Principles of Publishing Ethics

Naif Arab University Publishing House, as the publishing arm of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), advances the University’s mission of strengthening research integrity, ethical practice, and trustworthy scholarly communication—particularly in disciplines that support security, justice, forensic sciences, and related fields.

Our publications (including peer-reviewed, open access titles where applicable) operate under recognized international standards for publication ethics and research integrity. We align our policies and editorial decisions with the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and, where relevant to medical and health research, the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). These principles apply to editors, authors, reviewers, and all contributors involved in the scholarly publishing process.

1. Purpose and Scope

Naif Arab University Publishing House views ethical publishing as an essential part of research ethics. Our publishing ethics framework is designed to:

  • Protect the rights and welfare of research participants and communities
  • Safeguard the credibility of the scholarly record
  • Promote responsible authorship, transparent reporting, and fair peer review
  • Prevent and address misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, unethical research, and undisclosed conflicts of interest)
  • Ensure editorial independence and accountability

This code provides expectations and guidance for authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial board members.

2. Responsibilities of Authors and Co-Authors

Authorship and Contributor Roles

Authors must ensure that:

  • The manuscript has been read and approved by all listed authors.
  • All authors agree to submission and are accountable for the work.
  • Authorship accurately reflects contribution, following ICMJE-style criteria commonly used in scholarly publishing:
    1. meaningful contribution to study design and/or data collection/analysis/interpretation
    2. drafting or critically revising the manuscript
    3. final approval of the version to be published
    4. accountability for accuracy and integrity of the work

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria must be acknowledged appropriately.

Originality, Integrity, and Responsible Reporting

Authors must submit only work that is:

  • Original and not under consideration elsewhere
  • Free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation
  • Respectful of intellectual property and permissions for reused material

All sources must be properly cited, and references should be checked for accuracy before submission.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding Transparency

Authors must disclose:

  • Any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the work
  • Funding sources and the funders’ role, if any, in study design, data handling, interpretation, or publication decisions

Ethical Approval and Participant Protection

For studies involving humans, animals, sensitive data, or other ethically regulated areas, authors must confirm:

  • Ethics committee/IRB approval (or a justified exemption where applicable)
  • Informed consent procedures when required
  • Safeguards for confidentiality and participant welfare

Promotional Conduct

Authors must not attempt to influence editorial decisions through inappropriate promotion or pressure. Authorship must not include individuals who did not contribute to the work (“guest authorship”), and contributors must not be omitted (“ghost authorship”).

3. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors and editorial board members are entrusted with protecting research integrity and ensuring ethical editorial governance.

Editors must:

  • Make decisions based on scholarly merit, validity, relevance, originality, and clarity
  • Maintain confidentiality of submissions and editorial deliberations
  • Manage conflicts of interest and recuse themselves when impartiality could be compromised
  • Ensure timely, fair, and unbiased peer review
  • Avoid using unpublished submission content for personal research or advantage
  • Be prepared to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or expressions of concern when warranted

Editorial Independence

Naif Arab University Publishing House upholds editorial independence. Publishing decisions must not be influenced by institutional, commercial, or reputational considerations. The publisher supports editors in applying ethics policies consistently and fairly.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer review is central to scholarly quality and research ethics. Reviewers must:

  • Treat all submissions as confidential
  • Declare any conflicts of interest and decline review when conflicts exist
  • Decline review if they cannot provide an informed, timely, and objective assessment
  • Provide constructive, respectful, and evidence-based feedback
  • Alert editors to suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate submission, unethical research, manipulated data/images)

Reviewers must not share manuscripts or delegate reviews without explicit editorial permission.

5. Handling Misconduct and Ethical Concerns

Naif Arab University Publishing House expects all participants in the publishing process to uphold these principles. Where potential misconduct is suspected—before or after publication—editors have a duty to act.

  • Concerns are evaluated using COPE guidance and appropriate institutional processes.
  • Editors should seek an explanation from authors first and may refer cases to institutions, ethics committees, or other relevant bodies for investigation.
  • Concerns should not be resolved solely by rejection when integrity issues may affect the scholarly record.

6. Integrity of the Scholarly Record

To preserve trust in research:

  • Significant errors or misleading statements must be corrected promptly and prominently.
  • Retractions and expressions of concern are issued when necessary, following established publishing house procedures aligned with COPE.
  • Published material should remain accessible and appropriately labeled to ensure transparency for readers and indexing systems.

7. Intellectual Property and Plagiarism Prevention

Editors and the Publishing House work together to:

  • Prevent plagiarism and unauthorized reuse through screening and editorial checks
  • Respect copyright and licensing terms (including open access licensing where applicable)
  • Address suspected IP violations through investigation and corrective action when needed

8. Complaints, Appeals, and Post-Publication Dialogue

Naif Arab University Publishing House supports a culture of scholarly accountability and constructive debate:

  • Authors may appeal editorial decisions through clear mechanisms defined by each journal.
  • Readers may submit concerns, critiques, or complaints, which will be handled promptly and fairly.
  • Authors should be given the opportunity to respond to substantive criticisms of their work.
  • Sound studies reporting negative or null results should not be excluded solely for lack of “positive” findings.

9. Commercial and External Influences

Editorial decisions must not be affected by advertising, sponsorship, or other commercial considerations. Where publications include sponsored content or supplements, they must:

  • Be clearly labeled
  • Undergo the same ethical and quality standards as regular content
  • Disclose funding and potential conflicts transparently

10. Conflicts of Interest Management

Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose conflicts of interest. Publications should maintain:

  • A transparent process for handling submissions from editors, staff, or board members to ensure unbiased review
  • Clear disclosure practices (commonly using ICMJE-style disclosure approaches where relevant)