Objectives

1. To establish a distinguished academic reference in the fields of Sharia and Islamic Studies. 2. To meet the needs of researchers at the local, regional, and international levels in the fields of Sharia and Islamic Studies. 3. To promote and advance scientific research by publishing outstanding studies and scholarly papers in the disciplines covered by the journal, thereby supporting the objectives of the Center. 4. To enrich Arab and international libraries with specialized studies and research in the fields addressed by the journal. Scope The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies publish original, peer-reviewed research articles in both Arabic and English. The Journal welcomes scholarly submissions from researchers around the world in the fields of Sharia and Islamic Studies, as well as related interdisciplinary areas within its scope.

The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies publishes original scholarly research that complies with the Journal's publication policies and satisfies the following requirements: 1. The Journal publishes original research and scholarly studies in the fields of Sharia and Islamic Studies in both Arabic and English. Each manuscript must include an abstract of no more than 200 words, together with a translation of the abstract into the other language (Arabic or English), depending on the language of the manuscript. 2. Manuscripts and all required supporting documents must be submitted electronically through the "Submit Your Manuscript" link available on the Journal's website. 3. Authors must submit their manuscripts in Microsoft Word format and adhere to the Journal's formatting requirements: o Arabic manuscripts: Times New Roman, 14-point font for the main text and 10-point font for footnotes. o English manuscripts: Calibri, 12-point font for the main text and 10-point font for footnotes. 4. Manuscripts should contain 6,000–10,000 words. 5. The first page of the manuscript must include the author's full name, academic rank, institutional affiliation, current position, and email address. 6. Authors must provide a complete list of all references cited in the manuscript, translated into English where applicable. 7. Submitted manuscripts must not have been published previously, in whole or in part, in a book, journal, conference proceedings, or any other publication venue, nor be under consideration elsewhere. Authors are required to submit a signed declaration confirming the originality of the work and that it has not been submitted to another journal before the completion of the review process. 8. Once a manuscript has been accepted and published in the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies, it may not be republished, in whole or in part, in another publication without obtaining written permission from the Editor-in-Chief and only after three years have elapsed from the date of publication. 9. The Editorial Board reserves the right to request the deletion, revision, or modification of any part of a manuscript to ensure compliance with the Journal's editorial and publication policies. 10. All publication rights are reserved by the Journal. The Journal also reserves the right to republish the article, in whole or in part, and to translate it into other languages after obtaining the author's consent. Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the Publisher. Accordingly, the Journal assumes no responsibility for the content of published manuscripts.

Manuscript Review Procedure 1. All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies undergo a double-blind peer-review process. 2. Each submission is initially screened by the Editorial Board to determine whether it complies with the Journal's submission and publication requirements and is suitable for peer review. The Editor-in-Chief may reject a manuscript at this stage if it falls outside the Journal's scope or if its academic quality is considered insufficient for external review. 3. Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial editorial screening are assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers with recognized expertise in the subject area. Whenever possible, reviewers are selected from different academic institutions and countries. Reviewers are requested to recommend one of the following decisions: o Accept without revisions. o Accept subject to minor revisions. o Reconsider after major revisions. o Reject. 4. Reviewer reports and recommendations are communicated by the Editor-in-Chief to the author(s), who are invited to revise the manuscript in accordance with the reviewers' comments. 5. Authors whose manuscripts are not accepted for publication will receive a formal notification of the editorial decision. 6. The Journal aims to complete the peer-review process within two weeks under normal circumstances. Guidelines for Reviewers 1. The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies follows a double-blind peer-review policy. The review process supports the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board in making informed editorial decisions while helping authors improve the scientific quality of their manuscripts. 2. Reviewers are expected to accept review assignments only for manuscripts that fall within their area of expertise. 3. Any invited reviewer who considers themselves unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or unable to complete the review within the required timeframe should promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and decline the review invitation. 4. All reviewers must fully understand and strictly adhere to the confidentiality requirements governing the Journal's double-blind peer-review process. 5. Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be disclosed, shared, or discussed with any third party without the prior authorization of the Editor-in-Chief. 6. Reviews should be conducted objectively, fairly, and professionally. Reviewers should avoid personal criticism of the author(s) and provide clear, constructive comments supported by appropriate academic justification. 7. Reviewers should immediately notify the Editor-in-Chief if they identify substantial similarity or overlap between the submitted manuscript and any previously published work of which they are aware. 8. Information, data, or ideas obtained through the peer-review process must not be used for personal, academic, or commercial advantage. 9. Reviewers must decline any review assignment where an actual or potential conflict of interest exists due to competitive, collaborative, financial, institutional, or personal relationships with the author(s). 10. The names, institutional affiliations, and contact information of reviewers shall be maintained in a secure database in accordance with applicable data protection and confidentiality standards.

