Peer Review Process Once a manuscript is submitted, it is assigned to an Editor most suited to handle it, based on the subject of the manuscript and the availability of Editors. If the Editor determines that the manuscript does not meet the required quality standards or falls outside the journal's scope, the manuscript is rejected without further processing.
If the manuscript meets the journal's quality criteria and falls within its scope, the Editor assigns it to a minimum of two and a maximum of five external reviewers for peer review. Reviewers submit their evaluations along with one of the following recommendations:
Accept submission (Publish Unaltered)
Revisions required (Consider after Minor Changes)
Resubmit for review (Consider after Major Changes)
Decline submission (Reject: Manuscript is flawed or not sufficiently novel)
Once all reviews are received, the Editor makes a decision: Publish Unaltered, Consider after Minor Changes, Consider after Major Changes, or Reject. If the decision is "Publish Unaltered," the manuscript is accepted and assigned a DOI before being published online within five days.
If "Consider after Minor Changes" is recommended, authors must submit a revised manuscript within two weeks. If "Consider after Major Changes" is recommended, authors must submit the revised version within three months. Failure to meet these deadlines requires resubmission as a new manuscript.
If the manuscript is rejected, it is considered final. If two reviewers recommend rejection, the decision is immediate. Editors cannot serve as reviewers for their own assigned manuscripts to ensure a fair and unbiased process.
The journal follows a double-blind peer-review process, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous.
Publication Frequency Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal is published continuously throughout the year. Accepted articles are first published online and assigned to issues released biannually (May-June and November-December). Supplementary issues may be published upon the Editorial Board's decision.
Open Access Policy This journal provides immediate open access to its content, ensuring free and unrestricted access to published research. Accepted articles may be freely deposited in any repository, including academic social networks.
Archiving Articles published in Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal are permanently archived in CLOCKSS and LOCKSS. The full-text archive is accessible on the journal’s website.
Criteria for Acceptance The journal maintains high publication standards, accepting only a limited percentage of submitted manuscripts. Rejections without detailed comments may occur if manuscripts do not meet scientific priority or quality requirements. The criteria for acceptance include originality, data validity, clarity, strength of conclusions, and impact on the field.
English Language and Scientific Writing The journal enforces high English language and scientific writing standards. Authors may be required to edit their manuscripts for language and clarity. If needed, they may use a professional editing service or the journal's suggested collaborators.
Figures Quality Only high-quality figures are accepted. Authors must ensure clear, legible fonts, accurate colors, and proper resolution. If figures are suboptimal, authors will be asked to improve them. The journal also offers paid figure-editing services.
Plagiarism Policy and Screening Plagiarism and self-plagiarism are strictly prohibited and are handled according to COPE guidelines. The journal uses CrossCheck/iThenticate for text similarity detection.
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest Authors must disclose any relationships or interests that could influence their research. Examples include research grants, financial support, employment, advisory roles, equity ownership, intellectual property rights, and personal beliefs. The corresponding author is responsible for collecting and submitting disclosure forms for all co-authors.
Research Involving Human Participants or Animals
Human Studies: Authors must confirm that studies involving human participants received ethical approval from relevant committees and complied with the Declaration of Helsinki. For retrospective studies, formal consent may not be required.
Animal Studies: Authors must state compliance with institutional, national, and international guidelines for animal research.
If the research does not involve human or animal subjects, authors must provide a statement confirming this.
Informed Consent Participants’ privacy and rights must be protected. Authors must obtain written informed consent before publishing identifiable information. If necessary, authors must assure that alterations to protect anonymity do not distort scientific meaning.
Corrections, Retractions, and Notes of Concern Corrections are published upon request and editorial review. Retractions may be issued by authors, institutions, or the journal in cases of misconduct. Notes of concern may be published to alert the scientific community about potential issues related to a manuscript.