1. About the Journal

Afaq Research Journal: An Interdisciplinary Journal in Social Sciences and Humanities (ARH) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that aims to publish original and innovative research in the fields of social sciences and humanities. The journal is strictly committed to international academic standards and consistently encourages interdisciplinary studies that open new cognitive horizons.

2. Scope and Objectives

Approved Core Areas for Publication:

• Sociology
• Political Science and International Relations
• Law and Legal Studies
• Economics and Management
• Human Geography
• History and Cultural Studies
• Languages, Literature, and Arts
• Education and Psychology
• Interdisciplinary and Transnational Studies

Strategic Objectives:

1. Publishing high-quality, original, and innovative scientific research.
2. Supporting and developing interdisciplinary research and modern methodological approaches.
3. Promoting principles of absolute academic transparency and rigorous scientific integrity.
4. Enabling researchers to publish in accordance with international standards fully aligned with DOAJ and Scopus indexing rules.

3. Submission Criteria and Technical Requirements

1. The manuscript must be original, innovative, and must not have been previously published, either fully or partially, in any language. It must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere simultaneously.
2. Strict and complete commitment to scientific integrity and research ethics, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and academic misconduct.
3. The research must provide a novel cognitive contribution and a clear scientific value in its specific field of specialization.
4. The word count of the manuscript must range between 5,000 and 9,000 words, including footnotes, references, and abstracts.
5. Submissions must include an Arabic abstract (150-250 words) and an English abstract (150-250 words), followed by 3 to 5 precise keywords in both languages.
6. The author’s name, institutional affiliation, or any identifying references must be entirely removed from the text and file metadata to ensure total integrity during the double-anonymous peer review process.

4. Peer Review Policy and Mechanism

The journal adopts a strict Double Anonymous Peer Review system to ensure absolute objectivity and neutrality:

• Initial Screening: The Editorial Board reviews the manuscript immediately upon receipt to ensure compliance with formal technical guidelines and alignment with the journal's cognitive scope.
• Expert Review: Following a successful initial screening, the manuscript is sent to at least two specialized expert reviewers under a completely anonymized process.
• Final Decision: Based on the submitted review reports, the Scientific Committee and Editorial Board make one of the following decisions: (Accept without revision, Accept with minor revisions, Accept with major revisions, or Rejection).
• Review Duration: The peer review process and the issuance of final evaluation reports to authors typically take 2 to 4 weeks.

5. Publication Ethics and Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The journal complies with the highest international ethical standards of publishing and strictly enforces policies against plagiarism, redundant publication, and parallel submissions. Furthermore, authors are legally required to explicitly disclose any financial, personal, or professional conflicts of interest that might influence the objectivity of the research or the interpretation of results.

6. Formatting and Manuscript Preparation Rules

Technical Element	Manuscripts in Arabic	Manuscripts in English
Font Name	Sakkal Majalla	Times New Roman
Body Text Font Size	Size 14 (Regular)	Size 12 (Regular)
Headings & Subheadings	Size 14 (Bold)	Size 12 (Bold)
Line Spacing & Margins	1.5 spacing | 2.5 cm margins on all sides	1.5 spacing | 2.5 cm margins on all sides
Page Numbering & Citation System	Bottom center | APA System (7th Edition) or Chicago Manual of Style depending on the discipline	Bottom center | APA System (7th Edition) or Chicago Manual of Style depending on the discipline

7. Copyright and Open Access Policy

• Intellectual property rights and full copyright remain entirely retained by the authors without any restrictions or legal waivers to the journal.
• Authors grant the journal the right of first publication and online display. Authors are not permitted to republish the paper elsewhere without explicitly citing the original publication in our journal.
• The journal adopts a full Open Access policy in accordance with international standards under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0).
• Article Processing Charges (APCs): The journal does not impose any financial fees, submission fees, or processing charges on authors. Publication and reading are 100% free of charge for everyone, without any financial barriers or predatory practices.

8. Submission Process and Manuscript Withdrawal

• Manuscripts and all supplementary files must be submitted exclusively through the journal's official online platform (OJS). Submissions sent via email will not be considered under any circumstances.
• Authors must meticulously follow the official journal template for all submissions and accurately fill out all required metadata.
• Manuscript withdrawal is strictly prohibited after acceptance and entry into the production/scheduling phase, unless a compelling scientific and methodological justification is officially submitted in writing, signed, and approved by the Editorial Board.
• Author Affirmation: The submission of a manuscript to the journal constitutes an implicit, definitive, and legally binding agreement by the author (and all co-authors, if any) to all publishing guidelines, conditions, and policies stated in this document.