Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Ethical virtues are precious, timeless, and indispensable to ensure the right choices in ethical dilemmas, thereby promoting transparency and maintaining professional standards. Considering the importance of publication ethics, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) has provided Ethical Guidelines for Journals and instructed all recognized and accredited journals to adopt these guidelines in their true spirit. “Al-Turāth al-Adabī” strives to maintain the highest levels of publication ethics, as described in the guidelines and core practices of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Ethical Statement

The Journal of “Al-Turāth al-Adabi” upholds the highest standards of both critical academic review and professional publishing judgment. The journal aims to institutionalize and maintain professional standards across all its publications. “Al-Turāth al-Adabi” ensures HEC-recognized standards by reflecting the quality research of the author(s) and their affiliating institutions, as well as the expertise and research competence of its reviewers.

Impartiality

It is the duty of the Editor to ensure the originality of the author’s work and to encourage reviewers to comment on ethical concerns and potential research or publication misconduct. “Al-Turāth al-Adabi” operates on an impartial basis, publishing articles without discrimination based on political philosophy, race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or nationality. It welcomes all complaints regarding misconduct via official email and ensures proper investigation.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a key value of “Al-Turāth al-Adabi” The Editor ensures that confidentiality of both authors and reviewers is strictly maintained throughout the double-blind peer-review process. All information about manuscripts remains restricted to the editorial team, reviewers, and the respective authors.

Transparency

As per HEC Policy, members of the Editorial Board are not allowed to publish in “Al-Turāth al-Adabi” either as principal authors or co-authors, to ensure transparency and prevent any conflict of interest.

Disclosure of Information and Conflict of Interest

Use of data or materials from unpublished work by the publisher requires written permission from the original author(s). Any information obtained during the peer-review process must be kept confidential and cannot be used for personal benefit.

Publishing Ethics for Editors

  • Editors must ensure a fair and impartial double-blind review process for all submitted manuscripts.
  • Editors are responsible for evaluating submissions solely on academic merit—considering relevance, originality, clarity, importance, and timeliness.
  • Editors ensure that reviewers are selected based on their expertise relevant to the manuscript’s subject matter.
  • Editors must verify legal and ethical compliance, including plagiarism and copyright issues, before making publication decisions.
  • The Editor-in-Chief discusses editorial decisions with the editorial team, consultants, or subject experts where necessary.
  • Editors and staff must not disclose any information regarding submitted manuscripts to anyone other than those directly involved in the editorial process.
  • Any unpublished material disclosed in a submission may not be used in an editor’s own research.

Publishing Ethics for Reviewers

  • Reviewers must promptly inform the Editor if they lack expertise or cannot complete the review on time.
  • All manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents.
  • The double-blind review must be conducted objectively, with constructive and evidence-based feedback.
  • Reviewers must support their evaluations with logical reasoning and identify any uncited relevant work.
  • Reviewers may include a summary section at the start of their review with a clear final recommendation.
  • Final decisions must be clearly marked as “Accepted,” “Rejected,” or “Revision Required,” with reasons stated.

Publishing Ethics for Authors

  • Authors must ensure that the Arabic manuscript has been reviewed or edited by a qualified Arabic language expert, and that the English title and abstract have been checked by an English language expert before submission to “Al-Turāth al-Adabi.”
  • References and citations must follow the Chicago Manual of Style (  footnotes and Bibliography System).
  • A complete bibliography must be provided at the end of the manuscript, consistent with the citations in the footnotes.
  • The corresponding author confirms that the manuscript has not been submitted elsewhere for publication.
  • Authors must declare that there are no conflicts of interest among co-authors.
  • Manuscripts must be original and free from plagiarism, with all sources properly cited according to international academic standards.
  • Authors and co-authors must adhere to international research ethics and provide accurate institutional affiliations.
  • Once a manuscript is accepted for review, it must not be submitted or published elsewhere unless rejected by “Al-Turāth al-Adabi.”
  • Authors must sign a publication agreement granting the journal the right to publish and distribute their articles.
  • Authors must carefully read and follow all Author Guidelines before submission.
  • Proper acknowledgment of others’ ideas and quotations must be ensured through accurate citations.

If the similarity index exceeds 19% according to HEC guidelines, the manuscript will be rejected.