The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal published in both print and electronic formats. The Journal publishes four issues annually according to the following schedule: • January • April • July • October

سياسة crosswalk

Statement and Policy The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. To uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, the Journal has established the following policy, which specifies the procedures and actions to be taken when plagiarism is identified in a submitted manuscript. • Plagiarism is defined as the use or imitation of another author's language, ideas, data, or intellectual work while presenting them as one's own original work. • Manuscripts submitted to the Journal must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by any other journal. Authors are required to clearly identify any material quoted verbatim from other sources by: 1. Using appropriate indentation (where applicable); 2. Enclosing direct quotations within quotation marks; and 3. Providing complete and accurate citations to the original source. • Any reproduced text exceeding the limits of fair use (generally more than two or three consecutive sentences or their equivalent), as well as any reproduced figures, tables, illustrations, or other copyrighted materials, requires prior permission from the copyright holder and the original author whenever applicable. The original source must also be properly acknowledged. • All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software to determine the similarity index before entering the peer-review process. • If plagiarism or excessive similarity is detected, the Editor-in-Chief will determine the appropriate course of action based on the similarity percentage and the nature of the overlap. Similarity Index Policy The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies does not tolerate plagiarism in any form. Based on the similarity report generated by the plagiarism detection system, the Editorial Board applies the following policy: 1. Similarity Index Above 40% o The manuscript will be rejected outright due to excessive plagiarism, improper citation, or unacceptable paraphrasing. o Re-submission of the same manuscript will not be permitted. 2. Similarity Index Between 15% and 40% o The manuscript will be returned to the author(s) for substantial revision in accordance with accepted standards of academic writing and citation. 3. Similarity Index Below 15% o The manuscript may proceed in the review process; however, the author(s) may still be requested to improve citations, revise paraphrased sections, and ensure appropriate acknowledgment of all external sources. 4. Revision Requirements o In cases falling under Categories (2) and (3), authors are required to carefully revise the manuscript, insert all necessary citations, and appropriately paraphrase any material derived from external sources. o The revised manuscript must be accompanied by an updated plagiarism detection report demonstrating that the overall similarity index does not exceed 15% before the manuscript can proceed further in the publication process.

