Article Processing and Production

Research Journal Al-Qamar follows a transparent and organized article processing and production system to ensure the quality, originality, academic reliability, and professional presentation of every published manuscript. The journal’s article processing system covers all stages from initial submission to final online and print publication.

The purpose of article processing is not only to manage manuscripts administratively, but also to maintain scholarly standards through editorial screening, plagiarism checking, peer review, revision, copyediting, formatting, proofreading, metadata preparation, online publication, and archiving.

Initial Submission

Authors are required to submit their manuscripts according to the journal’s prescribed guidelines. The submitted manuscript must be original, unpublished, properly referenced, and relevant to the aims and scope of Research Journal Al-Qamar.

At the time of submission, authors should ensure that the manuscript includes:

  1. Complete title of the article
  2. Abstract and keywords
  3. Main body of the manuscript
  4. Complete references
  5. Author details and affiliation
  6. Corresponding author information
  7. Ethical declaration, where required
  8. Conflict of interest statement
  9. Funding statement, where applicable
  10. Author contribution statement, where applicable

Incomplete submissions may be returned to the author for correction before further processing.

Editorial Screening

After submission, the manuscript is examined by the editorial office for initial suitability. At this stage, the editorial team checks whether the manuscript:

  1. Falls within the scope of the journal
  2. Follows the journal’s formatting guidelines
  3. Contains proper academic structure
  4. Has complete references and citations
  5. Meets basic language and presentation standards
  6. Contains all required author information and declarations
  7. Appears suitable for peer review

Manuscripts that are incomplete, poorly formatted, outside the scope of the journal, or academically unsuitable may be returned or declined at the initial screening stage.

Similarity and Plagiarism Checking

All submitted manuscripts may be checked for similarity and plagiarism before or during the review process. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is original and that all borrowed ideas, quotations, translations, data, and references are properly acknowledged.

The journal may reject a manuscript if it contains:

  1. Unacceptable similarity index
  2. Uncited copied material
  3. Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication
  4. Fabricated references
  5. Improper paraphrasing
  6. Misuse of AI-generated content
  7. Unethical use of another author’s work

The editorial office may ask authors to revise the manuscript if minor similarity issues are found. Serious plagiarism or academic misconduct may result in rejection.

Peer Review Processing

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial screening are sent for peer review. Research Journal Al-Qamar follows a double-blind peer review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept confidential.

Reviewers evaluate the manuscript on the basis of:

  1. Originality of research
  2. Relevance to the journal’s scope
  3. Clarity of research problem
  4. Strength of methodology
  5. Quality of analysis
  6. Use of sources and references
  7. Academic contribution
  8. Organization and presentation
  9. Language and style
  10. Ethical soundness

Based on reviewers’ reports, the editorial decision may be:

  1. Accepted
  2. Accepted with minor revisions
  3. Accepted with major revisions
  4. Resubmission required
  5. Rejected

The final decision rests with the Editor / Editorial Board.

Revision Processing

If reviewers recommend revision, the manuscript is returned to the author with comments and suggestions. Authors are required to revise the manuscript carefully and submit the revised version within the given time.

The revised submission should normally include:

  1. Clean revised manuscript
  2. Highlighted or marked version, where required
  3. Response to reviewers’ comments
  4. Explanation of changes made
  5. Updated references, if needed
  6. Updated declarations, where applicable

Failure to revise the manuscript properly or within the required time may delay the publication process or lead to withdrawal of the manuscript.

Acceptance and Final Editorial Review

After successful peer review and satisfactory revision, the manuscript may be accepted for publication. Before final production, the editorial office may conduct a final review to ensure that the article meets the journal’s academic, ethical, and technical standards.

At this stage, the editorial team may check:

  1. Final title and author details
  2. Abstract and keywords
  3. Citation and reference accuracy
  4. Formatting consistency
  5. Language quality
  6. Ethical declarations
  7. Tables, figures, and appendices
  8. Author contribution statement
  9. Copyright and permissions
  10. Final publication readiness

Acceptance of a manuscript does not remove the responsibility of authors for the accuracy and integrity of their work.

Copyediting

Accepted manuscripts may undergo copyediting to improve clarity, consistency, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and academic presentation. Copyediting does not change the main argument or scholarly content of the article.

