Polices

Polices:
Wardak University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences (WJNAS) uses the ethical guidelines for publication provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

1. Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The Wardak University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences (WJNAS) is fully committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and scientific transparency. The journal strictly adheres to internationally recognized ethical guidelines in scholarly publishing to ensure fairness, credibility, and accountability in all editorial and publication processes.
All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are required to comply with ethical principles including originality of research, proper citation, avoidance of plagiarism, data authenticity, and responsible authorship. Any form of academic misconduct such as plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission, or unethical research practices is strictly prohibited.
In cases of ethical violations, WJNAS reserves the right to reject, retract, or correct published articles in accordance with international academic publishing standards and ethical regulations.

2. Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts to the Wardak University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences (WJNAS) are screened for plagiarism and textual similarity before entering the peer review process using standard plagiarism detection tools. The purpose of this initial screening is to ensure the originality of the manuscript, adherence to academic integrity, and compliance with scholarly publishing standards. If the similarity level exceeds the acceptable threshold, the manuscript may be returned to the author for revision or handled according to the journal’s editorial policies. Authors are expected to submit original work with proper citation and referencing. This preliminary plagiarism check helps maintain transparency, fairness, and scientific credibility throughout the peer review and publication process.

3. Copyright Policy
Authors retain the copyright of their published articles while granting WJNAS the right of first publication. All articles published in the journal are distributed under open-access academic principles to promote free dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for any copyrighted materials, including figures, tables, illustrations, and images used in their manuscripts. The journal shall not be held responsible for copyright infringements committed by authors.
4. Author Responsibilities
Authors submitting manuscripts to WJNAS must ensure that:
The manuscript is original and has not been published elsewhere
The research is scientifically valid and ethically conducted
All co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript
Proper citations and references are accurately provided
The manuscript follows the journal’s formatting and ethical guidelines
Authors are also required to respond to reviewers’ comments professionally and submit revised manuscripts within the specified review timeline.
5. Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers play a vital role in maintaining the academic quality and scientific credibility of WJNAS. All reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and confidential evaluations of submitted manuscripts.
Reviewers must:
Maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts
Declare any potential conflict of interest
Provide unbiased and scholarly feedback
Complete reviews within the assigned timeframe
Evaluate originality, methodology, clarity, and scientific contribution
6. Editorial Independence Policy
The editorial decisions of WJNAS are made solely on the basis of academic merit, originality, scientific quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope. The editorial board operates with full independence and without influence from institutional, political, or financial pressures.
The Editor-in-Chief holds full authority over the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts based on peer review reports and editorial evaluation.
7. Conflict of Interest Policy
WJNAS requires all authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the review, evaluation, or publication process.
Conflicts of interest may include financial relationships, academic competition, institutional affiliations, or personal relationships that may affect impartial judgment. Full disclosure ensures transparency, fairness, and academic integrity in the publication process.
8. Data Availability and Research Transparency
WJNAS encourages transparency in research methodology, data reporting, and analytical procedures. Authors may be requested to provide raw data, supplementary files, or methodological details to verify the authenticity and reproducibility of their research findings.
This policy strengthens scientific credibility, reproducibility, and trust in published research within the natural and applied sciences.
9. Archiving and Digital Preservation Policy
The journal ensures long-term preservation of all published articles through institutional archiving systems, university repositories, and digital databases. This guarantees permanent accessibility, academic documentation, and research preservation.
All published issues of WJNAS are archived both digitally and in print under the supervision of Wardak University to ensure sustainability and scholarly record integrity.
10. Withdrawal and Retraction Policy
Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscripts before final acceptance. However, withdrawal after peer review must be supported by valid academic justification.
WJNAS reserves the right to retract published articles in cases of:
Confirmed plagiarism
Ethical misconduct
Data falsification or fabrication
Major scientific or methodological errors
Retraction notices will be issued transparently to uphold academic integrity and publication ethics.
11. Indexing and Visibility Policy
WJNAS aims to achieve national and international indexing in recognized academic databases, scholarly repositories, and scientific indexing platforms. The journal follows international editorial standards, double-blind peer review procedures, and publication ethics to meet the requirements of reputable indexing systems.
Enhancing research visibility, citation impact, and global academic recognition are among the strategic objectives of the journal.
12. Article Processing and Publication Policy
WJNAS maintains a rigorous and quality-oriented publication process. The journal does not compromise academic standards for publication volume. All submitted manuscripts undergo a structured editorial workflow including:
Submission → Initial Screening → Technical and Format Check → Double-Blind Peer Review → Author Revision → Final Decision → Copyediting → Publication
Only manuscripts that meet scientific, ethical, and editorial standards of the journal are accepted for publication in the Wardak University Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences (WJNAS).