Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal (QZSJ) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and professional conduct in scholarly publishing. Our ethical policies are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and reflect internationally recognized best practices for research integrity, fairness, and transparency. All parties involved in the publication process — including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers — are expected to adhere to these policies.
General Ethical Principles
QZSJ maintains ethical standards throughout the editorial process from submission to publication. These principles apply to all submitted manuscripts and aim to:
Ensure fair, unbiased, and timely editorial decisions.
Protect the integrity of the research record.
Prevent unethical behavior, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and citation manipulation.
Maintain confidentiality and appropriate handling of submissions.
Funding and Financial Independence
The Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal is financially supported by the Lebanese French University. The journal does not receive funding from any commercial sponsors or external organizations that could influence editorial decisions. The publication is entirely funded by the university, ensuring full editorial independence.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Publisher
The editorial board of Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal operates independently from the publisher, Lebanese French University. The publisher’s role is limited to providing financial and administrative support. Editorial decisions, including manuscript acceptance, rejection, and content selection, are made solely based on the scientific merit of the submissions, without any external influence from the publisher or sponsors. Furthermore, the journal’s publisher is responsible for ensuring that:
Editorial decisions are independent and free from commercial or political influence.
Research integrity is preserved by implementing appropriate policies and procedures.
Ethical practices are monitored for all participants in the publication process.
Corrections, clarifications, and retractions are published when necessary.
Duties and Responsibilities of Editors
The editorial board of the Qalaai Zanist Scientific Journal operates with full editorial independence from the publisher. Editorial decisions, including manuscript acceptance, rejection, and content selection, are made solely on the basis of scientific merit, without influence from the publisher or external entities. Editors play a central role in preserving ethical standards and are expected to:
Make decisions on manuscripts solely based on scholarly merit.
Maintain confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and reviewer identities.
Disclose and avoid any conflicts of interest.
Handle conflicts and allegations of misconduct according to COPE principles.
Focus only on the intellectual content of submissions when making decisions.
Investigate allegations of plagiarism, data fabrication, and unethical conduct.
Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers help ensure quality and integrity in published research by:
Providing objective, respectful, and constructive evaluations.
Treating all manuscripts confidentially and not using reviewer information for personal advantage.
Declaring any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
Submitting reviews in a timely fashion to support efficient editorial decisions.
Duties and Responsibilities of Authors
Authors who submit to QZSJ agree to:
Present original work that has not been published or is not under review elsewhere.
Ensure the accuracy and integrity of data and facts reported.
Cooperate with the peer review process and respond appropriately to editorial requests.
Disclose all sources of funding and any conflicts of interest.
Comply with ethical guidelines for research involving humans, animals, or sensitive data, where applicable.
Submit manuscripts written in clear, professional English (or provide verification of language quality).
Peer Review and Editorial Workflow
QZSJ uses a double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other. Details of the peer review workflow are clearly described on the Peer Review Policy page and linked throughout the submission process. Manuscripts are reviewed by at least two qualified experts in the relevant field.
Principles of Transparency
As part of our commitment to transparency, QZSJ ensures that:
The editorial board and their roles are publicly listed and updated regularly.
Contact information for the editorial office is available on the journal website.
The journal provides open access to all content free of charge with no article processing fees (APCs).
Conflicts of interest must be declared by all authors, editors, and reviewers.
Archiving and preservation plans are in place to safeguard published content.
Misconduct and Violations of Ethics
Violations include, but are not limited to:
Plagiarism – presenting another’s work as one’s own.
Data fabrication or falsification.
Duplicate submission or publication.
Improper author attribution (omitting contributors or including non-contributors).
Citation manipulation.
Sanctions and Handling of Misconduct
If misconduct is identified:
The editor contacts the author for explanation.
If unresolved, the case is reviewed by the Publication Committee.
Possible sanctions include manuscript rejection, author submission ban, or retraction.
In severe cases, institutions may be notified and long-term bans applied.
Final Notes
QZSJ is committed to ethical publishing and continuous improvement in its policies. If you have questions regarding publication ethics or wish to report concerns, please contact the editorial office via the contact information listed on our website.