المراجع

Publication Requirements 1. The submitted manuscript must be original and must not have been published previously. Authors are required to submit a signed declaration confirming the originality of their work. 2. The manuscript must not be under consideration for publication in any other journal. 3. Once accepted and published in the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies, the manuscript may not be published elsewhere without obtaining prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief. 4. Upon acceptance, authors agree to transfer all publication rights to the Journal. Should the Journal wish to republish the work, it will obtain the author's written consent. 5. Authors must disclose all sources of financial or institutional support for the research. 6. Authors will receive an electronic offprint (PDF copy) of their published article. 7. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal will not be returned, regardless of whether they are accepted or rejected for publication. Manuscript Preparation Requirements • Manuscripts should contain 6,000–10,000 words. • Each manuscript must include: o An abstract in both Arabic and English, each not exceeding 200 words. o Keywords reflecting the specific field of the research. o An introduction. o The main body divided into appropriate sections and subsections. o Conclusions summarizing the major findings. o A brief author biography. o A complete list of references. • The author's name and current institutional affiliation should appear immediately below the manuscript title. • Manuscripts should be prepared using: o Times New Roman, 14-point font for the main text. o Times New Roman, 12-point font for footnotes. o 1.5 line spacing throughout the manuscript. • Figures, illustrations, and diagrams should be embedded within the text, numbered consecutively, presented in black and white, and accompanied by captions placed below each figure. • Tables should also be inserted within the text, numbered consecutively, with titles placed above the table and explanatory notes below where necessary. • Footnotes should be used only when essential. Footnote Citation Style The Journal requires footnotes to be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript and placed at the bottom of each page. Books References should be cited in the text using superscript sequential numbers and fully documented in the corresponding footnotes. The citation should include: • Author's full name. • Title of the book (italicized for works published in European languages). • Editor or translator (if applicable). • Place of publication. • Publisher. • Year of publication. • Edition (if not the first). • Volume number (if applicable). • Page number(s). For subsequent citations of the same source, an abbreviated citation should be used. Journal Articles Journal references should include: • Author's full name. • Article title. • Journal title. • Year of publication. • Volume number. • Issue number. • Publishing institution (where applicable). • Page range. Chapters in Edited Books References should include: • Author of the chapter. • Chapter title. • Editor of the book. • Book title. • Edition. • Page range. • Publisher. • Place of publication. • Year of publication. Citation of Hadith When citing Prophetic Hadith, references should include, where applicable: • Name of the Hadith collection. • Book title. • Chapter title. • Volume number. • Page number. • Hadith number. Referencing Style (APA 7th Edition) The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies adopts the APA (7th Edition) referencing style exclusively for both in-text citations and the reference list. In-Text Citations Citations should appear immediately after the quoted or paraphrased text using the following format: (Author's Surname, Year, p. Page Number) Examples • (Yousef & Ahmed, 2020, p. 16) • (Al-Halabi, 2020) • (Al-Sarraj, 2022, pp. 25–27) Reference List The reference list must be arranged alphabetically by the authors' surnames and presented at the end of the manuscript in accordance with the APA 7th Edition guidelines. Books and Book Chapters Single Author Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the book (Edition, if not the first). Publisher. Example Al-Halabi, M. (2020). Contemporary Arabic Literature (2nd ed.). Dar Al-Maaref Publishing. Note: The first edition is not indicated in APA style. Multiple Authors Format Author's Surname, Initial(s)., & Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the book (Edition). Publisher. Up to 20 authors may be listed in the reference list in accordance with APA 7. Edited Books Format Editor's Surname, Initial(s). (Ed.). (Year). Title of the book (Edition). Publisher. For multiple editors: Editor's Surname, Initial(s)., & Editor's Surname, Initial(s). (Eds.). (Year). Title of the book. Publisher. Chapter in an Edited Book Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the chapter. In Editor's Initial(s). Editor's Surname (Ed.), Title of the book (Edition, pp. xx–xx). Publisher. Journal Articles Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), Page Range. https://doi.org/xxxxx If no DOI is available and the article was retrieved from a website, include the URL without using "Retrieved from." Conference Papers Published Conference Proceedings Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the paper. In Editor's Initial(s). Editor's Surname (Ed.), Title of the conference proceedings (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx Unpublished Conference Presentation Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year, Month). Title of the paper [Conference paper]. Conference Name, City, Country. URL (if available). Theses and Dissertations Published Thesis or Dissertation Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the thesis [Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, University Name]. Repository or URL. Unpublished Thesis or Dissertation Format Author's Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Title of the thesis [Unpublished master's thesis or doctoral dissertation]. University Name. General APA Formatting Rules 1. The heading References should be centered on the page. 2. References should be listed alphabetically by the first author's surname. 