charges, institutional relationships, or other external interests must not improperly influence peer review or editorial decisions.
12۔ CONFIDENTIALITY AND RESEARCH INTEGRITY
All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Editors, editorial staff, and reviewers must not disclose information concerning submitted manuscripts to unauthorized persons.
Reviewers must not use unpublished information, data, arguments, or interpretations obtained through peer review for personal research or professional advantage without appropriate authorization.
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to comply with applicable principles of research integrity and publication ethics throughout the editorial and peer review process.
13۔ APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
JIHAT UL ISLAM is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and accountable editorial process.
Authors, readers, reviewers, and other concerned parties may submit formal appeals or complaints concerning:
★ Editorial decisions
★ Alleged procedural irregularities in peer review
★ Publication ethics concerns
★ Conflicts of interest
★ Alleged harm arising from published material
An appeal against an editorial decision should provide clear and reasoned justification. Mere disagreement with a reviewer's comments or editorial decision does not automatically constitute sufficient grounds for an appeal.
Appeals and complaints may be referred to an Editorial Board member or another suitably qualified person who was not directly involved in the original decision. Following assessment, the journal may uphold the original decision, request additional review, reconsider the manuscript, or take other appropriate corrective action.
Appeals and complaints should be submitted through the journal's official contact channel or editorial email address displayed on the journal website.
14۔ LANGUAGE EDITING AND POLICY COMPLIANCE
Authors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are written in clear, accurate, and academically appropriate language and are free from significant spelling, typographical, grammatical, and syntactical errors.
Authors who require assistance are encouraged to obtain appropriate language editing or proofreading before submission. Language editing does not guarantee acceptance, and responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the manuscript remains with the author(s).
This Peer Review Policy is periodically reviewed and may be updated to remain consistent with applicable requirements and policies of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, recognized principles of publication ethics, and evolving international standards of scholarly publishing.