Publication Guidelines

Publication and Documentation Guidelines

Ver.3 – 1/1/2023

 

 

The editorial board stresses the importance of full compliance by the researcher to the instructions below when submitting a paper for publication in one of QOU’s journals. Papers that don’t follow these instructions will not be considered.

First: Requirements for Preparing the Research Paper

The draft research paper must include the following:

1. Research papers written in Arabic:

  • A cover page which includes the title of the research in English and Arabic.
  • An abstract in Arabic of 150-200 words.
  • The abstract should include 2-6 keywords, separated by a comma.
  • A translation of the abstract in English (150-200 words).
  • A translation of the keywords (2-6 keywords), separated by a comma.
  • The researcher must use the Arabic punctuation system in the research written in the Arabic language and the English punctuation system in the research written in English. For example, this type of comma (،) is used in Arabic and this comma (,) in English.

2. Research papers written in English:

  • A cover page which includes the title of the research in English and Arabic.
  • An abstract in English of 150-200 words.
  • The abstract should include 2-6 keywords, separated by a comma.
  • A translation of the abstract in Arabic (150-200 words).
  • A translation of the keywords (2-6 keywords), separated by a comma.
  • The researcher must use the English punctuation system in the research written in the English language and the Arabic punctuation system in the research written in Arabic. For example, this type of comma (,) is used in English and this comma (،) in English

3. The research must include the following components:

  • An introduction that includes a theoretical context and a review of previous studies on the topic (within the introduction headline).
  • The research problem, objectives, research questions and/or hypothesis.
  • The importance of the study, its limitations, and delimitations.
  • Definition of key terms, including theories and methodologies.
  • The study process should include: The methodology, the sample, the study tools, the validity and reliability of the study tools, the data analysis method.
  • Discussion and results should include: The results of data analysis, graphs, tables, and their corresponding discussion.  
  • Recommendations.
  • Endnotes should be stated at the end of the research before the references list, unlike footnotes, which should be stated within the body of the paper at the end of the relevant page.   
  • Bibliography and References are divided into:
  • Arabic references, followed by foreign references.
  • Translation of the Arabic references into English, as follows:

The list of Arabic references should be translated into English, following the same order of the original list, as the following example:

الداهري، صالح. (2010). علم النفس الإرشادي: أساليبه ونظرياته. عمان: دار وائل للنشر.

The translation should be:

Al-Dahri, Saleh. (2010). Counselling Psychology: Methods and Theories. Amman: Dar Wael Publishing.

Note: In some translated references, a transliteration is required as follows:

Aldaahiri, Salih. (2010). eilm alnafs al'iirshadi: 'asalibih wanazrayatuhi, eamana: dar wayil lilnashr.

Please note that QOU’s journals only require translation. Transliteration is not necessary.

  • Foreign references:

Foreign references written in English characters should be arranged alphabetically and should follow the APA system for citation.

  • Annex:

Annexes will not be published in the journals. Thus, the researcher should avoid referring to them within the body of the paper.

4. Graphs and diagrams:

These should be placed within the text, serially numbered, captions and descriptions placed underneath each graph.

5. Tables:

Tables should be placed within the text, serially numbered with titles written above each relevant table, whereas any description should be written underneath.

6. Numerals:

Arabic numerals (1234567890) should be used in all parts of the research. The period (.) should be used as a decimal separator. For example: (0.5) not (0,5).

Second: Submission Guidelines

  1. The Researcher should submit a letter addressing the head of the editorial board in which he/she requests his/her paper to be published in QOU’s journal, specifying the specialization of his/her paper.
  2. The researcher should submit a written statement to indicate that the paper has not been published nor submitted for publishing in any other journal, and that it is not a chapter or a part of a published book. click here to download the form
  3. The researcher should fill out an online form to submit a short Curriculum Vitae (CV) in which she/he includes his/her full name, workplace, academic position, specialization, and contact information phone and mobile number, in addition to the e-mail address. click here to download the form

Please note that the submitted information through this form is for official use (to be placed on the research cover page, and as a mean for contacting the researcher, etc.). In case the researcher desires to modify any submitted information, he/she should submit an official letter with the necessary documents.

  1. The researcher should submit a copy of the data collection tools (survey, etc.) if not mentioned in the body of the paper or the annex.
  2. No indication shall be given regarding the name or the researcher’s identity in the research paper to ensure the confidentiality of the review process.
  3. Research submitted for publication in the journal will be subject to an examination of plagiarism using the Plagiarism Detector software. Note that the researcher bears full responsibility for the contents of the research in the event there is plagiarism that was not detected using this software.

Third: Publication Guidelines

The journal’s editorial board stresses the importance of full compliance by the researcher with the publication guidelines, noting that research papers that do not meet the guidelines will not be considered. They will be sent back to the researchers for modification to comply with the publication guidelines.