3. A single unified reference list should be used without subdividing sources by type. 4. Both the manuscript and the reference list should use double line spacing. 5. Use "pp." only for: o Book chapters. o Conference proceedings. For journal articles, simply provide the page range (e.g., 220–235). 6. Commas should be used according to APA style, including: o After authors' surnames. o After journal titles. o Between the volume(issue) and page numbers. o After edition information in book chapters. o Between the dissertation type and the university name within brackets. 7. For unpublished theses or dissertations, the university name should appear outside the square brackets. 8. The book edition should appear immediately after the title and only from the second edition onward. 9. Edited books should identify the editor(s) using (Ed.) or (Eds.). 10. Information regarding translation or editing should appear immediately after the title in accordance with APA 7 formatting. 11. If a journal does not have an issue number, cite only the italicized volume number followed by the page range. 12. Italics should be used for: • Book titles. • Journal titles. • Dissertation titles. • Volume numbers. • Titles of unpublished conference papers. Manuscript Preparation and Publication Procedures Manuscript Requirements The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies publishes original, high-quality research that demonstrates scholarly depth, originality, and a meaningful contribution to the advancement of Sharia and Islamic Studies. Manuscripts may be submitted in Arabic or English, provided they comply with the following requirements: 1. Each manuscript must include two abstracts—one in Arabic and one in English. Each abstract should not exceed one page and must be followed by five keywords. 2. The first page of the manuscript must include: o The title of the paper. o The author's (or authors') full name(s). o Institutional affiliation(s). 3. The submitted manuscript must not have been previously published, submitted for publication elsewhere, presented at a scientific conference, or extracted from a published book, master's thesis, or doctoral dissertation. Authors are required to submit a signed declaration confirming the originality of the manuscript together with the submission. 4. Authors are expected to observe the highest standards of academic integrity. The Journal assumes no responsibility for any breach of research ethics or academic misconduct committed by authors. 5. Manuscripts should follow internationally accepted standards of scholarly writing, including: o A clear introduction. o Research objectives. o Research methodology. o Logical organization of sections. o Complete and accurate documentation of references. o A conclusion summarizing the principal findings and recommendations. o A reference list arranged alphabetically. 6. Manuscripts must be submitted in both Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) and PDF formats. 7. Manuscripts should be between 20 and 50 A4 pages in length. 8. Formatting requirements: o Arabic manuscripts: Times New Roman, 14-point font for the main text and 12-point font for footnotes. o English manuscripts: Calibri, 14-point font for the main text and 12-point font for footnotes. 9. Footnotes must appear at the bottom of each page and be numbered consecutively throughout the manuscript. 10. Manuscripts that have not undergone appropriate linguistic proofreading, whether in Arabic or English, will not be considered for publication. Publication Procedures 1. Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the "Submit Your Manuscript" link available on the Journal's website. 2. All correspondence between authors and the Journal should be addressed to the Journal Secretariat. 3. Authors must submit a brief biographical statement together with the manuscript. 4. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software. The overall similarity index must not exceed 15%. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold will not proceed to review. 5. The Editor-in-Chief forwards eligible submissions to the Scientific Publishing Committee, which evaluates whether the manuscript falls within the Journal's aims and scope before determining whether it should be sent for peer review. Suitable manuscripts are assigned to expert reviewers specializing in the relevant field. 6. Reviewer reports and all information related to the peer-review process are treated with strict confidentiality. 7. Following the review process, the Managing Editor sends the author copies of the reviewers' reports together with an official editorial decision requesting any required revisions. Authors are normally given up to one month from the date of notification to submit the revised manuscript. 8. Authors must submit the revised manuscript together with a detailed response letter explaining how each reviewer comment has been addressed. 9. The revised manuscript, the author's response, and the reviewers' reports are examined by the Scientific Publishing Committee to verify that all required revisions have been satisfactorily completed. Once approved, the manuscript is forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief for final production and publication. 10. The Managing Editor formally notifies authors of the final editorial decision, whether acceptance or rejection, based on the recommendation of the Scientific Publishing Committee. 11. Upon acceptance, authors receive an official Certificate of Acceptance, which is sent electronically via email. 12. Articles published in the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies may not be republished in another journal or presented in conference proceedings without prior authorization from the Journal. 13. Authors receive one printed copy of the journal issue containing their article, together with an electronic offprint (PDF) of the published paper. 14. In addition to the printed edition, the Editorial Board reserves the right to publish all journal issues electronically on the official website of the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies.

