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Policies

Content

Editorial Policies

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. We adhere to the principles of the and endorse relevant recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work.

Submission of a manuscript to the journal implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content, and that the manuscript conforms to the journal’s policies and ethical guidelines.

Advertisements

The journal does not accept advertisements from third parties.

Affiliations

All authors are required to provide a full list of affiliations to properly acknowledge the institutions or organizations involved in approving, funding, or conducting the research or academic work.

  • For non-research articles, authors should include their current institutional affiliation.
  • If an author has changed institutions prior to the article's publication, they should list the affiliation associated with the research and indicate their current affiliation.
  • Authors without a current institutional affiliation must clearly state their independent status.

Appeals and complaints

The journal follows COPE recommendations for handling complaints and appeals. Any concerns related to editorial decisions, peer review, authorship, publication ethics, or the journal’s processes should be submitted in writing to Editor in chief’s email. Upon receipt, the Editors-in-Chief will acknowledge the complaint or appeal and begin a formal review. The journal aims to provide an initial response within 4-6 weeks.

All cases will be assessed objectively, and the Editors-in-Chief will gather information from all relevant parties before determining an appropriate course of action, in line with COPE guidance. The review or publication process may be paused while the matter is being investigated. If the complaint or appeal involves an Editor-in-Chief or any editorial board member with a conflict of interest, the issue will be handled by a senior member of the Editorial Board who is not involved in the case.

Authors appealing an editorial decision should provide a clear rationale supported by evidence. An appeal does not guarantee reversal of the original decision. Once the investigation or review is complete, the Editors-in-Chief will communicate the final outcome to the corresponding author, and this decision will be binding.

Acknowledgment

Manuscripts should acknowledge individuals who contributed to their development but do not meet authorship criteria. Similarly, organizations providing financial or other forms of support should also be recognized.

Authorship

Authorship is crucial for acknowledging significant contributions to a work and for establishing accountability for its content.

To be listed as an author, individuals must fulfill all the following criteria:

  1. Have substantially contributed to the reported work, encompassing its conception, study design, execution, data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation.
  2. Have participated in drafting, significantly revising, or critically reviewing the article.
  3. Have consented to the journal to which the article is submitted.
  4. Have reviewed and approved all versions of the article, including initial submission, revisions, the final accepted manuscript, and any major changes during proofing.
  5. Agree to be responsible and accountable for the article's contents and to address any concerns regarding its accuracy or integrity post-publication.

Any alterations to the authorship list, whether before or after publication, require the agreement of all authors, including those being added or removed. The corresponding author is responsible for securing confirmation from all co-authors and providing a clear justification for the change. If an authorship change is needed after publication, it will be documented via a post-publication notice. All authorship changes must align with the established criteria, and significant modifications to the author list after acceptance may be declined if adequate reasons and evidence of author contributions are not provided.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit is exclusively granted for significant contributions across three key areas:

  1. Conceptualization and Design: This includes the study's conception and design, data acquisition, or analysis and interpretation of data.
  2. Manuscript Development: This involves drafting the article or critically revising it for crucial intellectual content.
  3. Final Approval: Giving final approval to the version slated for publication.

Simply securing funding or collecting data alone does not warrant authorship. Similarly, general oversight of a research team is insufficient for authorship. Every contributor must have participated sufficiently to assume public accountability for their respective portions of the manuscript's content. The sequence in which contributors are named should reflect their relative input to the study and manuscript preparation. Once submitted, this order cannot be altered without the explicit written consent of all contributors. The journal stipulates a maximum number of authors for manuscripts, which varies based on the manuscript type, its scope, and the number of participating institutions. Authors must provide a justification if their author count exceeds these limits.

Contribution Details

Starting from 2026, authors must detail each contributor's specific involvement in the manuscript. These contributions should be categorized, where applicable, into areas such as conceptualization, design, intellectual content definition, literature review, clinical studies, experimental work, data acquisition, data analysis, statistical analysis, manuscript drafting, editing, and review. This breakdown of author contributions will be published alongside the article. Furthermore, one or more authors should assume full responsibility for the entire work, from its inception to its final publication, and will be designated as 'guarantors'.

Citations

Both research and non-research articles must include relevant, timely, and verified literature to support any claims made. Authors should avoid excessive self-citation or agreements to cite each other's work, as this can be considered citation manipulation, a form of misconduct. For more details, refer to the guidance on citation manipulation.