1. Papers are accepted in Arabic or English only, and the language used should be well constructed and sound. 

2.The researcher must submit his/her paper via an application through: https://journals.qou.edu/index.php/jropenres, taking into consideration the following:

  • Papers should be submitted as a Word file using “submit a publication application.
  • A pdf copy of the paper should be submitted.
  • For papers written in Arabic, the researcher should follow these guidelines:
  • Font type: Simplified Arabic.
  • Bold font size 16 for headings.
  • Bold font size 14 for sub-headings.
  • Font size 12 for the rest of the text.
  • Font size 11 for tables and diagrams.  
  • Line spacing: 1.0
  • Margins: 2cm top, 2.5 cm bottom, 1.5 cm left and right.
  • Page layout: Two equal columns with 1 cm in between.

 

  • For papers written in English, the researcher should follow these guidelines:
  • Font type: Times New Roman.
  • Bold font size 14 for headings.
  • Bold font size 13 for sub-headings.
  • Font size 12 for the rest of the text.
  • Font size 11 for tables and diagrams. 
  • Line spacing: 1.0
  • Margins: 2cm top, 2.5 cm bottom, 1.5 cm left and right.
  • Page layout: Two equal columns with 1 cm in between.

3. The paper should not exceed 25 A4 pages or 7000 words, including figures, graphs, tables, endnotes, and references, while annexes are inserted after the list of references. Annexes will not be published, rather inserted only for the purpose of the review.

4. The paper has to be original, neutral, and of scientific value.

5. The paper should not have been published or submitted to be published in other journals. The researcher must submit a written acknowledgment that the research will not be published or sent for publication in other journals during and after the review process. In addition, the main researcher must acknowledge that he/she had read the publication guidelines and he/she had fully followed them.

6. The paper should not be a chapter or part of an already published book.

7. Neither the research nor part of it should be published elsewhere unless the researcher obtains a written acknowledgment from the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.

8. The Journal reserves the right to request the researcher to omit, delete, or rephrase any part of his/her paper to match the publication policy. The Journal also has the right to make any changes to the form/design of the research.

9. The paper must include two abstracts, one in Arabic and another in English, of 150-200 words. The abstract must underline the research objectives, statement of the problem, methodology, and main conclusions. The researcher is also to provide no more than six keywords at the end of the abstract, enabling easy access to the database.

10. The researcher has to indicate if his research is part of a master thesis or a doctoral dissertation, as he/she should clarify this in the footnote of the cover page.

11. The papers submitted to the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research will not be returned to the researcher whether accepted or rejected.

12. In case the research does not comply with the publication guidelines, the Deanship will send a rejection/apology letter to the researcher.

13. Researchers must commit to paying the peer-review process’s expenses in case of withdrawal during the final review process.

14. The researcher will be notified of the results and final decision of the editorial board within a period ranging from three to six months, starting from the date of submitting the paper.

15. The researcher has the right to communicate with the editorial board of the journal to inquire about his/her paper in the event that he/she did not receive any notification from the journal after one month from the date of submitting the publication request.

16. The applicant (the corresponding researcher) of the paper is the main contact with the journal’s editorial board for effective communication during the entire phases of processing the publication request. This does not absolve the researchers participating in the research from the legal and ethical responsibilities within the standards of publication, documentation, commitment, statement of publication ethics, and malpractice, and any other matters requested by the journal’s editorial board from the corresponding researcher.

17. The applicant of the research publication form, as the main communicating author (corresponding researcher), shall abide by the requests of the journal’s editors within the specified time, and respond to their messages and inquiries as soon as possible, and shall bear the result of any delay in the processing of the publication request due to delay or no-response.

 

Four: Documentation

1. The researcher should use the APA style in documenting scientific and applied research, as follows:

  • The reference is indicated in the text immediately after the citation paragraph, in the following order: Author’s last name, year of publication, and page number.
  • The reference is referred to in the list of references as follows:

Author’s surname, first (second name, if any) author names. Year of publication. Book or research title. Edition, place of publication: Publisher.

  • References should be arranged at the end of the paper in alphabetical order, starting with the surname of the author, followed by the name of the author, year of publication, and title of the book or paper. Note the following:
  • In case the reference comes with no specified edition, the researcher writes (N.A).
  • In case the publishing company is not available, the researcher writes (N.P).
  • In case there is no author, the researcher writes (N.A).
  • In case the publishing date is missing, the researcher writes (N.D).

2. Terms and expression:

Ambiguous terms or expressions are to be explained in endnotes. An adjacent number will characterize the terms or expressions to be explained. A list of endnotes related to the numbers in the body of the study should be placed before the list of references.

