Publication Ethics

The Journal of Sport Sciences, published by the College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Diyala, is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical research publication. The journal ensures that all editorial and peer-review procedures are conducted with objectivity, transparency, and fairness, in accordance with the general principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the requirements of publication  ethics and malpractice statements for scholarly journals.

First: Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board

The Editor-in-Chief, in cooperation with the Editorial Board, is responsible for managing the editorial process and ensuring the integrity of manuscript submission, screening, peer review, and publication decisions. Submitted manuscripts are evaluated based on their scientific merit, originality, methodology, and relevance to the scope of the journal, without discrimination based on nationality,  affiliation, academic rank, or any non-scientific consideration.

The Editorial Board is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and shall not disclose their content or related information except to those directly involved in the editorial and peer-review process. The Editorial Board is also responsible for selecting appropriate reviewers according to the specific field of the manuscript, while avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring the  independence of scientific judgment.

Second: Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must submit original manuscripts that have not been previously published and are not under consideration by any other journal or publication venue. The data and results presented in the manuscript must be accurate, reliable, and free from fabrication,  falsification, or intentional omission of relevant findings. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a genuine scholarly contribution to the conception, design, implementation, data analysis, writing, or critical revision of the manuscript. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed authors have approved the submitted version and that no individual who did not contribute to the work is included as an  author. Authors must cite sources accurately and honestly, acknowledge relevant previous work, and avoid plagiarism, undocumented quotation, and inappropriate reuse of text or data. Authors are also required to disclose any potential conflict of interest, whether financial, institutional, personal, or professional, that may influence  the results or their interpretation. Third: Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants Given the nature of sport sciences and physical education research, authors whose studies involve human participants, physical tests, physiological measurements, health-related data, or psychological assessments must obtain the necessary ethical approval from the relevant authority and secure informed consent from participants or  their legal guardians where applicable. Authors must protect the safety, dignity, and privacy of participants and avoid any procedures that may expose them to unjustified risk. Personal, health-related, and physical-performance data must be treated confidentially, and no information that may identify  participants should be published without prior explicit consent.

Fourth: Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer review is an essential stage in ensuring the quality of research published by the journal. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, accurate, and constructive scientific evaluations based on the manuscript’s quality, originality, methodological soundness,  clarity of results, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts sent to them and must not use or benefit from their content before publication. They should decline the review invitation if there is a conflict of interest, insufficient expertise, or inability to complete the review within the required timeframe. Reviewers should also inform the Editorial Board of any suspected plagiarism, duplication, redundant publication, data manipulation, or other ethical concerns  identified during the review process.

Fifth: Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

The Journal of Sport Sciences rejects all forms of plagiarism, scientific theft, fabrication, falsification, and manipulation of data, images, or results. All submitted manuscripts are subject to similarity checking using approved software. A low similarity percentage alone does not guarantee acceptance unless all quotations and reused materials are properly cited and consistent with academic  writing standards. If plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation, or any serious breach of research and publication ethics is confirmed, the journal reserves the right to reject the manuscript, suspend the publication process, or take appropriate editorial action, including correction, retraction, or expression of concern when necessary, depending on the nature of the case and the stage at which it is  discovered.

Sixth: Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

The journal does not accept manuscripts that have been previously published or are simultaneously submitted to another journal, conference, or publication venue. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one publication venue at the same time is considered a violation of publication ethics. Authors may submit their manuscript elsewhere only after receiving an official rejection from the journal  or after obtaining formal approval to withdraw the manuscript.

Seventh: Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

The journal permits limited and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools for language or organizational assistance, provided that such tools do not replace the author’s role in scientific thinking, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. Authors must disclose any substantial use of artificial intelligence tools in preparing the manuscript. Artificial intelligence tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors, as authorship requires the ability to take scientific, ethical, and legal responsibility for the content of the  manuscript.

Eighth: Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflict of interest that may affect scientific judgment, interpretation of results, or publication decisions. If a conflict of interest exists for a reviewer or editorial board member, that individual must be excluded from handling the manuscript and replaced by an appropriate alternative in order to preserve the independence of the  editorial decision.

Ninth: Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to correcting the scholarly record when significant errors are discovered after publication. If an error is limited and does not undermine the reliability of the results, the journal may publish a correction linked to the original article. If a serious problem is confirmed that affects the reliability of the results, originality of the work, or integrity of the data, the journal may issue a retraction or an expression of concern, depending on the nature of  the case and the available evidence.

Tenth: Copyright and Archiving

Copyright and licensing are managed in accordance with the journal’s approved policy as announced on its website. The journal maintains an electronic archive of published issues to preserve the scholarly record and ensure access for researchers and readers, while  protecting the rights of authors, the journal, and relevant parties.