The copyediting process may include:

  1. Correction of typographical errors
  2. Improvement of sentence structure
  3. Formatting of headings and subheadings
  4. Standardization of citations and references
  5. Correction of minor language issues
  6. Consistency in transliteration
  7. Formatting of Qur’anic, Hadith, Arabic, Urdu, and English references
  8. Checking of tables, figures, and captions

Authors may be contacted if major clarification is required.

Layout, Formatting, and Typesetting

After copyediting, the manuscript is prepared for final publication layout. The production team formats the article according to the journal’s design, style, and publication standards.

The production stage may include:

  1. Final page layout
  2. Journal header and article details
  3. Author names and affiliations
  4. Abstract and keywords formatting
  5. Footnote and reference formatting
  6. Tables and figures placement
  7. Page numbering
  8. DOI or article identification details, where applicable
  9. PDF preparation
  10. Online metadata preparation

The purpose of typesetting is to ensure that every published article appears in a professional, readable, and consistent format.

Author Proofreading

Before final publication, the article proof may be sent to the corresponding author for checking. Authors must carefully review the proof and inform the editorial office of any minor corrections.

At the proof stage, authors may correct:

  1. Typographical mistakes
  2. Spelling errors
  3. Minor formatting issues
  4. Incorrect author details
  5. Minor reference errors

Major changes in content, title, authorship, structure, argument, or methodology are not normally allowed at this stage unless approved by the editorial office.

Online Publication

After final approval, the article is published online on the journal’s official platform. The online publication may include:

  1. Article title
  2. Author name and affiliation
  3. Abstract
  4. Keywords
  5. Full text PDF
  6. Citation details
  7. DOI or permanent link, where applicable
  8. Issue and volume details
  9. Publication date
  10. Article metadata

Online publication helps ensure wider visibility, accessibility, citation, and academic dissemination of the research.

Print Production

Where applicable, accepted articles are also included in the print issue of Research Journal Al-Qamar. The print production process includes final issue arrangement, pagination, cover preparation, table of contents, editorial pages, and printing.

The journal ensures that the print version is prepared according to professional academic publishing standards.

Article Metadata and Indexing Preparation

The journal prepares article metadata for online visibility, indexing, archiving, and citation purposes. Metadata may include:

  1. Article title
  2. Author names
  3. Affiliations
  4. Abstract
  5. Keywords
  6. References
  7. DOI or article link
  8. Volume and issue number
  9. Page range
  10. Publication date

Accurate metadata improves discoverability and helps scholars cite the article correctly.

Archiving and Record Maintenance

Research Journal Al-Qamar maintains proper records of submitted, reviewed, accepted, rejected, and published manuscripts. Published articles are archived for long-term academic access and reference.

The journal may maintain records related to:

  1. Submission history
  2. Peer review reports
  3. Editorial decisions
  4. Author revisions
  5. Final proofs
  6. Published files
  7. Metadata records
  8. Copyright and declaration forms
  9. Communication with authors
  10. Publication certificates, where applicable

Archiving supports transparency, academic accountability, and long-term preservation.

Article Processing Charges, Where Applicable

If any article processing, publication, production, or printing charges are applicable, authors will be informed according to the journal’s official policy. Payment of any processing or publication charge does not guarantee acceptance of a manuscript.

Manuscripts are accepted only on the basis of academic quality, originality, relevance, ethical compliance, and successful peer review.

The journal does not sell acceptance, authorship, citation, indexing, or publication priority. Any fee, where applicable, is related to processing, production, formatting, online hosting, printing, archiving, and administrative services.

Production Ethics

The production process is carried out with professional care and editorial responsibility. The journal does not permit unethical changes after acceptance or publication.

The following are not allowed during production:

  1. Unauthorized addition or removal of authors
  2. Major changes without editorial approval
  3. Manipulation of references
  4. Addition of uncited material
  5. Removal of ethical declarations
  6. False correction requests
  7. Misrepresentation of author affiliation
  8. Use of misleading publication information

Any correction after publication will be handled according to the journal’s correction and retraction policy.

Final Publication Responsibility

Authors remain responsible for the accuracy of the final published article. They must carefully check all details before final approval, including names, affiliations, references, Arabic text, Qur’anic verses, Hadith references, quotations, tables, and figures.

By submitting and approving the final version of the manuscript, authors confirm that the article is ready for publication and that all information provided is accurate, original, and ethically valid.

Commitment to Quality

Research Journal Al-Qamar is committed to maintaining a reliable, transparent, and academically responsible article processing and production system. The journal aims to ensure that every published article reflects scholarly quality, ethical integrity, proper editorial handling, and professional presentation.