Rawa Aopa Law Review (RALR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement outlines the ethical behavior expected of all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Duties of Authors

• Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly cite others’ work. All forms of plagiarism are strictly prohibited.

• Multiple Submissions: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.

• Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given.

• Authorship: All authors listed in the manuscript must have made a significant contribution to the research. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included and that all co-authors have approved the final version.

• Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

2. Duties of Editors

• Fair Review Process: Editors must evaluate manuscripts solely based on their academic merit, without regard to race, gender, nationality, religion, or political views of the authors.

• Confidentiality: Editors must keep all information regarding submitted manuscripts confidential.

• Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which articles are to be published based on the journal’s scope and the reviewers’ evaluations.

• Handling Misconduct: Editors should take reasonable steps when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted or published paper.

3. Duties of Reviewers

• Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and helps the author improve the manuscript.

• Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents.

• Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors.

• Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest.

4. Publisher’s Responsibilities

The publisher ensures that publishing ethics are maintained throughout the editorial process. In cases of misconduct, the publisher will work closely with the editors and follow COPE guidelines for dealing with ethical issues.