3. References:

The references in the list of references must be referred to the body of the research and vice versa.

Note: For more information about using APA style for documentation, please check the following link: https://apastyle.apa.org

Five: Peer Review and Publication Process

Requests to publish research in the journal are subjected to an initial review phase and a blind peer-review phase, according to the priority of request submission date to publish the research through the journal’s website.

The initial review process

The editorial board conducts an initial review of the submitted paper for publication to ensure that it meets the publication standards of the journal, to decide its eligibility for the peer-review process, and the researcher’s commitment to the standards of publication, documentation, and general rules of the journal as follows:

  • The research scope is in line with the journal scopes.
  • Arabic references are translated into English and arranged in the same order as the Arabic list.
  • The paper is arranged as per the research formatting guidelines. Click her to view Research Formatting Guidelines.
  • The paper includes the abstract and keywords in both Arabic and English.
  • The paper does not disclose any information about the researcher’s identity.
  • The commitment letter includes correct data and is duly signed.
  • The researcher’s e-form is filled out by the researcher and co-researchers and contains the required and correct data.
  • Examine the citation and plagiarism percentage using the Plagiarism Detector program and ensure that it is within the permissible limit.

After conducting the initial review, and in the event that the researcher is required to make amendments to the research, he/she must commit to making the required amendments and submit an amended copy of the paper within a period not exceeding one week from the date of notification.

The editorial board has the right to reject the paper without providing the researcher with any justification.

The blind peer-review process

Papers that meet the publication standards shall be sent to two competent reviewers selected from specialized professors at universities and research centers inside and outside Palestine. The two reviewers are chosen by the editorial board in confidentiality, as the identity of the researcher and reviewers is unknown to any of them. Any information revealing their identities is removed from the paper or reviewers’ reports.

  1. Each reviewer shall submit a separate report on the validity of the research for publication.
  2. If the results of the two reviewers differ (one is accepted and the other is rejected), the research is sent to a third reviewer.
  3. After ensuring that the reviewers’ identities are strictly hidden, the researcher shall be provided with the final review result and the reviewers’ comments.
  4. The researcher is required to make the final amendments, if any, according to the outcome of the final review. He/she must submit an amended copy of the paper, in addition to a report containing the amendments made by him/her, within a period not exceeding two weeks from the date of notification.  The amended paper is sent back to the reviewers to make sure that the researcher committed to carrying out the reviewers’ comments. The journal reserves the right to reject the research in the event the researcher did not commit to carrying out the required amendments, and the researcher bears the fees of the peer-review process.
  5. The researcher is notified of the result by the editorial board within a period ranging from three to six months from the date of submission after he/she has carried out the modifications if any.
  6. After the researcher has committed to carry out the amendments, he/she is provided with a signed and sealed letter stating that his/her paper has been accepted for publication in the journal.
  7. Opinions expressed in the research paper solely belong to the researcher, not the journal.
  8. The researcher shall be provided with a copy of the journal in which his/her research was published. A copy of the journal is sent to the University’s office in Jordan for researchers outside Palestine, and the researcher shall bear the shipping cost from Jordan to his/her place of residence.

Six: Scientific Research Ethics

The researcher must:

  1. Commit to high professional and academic standards during the whole process of conducting research papers, from submitting the research proposal, conducting the research, collecting data, analyzing and discussing the results, and eventually publishing the paper. All must be conducted with integrity, neutralism, and without distortion.
  2. Acknowledge the efforts of all those who participated in conducting the research, such as colleagues and students, list their names in the list of researchers, and acknowledge the financial and moral support utilized in conducting the research.
  3. Commit to state references soundly to avoid plagiarism in the research.
  4. Commit to avoid conducting research papers that may harm humans or the environment. The researcher must obtain in advance approval from the University or the institutions he/she works at or from a committee for scientific research ethics, if any, when conducting any experiments on humans or the environment.
  5. Obtain a written acknowledgment from the individual/individuals who are cited in the research, and clarify to them the consequences of listing them in the research. The researcher also has to maintain confidentiality and commit to state the results of his/her research in statistical data analysis to ensure the confidentiality of the participating individuals.

Seven: Intellectual Property Right

  1. The editorial board confirms its commitment to intellectual property rights.
  2. Researchers also have to commit to intellectual property rights.
  3. The Journal owns the research copyrights and publication once the researcher is notified about the approval of the paper. The scientific materials published or approved for publishing in the Journal should not be republished without written approval from the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.
  4. Research papers published in QOU’s journal should not be published, republished, or translated without written approval from the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research.
  5. The researcher has the right to accredit the research to himself and place his/her name on all published copies, editions, and volumes.
  6. The researcher has the right to have his/her name published on his/her research.