Editorial Guidelines

The National Journal of Original and Applied Research (NJOAR) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, editorial transparency, ethical publishing, and scholarly integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical publishing practices and adheres to the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling editorial matters, ethical concerns, and publication disputes.

These guidelines outline the editorial responsibilities, governance structure, review procedures, ethical standards, and decision-making processes followed by the journal.

1. Editorial Governance and Structure

NJOAR follows a structured editorial framework to ensure transparency, accountability, efficiency, and academic quality throughout the publication process.

Editor-in-Chief

The Editor-in-Chief holds primary responsibility for the academic quality, editorial integrity, and overall management of the journal. The Editor-in-Chief:

  • supervises the editorial and peer-review process,
  • ensures compliance with ethical publishing standards,
  • maintains the quality and scope of published content,
  • and makes final decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Managing Editor / Deputy Editor

The Managing Editor or Deputy Editor assists in coordinating editorial activities, manuscript processing, reviewer communication, and publication workflow management. They support the Editor-in-Chief in maintaining consistency, efficiency, and quality control within the editorial process.

Editors and Associate Editors

Editors and Associate Editors handle manuscripts within their respective subject areas. Their responsibilities include:

  • conducting preliminary manuscript assessments,
  • assigning qualified reviewers,
  • monitoring the peer-review process,
  • evaluating reviewer comments,
  • and recommending editorial decisions.

Reviewers

Reviewers are independent subject experts selected based on their academic expertise, research experience, and publication record. They evaluate manuscripts through a double-blind peer-review process and provide objective, constructive, and scholarly feedback to assist editorial decision-making.

2. Editorial Independence and Academic Integrity

Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of:

  • originality,
  • scholarly quality,
  • methodological rigor,
  • relevance to the journal scope,
  • ethical compliance,
  • and academic contribution.

The editorial process remains completely independent from publishers, sponsors, institutions, or commercial interests. No external entity may influence editorial decisions.

Manuscripts submitted by editors, editorial board members, or affiliated individuals are handled independently to ensure fairness and impartiality.

3. Confidentiality

Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts.

  • Manuscripts and related communications must not be shared with unauthorized individuals.
  • Unpublished material may not be used for personal research or professional benefit without explicit written consent from the author(s).
  • Reviewer identities remain confidential under the journal’s double-blind review policy.

4. Conflict of Interest

Editors and reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could affect impartial judgment.

Conflicts may include:

  • institutional affiliations,
  • personal relationships,
  • research collaborations,
  • financial interests,
  • or competing academic interests.

Individuals with conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from handling or reviewing the manuscript. The submission will then be reassigned to an independent editor or reviewer.

5. Manuscript Evaluation Process

Initial Editorial Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo preliminary evaluation to assess:

  • relevance to the journal scope,
  • originality and scholarly significance,
  • compliance with submission guidelines,
  • language quality and presentation,
  • and ethical standards.

The journal may use plagiarism detection software to screen submissions for originality.

Manuscripts that fail to meet basic editorial or ethical requirements may be rejected without external review.

Peer Review Process

NJOAR follows a rigorous double-blind peer-review system in which:

  • authors do not know reviewer identities,
  • reviewers do not know author identities.

Each manuscript is generally reviewed by at least two independent experts.

Reviewers evaluate:

  • originality,
  • research methodology,
  • clarity,
  • academic contribution,
  • ethical compliance,
  • and relevance of the manuscript.

Editorial Decision

The final editorial decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment.

Possible editorial outcomes include:

  • Accept without Revision
  • Minor Revisions Required
  • Major Revisions Required
  • Reject

Editorial decisions are communicated to authors along with reviewer comments and revision guidance where applicable.

6. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may submit appeals against editorial decisions by providing a detailed and evidence-based explanation.

The journal also accepts complaints related to:

  • editorial conduct,
  • peer-review fairness,
  • publication ethics,
  • conflicts of interest,
  • or research misconduct.

All appeals and complaints are handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with internationally accepted ethical publishing practices.

7. Ethical Oversight and Research Integrity

The editorial team is responsible for identifying, investigating, and addressing potential cases of research or publication misconduct, including:

  • plagiarism,
  • duplicate publication,
  • data fabrication or falsification,
  • citation manipulation,
  • unethical research practices,
  • authorship disputes,
  • and copyright violations.

Investigations are conducted following recognized ethical publishing standards and may involve communication with authors, reviewers, institutions, or relevant authorities when necessary.

Appropriate actions may include:

  • manuscript rejection,
  • publication correction,
  • retraction,
  • or notification to affiliated institutions.

8. Transparency and Publication Ethics

NJOAR is committed to promoting:

  • transparency in editorial decision-making,
  • ethical peer-review practices,
  • responsible authorship,
  • research integrity,
  • and academic accountability.

The journal encourages all stakeholders to uphold professionalism, fairness, and ethical conduct throughout the publication process.

9. Editorial Responsibility

The editorial team strives to ensure:

  • timely manuscript processing,
  • objective peer review,
  • academic quality control,
  • ethical compliance,
  • and continuous improvement in scholarly publishing standards.

All editorial decisions are made with the goal of maintaining the credibility, reputation, and academic value of the journal.