Policies

1. Editorial Policy

Almarifa Journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality, integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing practices. The journal publishes original research articles, review papers, case studies, and scholarly contributions in the fields of finance, accounting, management, business administration, economics, and related disciplines.

The Editorial Board is responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit, originality, scientific significance, methodological rigor, and relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions are made without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, religious belief, or political opinion.

The journal reserves the right to conduct an initial editorial screening to determine whether a manuscript meets the journal's aims, scope, formatting requirements, and ethical standards before proceeding to peer review.

All editorial processes are conducted confidentially, and information regarding submitted manuscripts is disclosed only to individuals directly involved in the publication process.

2. Open Access Policy

Almarifa Journal follows a full Open Access publishing model. All published articles are freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication without subscription fees or access restrictions.

Readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, and use published articles for lawful academic, educational, and research purposes, provided that proper attribution is given to the original authors and source.

The journal believes that open access promotes the dissemination of scientific knowledge, increases the visibility and impact of research, and supports global academic collaboration.

3. Peer Review Policy

Almarifa Journal employs a Double-Blind Peer Review process to ensure fairness, objectivity, and academic quality.

Under this system:

Authors do not know the identities of reviewers.
Reviewers do not know the identities of authors.
Each manuscript is reviewed by qualified experts in the relevant field.
Editorial decisions are based on reviewers' recommendations and the scientific merit of the manuscript.

Reviewers evaluate submissions according to several criteria, including:

Originality and innovation.
Relevance and significance of the research.
Soundness of methodology.
Quality of analysis and interpretation.
Adequacy and currency of references.
Clarity and quality of presentation.

Based on reviewers' reports, manuscripts may be accepted, accepted with revisions, returned for major revisions, or rejected.

4. Copyright Policy

Authors retain copyright of their published works while granting Almarifa Journal the right of first publication.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

The work is original.
The manuscript has not been previously published.
The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.
All necessary permissions have been obtained for copyrighted materials.

Authors may reuse, archive, and distribute their published work for academic and non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate acknowledgment is given to the original publication in Almarifa Journal.

5. Authorship Policy

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the research and manuscript preparation.

Authors are expected to have contributed significantly to one or more of the following:

Research conception and design.
Data collection, analysis, or interpretation.
Drafting or critically revising the manuscript.
Approval of the final version for publication.

All listed authors must accept responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

The addition, removal, or rearrangement of authors after submission requires the written consent of all authors and approval from the Editorial Board.

Guest authorship, honorary authorship, and ghost authorship are considered unethical and unacceptable.

6. Self-Archiving Policy

Almarifa Journal permits authors to deposit and share their accepted or published manuscripts in:

Institutional repositories.
Personal websites.
Academic social networks.
Non-commercial scholarly databases.

Authors should clearly indicate the citation details of the original publication and provide a link to the journal version whenever possible.

The journal supports the broad dissemination and long-term preservation of scholarly work.

7. Plagiarism Policy

Almarifa Journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and all forms of academic misconduct.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software before and during the review process.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

Direct copying without proper citation.
Paraphrasing without attribution.
Self-plagiarism and redundant publication.
Data fabrication or falsification.
Misappropriation of ideas, data, or intellectual property.

If plagiarism or research misconduct is detected at any stage, the journal reserves the right to reject the manuscript, retract published articles, notify relevant institutions, and take any other appropriate corrective actions.

8. Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence the publication process.

Conflicts of interest may include:

Financial relationships.
Employment or institutional affiliations.
Personal relationships.
Research funding sources.
Professional or academic competition.

The Editorial Board will evaluate disclosed conflicts and take appropriate measures to preserve the integrity and impartiality of editorial decisions.

9. Data Sharing Policy

Almarifa Journal encourages authors to promote transparency and reproducibility by sharing research data whenever possible and appropriate.

Authors are encouraged to:

Provide access to supporting datasets.
Describe data availability within the manuscript.
Maintain data accuracy and integrity.
Preserve data for future verification when feasible.

The journal may request access to underlying research data if questions arise regarding the validity of published findings.

Exceptions may apply where legal, ethical, confidentiality, or privacy considerations restrict data sharing.

10. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Almarifa Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and follows internationally recognized principles of scholarly publishing.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must:

Submit original and accurate work.
Properly cite all sources.
Avoid plagiarism and data manipulation.
Disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest.
Cooperate in correcting errors when identified.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:

Maintain confidentiality.
Provide objective and constructive evaluations.
Identify relevant uncited literature.
Declare conflicts of interest.
Complete reviews within agreed timelines.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors must:

Ensure fair and unbiased editorial decisions.
Protect the confidentiality of submissions.
Address ethical concerns promptly.
Maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Handling Misconduct

When evidence of misconduct is identified, the journal may implement measures including:

Manuscript rejection.
Publication of corrections.
Expressions of concern.
Article retraction.
Notification of relevant institutions when necessary.

11. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

Almarifa Journal recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in scholarly communication and permits their responsible use under strict ethical standards.

The journal's AI policy includes the following principles:

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the content of a manuscript.
Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for all content, analyses, conclusions, citations, and data presented in their manuscripts.
The use of generative AI tools for language editing, translation, grammar improvement, or writing assistance must be disclosed transparently within the manuscript.
AI-generated content must be carefully reviewed and verified by the authors before submission.
AI tools must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or falsify research data, results, images, references, or scientific evidence.
The journal reserves the right to request additional information regarding the nature and extent of AI use during manuscript preparation.
Manuscripts utilizing AI-assisted tools remain subject to the same standards of originality, integrity, transparency, and scientific rigor as all other submissions.

Through this policy, Almarifa Journal seeks to encourage responsible innovation while preserving trust, accountability, and integrity in scholarly publishing.