Reviewer and Publisher Responsibilities
AJIR follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines for reviewers, editors, and publishers. The following responsibilities define the expected conduct of all parties involved in the peer review and publication process.
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may also help the author improve their manuscript. Reviewers should provide objective, constructive feedback that helps authors improve the quality of their work, regardless of the final editorial decision.
Reviewers who feel unqualified to review the assigned manuscript or know they will be unable to complete the review within the stipulated time should notify the editor immediately so that the manuscript can be reassigned. AJIR requests reviews to be completed within 2–3 weeks.
All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor. Reviewers must not share manuscript content with AI tools, colleagues, or students without explicit editor approval.
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments and avoid vague or unsubstantiated criticisms. Feedback should be respectful, constructive, and focused on the scientific content of the work.
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer's own research without the express written consent of the author. Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
Asian Research Association, as publisher of AJIR, is committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions. Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of academic merit and the journal's scope, without commercial considerations.
The publisher will assist in communications with other journals and/or publishers where this is useful and necessary. The publisher is committed to the permanent availability and preservation of scholarly research. AJIR articles are archived in Portico, J-Gate, and the Keepers Registry to ensure long-term access.
When allegations of misconduct are received, the publisher supports editors in investigating complaints and will take appropriate action including issuing corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern in line with COPE guidelines. The publisher will cooperate with institutions in any formal investigations of research misconduct.
AJIR operates a double-blind peer review process. The publisher ensures that reviewer identities are protected and that reviewers are not identified to authors without their explicit consent. Reviewer data is held securely and not shared with third parties.
Concerns about reviewer or publisher conduct may be directed to support@asianresassoc.org. AJIR aims to acknowledge all correspondence within 5 working days and resolve complaints within 3 weeks. Unresolved matters may be escalated to COPE.