Reviewer Guidelines

Reviewer Guidelines

The Iraqi Journal for Applied Science (IJAS) is committed to maintaining high standards of academic quality and integrity through a rigorous peer-review process. Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the scientific validity, originality, and significance of submitted manuscripts.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of manuscripts

  • Assess the originality, significance, and methodological soundness of the research

  • Maintain confidentiality of all manuscript information

  • Identify relevant published work that has not been cited

  • Inform the editor of any similarities or ethical concerns

Confidentiality

All manuscripts under review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share or discuss the manuscript with others without prior authorization from the editorial office.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers should decline to review a manuscript if they have any conflicts of interest related to:

  • Authors or institutions

  • Financial or personal relationships

  • Competitive or collaborative interests

Review Criteria

Reviewers are encouraged to evaluate manuscripts based on:

  • Originality and novelty

  • Scientific rigor and methodology

  • Clarity of presentation

  • Relevance to the journal scope

  • Validity of results and conclusions

Timeliness

Reviewers are expected to complete their reviews within the specified time frame, typically 4–12 weeks. If unable to meet the deadline, reviewers should inform the editor promptly.

Ethical Standards

Reviewers must adhere to ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics and avoid any form of bias or misconduct.

Recommendation

Reviewers should provide one of the following recommendations:

  • Accept

  • Minor Revision

  • Major Revision

  • Reject

Each recommendation must be supported by clear and constructive comments.

IJAS highly appreciates the valuable contributions of reviewers in maintaining the quality and integrity of scientific publishing.