If you are writing a non-research article, ensure that your references are pertinent and offer a balanced overview of the current research or scholarly work on the topic. Your references should not show undue bias towards a specific research group, organization, or journal.

If you are uncertain about whether to cite a particular source, please contact the journal editorial office for guidance.

Conflicts of Interest/ Competing interests

All authors must declare any potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript's publication, any institutions or products mentioned within it, or those crucial to the study's outcome. This includes disclosing conflicts with products that might compete with those discussed in their submission.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

The journal follows COPE guidance for all post-publication updates. Small corrections are applied directly to the original article. Other minor errors that do not affect the article’s overall findings may be corrected through a correction notice linked to the original article. Major errors that affect the reliability or interpretation of the work will result in a corrected version being issued together with a clear notice explaining the changes. If there are serious concerns about the integrity of an article but insufficient evidence to support a retraction, an Expression of Concern may be issued. When confirmed evidence demonstrates unreliable findings, research misconduct, ethical breaches, or major errors, the article will be retracted in accordance with COPE retraction guidelines. All decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions are made by the Editors-in-Chief, or by an uninvolved senior Editorial Board member when a conflict of interest exists. All notices will be clearly linked to the original article to ensure transparency.

For all manuscripts that include details or images relating to an individual person, written informed consent for the publication of these details must be obtained from that person (or their parent or legal guardian in the case of children under 18). The consent must be for publication of their details under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (such that they will be freely available on the internet). If the person has died, consent for publication must be obtained from their next of kin. The manuscript must include a statement that written informed consent for publication was obtained.

Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. The journal restricts access to the manuscripts, sharing them only with individuals essential to their processing and preparation for publication, including editorial staff, corresponding authors, potential and active reviewers, and editors. However, if misconduct is suspected, a manuscript may be disclosed to the journal’s ethics committee and other institutions or organizations as needed to resolve the issue. The journal will adhere to relevant COPE flowcharts in such circumstances.

Philosophy

For more information, please see the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data's Aims & Scope page.

Who Can Submit?

Anyone may submit an original manuscript to be considered for publication in the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data, provided they own the copyright to the work being submitted or are authorized by the copyright owner(s) to submit the manuscript. Authors are the initial owners of the copyrights to their works before publication.

User Rights

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data is an Open Access journal. Authors retain copyright of their work, which is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) . This license permits users to copy, distribute, and transmit the work, as well as adapt it and use it for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given to the original author and the source.

Open Access Policy

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data is an open-access publication. This means that all articles are freely accessible to read, download, and share immediately upon publication, ensuring unrestricted access for the global scientific community.

All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits users to copy, distribute, and transmit the work, as well as adapt it and use it for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate attribution is given to the original author(s) and the source. Authors retain the copyright of their published work.

No registration is required to access the content, and there is no embargo period delaying access to new articles.

Data Sharing Policy

The journal's data sharing policy aims to promote transparency, reproducibility, and knowledge advancement within the academic community. We strongly encourage authors to share their research data appropriately and promptly, making our submission processes easier to facilitate this. Our goal is to standardize author data guidelines to clarify storage and sharing options, thereby maximizing data access and reuse.

We advocate for proper data citation to ensure contributors receive due credit for their data sharing efforts. Collaborating closely with the scientific community, we are dedicated to establishing robust data review practices to validate, document, and enable the reuse of published research data. Furthermore, we support the publication of research data as distinct, peer-reviewed outputs to enhance reusability and provide additional recognition for authors.

Data Sharing Expectations:

Authors are encouraged to make their data publicly available whenever possible, unless restrictions such as privacy, confidentiality, or legal requirements apply. Data should be shared in a way that allows for verification of results and facilitates its reuse for future research.

Data Availability Statements:

Authors must include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscripts, clearly indicating where the data supporting the findings can be accessed, or explaining why it cannot be shared. Examples of acceptable statements include:

  1. Data Available in a Public Repository: "The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the repository, [repository name/link]."
  2. Data Available on Request: "The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."
  3. No Data Available: "No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study."