Processing Charge The peer-review and publication fee is USD 400 (equivalent to SAR 1,500). Payment is required after the initial acceptance of the manuscript.

The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies adopts the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in 2011 as the foundation of its publication ethics and malpractice statement. Further information is available at: https://publicationethics.org. The Journal fully supports the best practices and ethical standards for scholarly publishing as defined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). It is committed to taking all necessary measures to prevent and address any form of publication malpractice by monitoring every stage of the editorial and publishing process. Accordingly, preventing publication misconduct—such as plagiarism, copyright infringement, or unauthorized republication—is considered a fundamental responsibility of the Editorial Board. The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies has zero tolerance for any conduct that violates publication ethics and fully recognizes its ethical responsibilities and obligations. A. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief The Editorial Board of the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies consists of recognized specialists in the Journal's fields of interest. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for publishing the names, institutional affiliations, and contact information of the Editorial Board members on the Journal's website. The responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief include the following: Publication Decisions 1. The Editor-in-Chief bears the ultimate responsibility for all editorial decisions concerning submitted manuscripts, including acceptance, rejection, major revisions, and minor revisions. 2. Publication decisions are based on the reviewers' reports and recommendations, as well as the manuscript's scientific merit, originality, clarity, significance, and relevance to the Journal's scope. 3. The Editor-in-Chief may consult other editors or subject-matter experts when making editorial decisions regarding submitted manuscripts. 4. The Editor-in-Chief shall also consider applicable legal requirements concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and academic integrity. Confidentiality 1. The Editor-in-Chief and members of the Editorial Board must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, prospective reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate. 2. The peer-review process is strictly confidential, and the Journal is fully committed to maintaining a fully anonymous peer-review process. Fair and Transparent Review Process 1. The Editor-in-Chief shall evaluate submitted manuscripts solely on their academic merit, regardless of the authors' race, gender, religious beliefs, nationality, or intellectual or political views. 2. Editorial decisions to accept or reject manuscripts shall be based exclusively on the importance, originality, clarity, and relevance of the work to the Journal's aims and scope. 3. The Editor-in-Chief may allow authors to recommend potential reviewers or request the exclusion of specific reviewers where appropriate. Electronic Archiving 1. The Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies shall ensure that all published materials are electronically archived and permanently stored in the Journal's section of the official website. Disclosure, Academic Integrity, and Conflicts of Interest 1. The Editor-in-Chief and members of the Editorial Board must not use unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts for their own research purposes without the author's written consent. 2. Innovative ideas or data obtained through the peer-review process must be treated as strictly confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. 3. The Editor-in-Chief shall require reviewers to disclose any potential conflicts of interest when accepting a review assignment and when submitting their review reports. Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts whenever they are unable to provide an impartial evaluation. 4. Original manuscripts authored or co-authored by individuals who have published with the Editor-in-Chief within the previous three years shall be handled by an independent editorial advisor or guest editor. 5. The Editor-in-Chief shall require authors to disclose any conflicts of interest and to correct such disclosures if any conflict is identified after publication. Procedures for Handling Unethical Conduct 1. Any suspected unethical conduct identified before, during, or after the peer-review process must be reported immediately to the Editor-in-Chief. 2. Anyone reporting suspected misconduct to the Editor-in-Chief or the Publisher must provide sufficient evidence and supporting details. 3. Upon receiving an allegation of unethical conduct, an immediate investigation shall be initiated, and all claims shall be treated seriously until a decision is reached based on clear evidence. 4. Investigations into unethical conduct may be conducted even if the misconduct is discovered long after publication. 5. If a breach of publication ethics is confirmed, the Editor-in-Chief, in coordination with the Publisher, shall notify the author in writing and provide an opportunity to respond to the allegations. 6. Minor ethical violations may be resolved internally by the Editor-in-Chief without consulting external parties. 7. In cases of serious misconduct, the Editor-in-Chief may refer the matter to the relevant institutions or research authorities for further investigation and assessment. 8. Actions taken in response to serious publication misconduct may include: o Issuing an official notice describing the ethical violation. o Sending a formal notification to the author's or reviewer's department head or to the research funding agency. o Retracting the published article and informing the author's or reviewer's affiliated institution of the retraction. o Permanently removing the author or reviewer from the Journal's list of contributors. B. Author Responsibilities Compliance with the Journal's Publication Policies 1. Authors must comply with the submission requirements and publication policies of the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies and adhere to internationally recognized principles of research and publication ethics. 2. Authors must confirm that they comply with the Journal's authorship criteria. 3. Authors submitting original research must provide an accurate description of the work and an objective explanation of its significance. 4. Authors must include sufficient details and appropriate references within their manuscripts to enable other researchers to verify and appropriately cite their work. Responsible Authorship 1. Authors must avoid all forms of publication misconduct, including plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and data manipulation. 2. Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. 3. Authors may be requested to provide the original data supporting their research for editorial review and should be prepared to make such data publicly available where appropriate. 4. Authors must submit original, high-quality scholarly work, properly acknowledge the contributions of others, and cite all publications that have significantly influenced the reported research. 5. Authors must confirm that all co-authors who made substantial contributions to the research have granted their written consent to authorship. 6. If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published article, the author must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief or the Publisher and cooperate in correcting or retracting the publication, as appropriate. Copyright of Submitted Manuscripts Authors retain the copyright of their work until it is accepted for publication. Upon acceptance, the copyright of the published work is transferred to the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest 1. Authors must disclose all sources of research funding and declare any financial or other conflicts of interest that may influence the evaluation or publication of their manuscript. 2. If any potential conflict of interest arises during or after the peer-review process, authors must promptly disclose it to the Editor-in-Chief or the Publisher. C. Reviewer Responsibilities Contribution to Editorial Decisions The International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies operates a fully anonymous peer-review process. Reviewers assist the Editor-in-Chief in making editorial decisions and help authors improve the quality of their manuscripts through constructive and objective review reports. Responsible Peer Review 1. Reviewers should not undertake the evaluation of manuscripts that fall outside their area of expertise. Any invited reviewer who considers themselves unqualified or unable to provide a timely review must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and withdraw from the review process. 2. Reviewers must not use any information or data obtained through the peer-review process for their own personal or professional benefit. 3. Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts in which they have any conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, institutional, financial, or other relationships with the author(s). 4. Reviewers must notify the Editor-in-Chief of any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and any other published work of which they are aware. Confidentiality and Objectivity 1. All reviewers conducting peer review on behalf of the International Journal of Sharia and Islamic Studies must strictly adhere to the confidentiality requirements governing the double-anonymous peer-review process. 2. Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be disclosed to or discussed with any third party except as authorized by the Editor-in-Chief. 3. Reviews must be conducted objectively, and reviewers must refrain from making personal criticisms of the authors. 4. Reviewers should express their evaluations clearly, fairly, and professionally, providing well-reasoned comments and evidence-based recommendations to support their judgments.