Desk Rejection Policy

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data may summarily reject submissions before they enter the formal peer-review process if they meet any of the following criteria:

  • Relevance: The research topic or scope does not align with the focus of MJBD.
  • Ethical Concerns: The manuscript exhibits issues with publication ethics, fails to adhere to international guidelines, or contains plagiarism.
  • Impact and Novelty: The study lacks sufficient impact or does not offer a significant novel contribution to the field of Big Data.
  • Methodological Flaws: The study design contains notable deficiencies or flaws.
  • Clarity of Objectives: The research objectives are not clearly articulated.
  • Incomplete or Problematic Structure: The manuscript's organization is problematic, or essential components are missing.
  • Language and Grammar: The writing quality, grammar, or style is poor.
  • Non-compliance with Guidelines: The manuscript does not follow the submission guidelines of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data.

Duplicate Submission/Publication

Authors submitting to the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data must affirm that their manuscript is not currently under consideration by any other journal. Submitting the same work simultaneously elsewhere is considered a serious breach of publication ethics. This policy also extends to articles previously published in another language. Should authors wish to resubmit a work that has been published elsewhere in an acceptable secondary format, they are required to obtain explicit permission from the original publisher and copyright holder. They must also inform the Editor of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data about the article's publication history and clearly state that the article is a translated version, providing a citation to the original work, in line with ICMJE guidance.

Funding

Starting from 2026, the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data requires authors to disclose all sources of funding, including financial support, within their manuscript. Authors should clearly state the role of the funding body, if any, in the study's design, execution, analysis, or the preparation and submission of the manuscript. If the funder had no such involvement, this should also be explicitly mentioned. Authors are responsible for ensuring this information is accurate and adheres to the funder’s specific requirements.

Images and Figures

Only images and figures that are directly relevant and significantly enhance the reported research should be included in your article for the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data. Content that is purely illustrative and does not add scholarly value should be avoided.

As part of your publishing agreement, you are responsible for obtaining the necessary written permission to include any third-party copyrighted material in your article. This includes, but is not limited to, text, illustrations, tables, data, audio, video, film stills, screenshots, musical notation, and supplementary materials.

If photographs, video, or audio recordings could potentially identify patients or study participants, they can only be used with explicit "Consent to Publish" from those individuals.

Authors should also consider cultural sensitivities or restrictions concerning images in their manuscripts. For instance, images of human remains or deceased individuals may be restricted in some cultures, and authors must adhere to appropriate ethical guidelines, including community approval processes.

Experimental photographic images, such as microscopy, must accurately represent the original. Any modifications or enhancements must be fully disclosed and explained within the manuscript and its figure legend to prevent misleading readers. Authors should be prepared to provide original, uncropped, unannotated, and unprocessed images to the journal editorial office upon request.

Minor modifications are permissible only if applied uniformly to the entire image. Authors must detail the image-gathering methods and any modification processes, including the software used. Modifications that alter the scientific interpretation of an image are strictly prohibited.

If images or figures are derived from another published source, authors must secure the required permission for reuse from the copyright owner. A statement confirming this permission must be included in the figure legend. The original source must always be cited, even if the image is not copyrighted or is available under a license permitting unrestricted reuse.

Misconduct

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data treats all forms of misconduct with utmost seriousness and will take decisive action, in accordance with guidelines, to safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record.

Examples of misconduct include:

  • Affiliation Misrepresentation: Providing inaccurate institutional or organizational affiliations.
  • Breaches in Copyright/Unauthorized Use of Third-Party Material: Using copyrighted material without proper authorization.
  • Citation Manipulation: Deliberately adding citations to artificially inflate citation counts for specific authors or journals.
  • Duplicate Submission/Publication: Submitting or publishing the same work in multiple venues without proper disclosure.
  • "Ethics Dumping": Conducting research in a country with less stringent ethical regulations that would be considered unethical in one's own country.
  • Image or Data Manipulation/Fabrication: Intentionally altering or creating false experimental results, including image manipulation.
  • Peer Review Manipulation: Attempts to unfairly influence the peer review process.
  • Plagiarism: Using others' ideas, words, or work without appropriate acknowledgment.
  • Text-Recycling/Self-Plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of one's own previously published work without proper citation and disclosure.
  • Undisclosed Competing Interests: Failure to declare any financial or other interests that could potentially influence the research.
  • Unethical Research: Conducting research that does not meet established ethical standards and guidelines.
  • Data Fabrication and Falsification: Intentional data manipulation or fabrication is regarded as severe misconduct, intended to deceive and undermine the integrity of scholarly records, leading to extensive and lasting negative consequences. Authors are required to confirm the accuracy and truthful representation of all data in their manuscript submissions. To facilitate the journal's evaluation process, authors must retain all raw data used in their manuscripts. Failure to provide original data upon request may result in the rejection or retraction of a manuscript or published paper.
  • Improper Author Contribution or Attribution: All listed authors must have made a significant scientific contribution to the research and approved all claims. Everyone who made a significant contribution, including students and technicians, should be listed.
  • Redundant Publications: This refers to the inappropriate division of study outcomes into multiple articles.
  • Image Manipulation: Deliberate, inappropriate manipulation or fabrication of images is considered severe misconduct, as it aims to mislead and damage the scholarly record. The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data expects all images to be accurate and free from manipulation. Specific features should not be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced without full disclosure. Minor adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if they do not distort the scientific meaning. Grouping images from different parts of gels, western blots, or microscope images must be explicitly stated. Failure to produce original, unedited images upon request may lead to rejection or retraction.

Handling of Misconduct Allegations

All allegations of misconduct will be handled following COPE Core Practices. Upon receiving a complaint or allegation, the Editors-in-Chief will acknowledge receipt and conduct an initial assessment. If further investigation is warranted, the editors will request explanations from the authors and may contact the authors’ institutions or relevant bodies. All investigations will be conducted confidentially, and no action will be taken until the facts have been established. Possible outcomes include correction, expression of concern, retraction, editorial rejection, or referral to the authors’ institution. Final decisions are made by the Editors-in-Chief or an uninvolved senior Editorial Board member in cases of conflict of interest.

Publication Ethics

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data and its editorial board are fully committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing. We rigorously adhere to and comply with the policies and principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Duties of Editors

  • Publication Decisions: The editorial board of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data is responsible for determining which submitted articles will be published. These decisions are made in consultation with reviewer recommendations and are bound by legal requirements concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editorial decisions are made without prejudice, unaffected by factors such as the manuscript's origin or the authors' nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion.
  • Confidentiality, Disclosure, and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts during the review process. Information about a submission should only be shared with the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and other essential editorial advisors. Unpublished findings or ideas from a manuscript must not be used in an editor's, reviewer's, or any other reader's personal research without explicit written consent from the author. Readers will also be informed about research funding sources and any involvement the funders had in the research or its publication.
  • Author Relations: Editors at the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data strive to ensure that the peer review process is fair, impartial, and timely. The journal has established clear policies for managing submissions from editorial board members to guarantee an unbiased review. Author instructions also provide detailed guidance on the criteria for authorship.
  • Reviewer Relations: The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data encourages reviewers to raise ethical concerns or potential misconduct related to submissions, and to identify instances of redundant publication or plagiarism. Reviewers' comments will be shared with authors in their entirety, unless they contain offensive or libelous remarks. The journal acknowledges the contributions of its reviewers and discontinues collaboration with those who consistently provide discourteous, low-quality, or late reviews.
  • Quality Assurance: Editors are expected to take all necessary steps to ensure the quality of the published material, acknowledging that different sections may have varied aims and standards. They should seek confirmation that published research has received approval from an appropriate ethics body, where applicable. Editors must also be vigilant about intellectual property issues and collaborate with the publisher to address potential breaches of laws and conventions. Any errors, inaccuracies, or misleading statements must be corrected promptly and prominently.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers play a vital role in assisting the editorial board with publication decisions. Reviews should be objective, and observations should be clearly articulated with supporting arguments to help authors improve their papers. Personal criticism of the author is considered inappropriate.
  • Qualification of Reviewers: Any selected referee who believes they are not qualified to review a specific manuscript, or who cannot provide a timely review, should immediately inform the editor and withdraw from the review process. Reviewers must not consider manuscripts where they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the research.
  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Privileged information or ideas gained through the peer review process must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify any relevant published work that the authors have not cited. References to others' ideas must always be accompanied by appropriate citations. A reviewer should also alert the editor to any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Duties of Authors

  • Reporting Standards: Authors of original research reports should accurately present the work performed and provide an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be represented accurately. Authors should be prepared to provide public access to raw data related to their paper and retain such data for at least two years after publication. Deliberately fraudulent or inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
  • Originality, Plagiarism, and Concurrent Publication: Authors must ensure their work is entirely original and that any use of others' work, ideas, or words is properly acknowledged. Plagiarism in any form is considered unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. Submitting essentially the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently also constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors are required to disclose any financial or other substantial conflicts of interest in their manuscript that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their work. All sources of financial support for the project must also be disclosed.
  • Authorship of the Paper: The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included in the paper, that no inappropriate co-authors are listed, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper and consented to its submission for publication. All individuals who made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who contributed to certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged as contributors.
  • Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, it is their obligation to promptly inform the journal editor and collaborate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data undergo a rigorous peer review process and are expected to meet high standards of academic excellence. Upon initial editorial approval, submissions are forwarded to peer reviewers. The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data operates a double-blind review process, meaning that the identities of both the authors and the reviewers remain anonymous to each other throughout the review process.

The ultimate decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript rests with the editorial board, guided by the recommendations provided by the reviewers.

Our Research Integrity team may occasionally seek external advice beyond the standard peer review, particularly for submissions with significant ethical, security, biosecurity, or societal implications. In such cases, we may consult experts and the academic editor to determine appropriate actions, which could include engaging reviewers with specific expertise, additional assessment by other editors, or deciding against further consideration of the submission.

Review Workflow

  • Initial Screening: Our editorial team reviews submissions for scope, format, ethical compliance, and scientific quality. Manuscripts not meeting criteria are desk rejected.
  • Assignment to Reviewers: Suitable manuscripts are assigned to at least two experts in the relevant field.
  • Evaluation: Reviewers assess originality, methodology, data integrity, and clarity as well as the significance of the contribution, robustness of the results, and overall relevance to the field.
  • Author Revisions: Authors respond to reviewer comments and resubmit revised manuscripts as needed.
  • Final Decision: The editors consider all reviews and responses before issuing an acceptance, revision, or rejection. Final decisions on acceptance or rejection are made by the Editor-in-Chief or designated senior editors, based on review reports and ethical standards. The process is designed to be fair, transparent, and consistent.

Decision Outcomes

  • Acceptance: Suitable for publication without changes.
  • Minor Revisions: Small clarifications needed.
  • Major Revisions: Substantial updates required before reconsideration.
  • Rejection: Not suitable for publication.

Supplementary Materials

Authors may submit additional files (e.g., data, multimedia). These are shared with reviewers but are not formally peer reviewed. Authors are responsible for their accuracy.

Submissions by Editors

Editors may submit articles but must recuse themselves from handling or decision-making. An independent editorial board member oversees the review to ensure impartiality. To promote diversity, no more than 25% of articles in any issue may be authored or co-authored by editors.

Conflict of Interest Declaration by Editors

Editors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to submissions they handle. These disclosures are reviewed, and appropriate measures are implemented to uphold the fairness and integrity of the review process.

Plagiarism

The journal maintains a stringent anti-plagiarism policy, which strictly prohibits the use of others' ideas, text, or research without proper acknowledgment. Submissions containing any form of plagiarism, whether partial or complete, as well as duplicate, redundant, or self-plagiarized content, will be rejected. Content found in Preprint archives is not classified as a duplicate publication. The corresponding author assumes accountability for the manuscript throughout the evaluation and publication process, holding the authority to represent all co-authors. To ensure originality, all submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using advanced software such as iThenticate. Manuscripts that show an unacceptable similarity index due to plagiarism will be immediately declined.

Preprints policy

Authors are permitted to disseminate their preprints without restriction at any point. Upon acceptance for publication, authors are encouraged to establish a link from their preprint to the final published version using its Digital Object Identifier. Furthermore, authors have the option to update their preprints on repositories such as arXiv or RePEc with their accepted manuscript.

Special Issues

Special Issues of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data are meticulously curated by the Editorial Board to emphasize emerging research themes within the expansive fields of Big Data, Parallel Computing, Parallel Processing, and Data Science. Calls for papers for these specialized issues are announced annually, and all submissions, without exception, adhere strictly to the same rigorous peer review and author guidelines as regular MJBD issues. Guest editors are specifically appointed to ensure the integrity and academic quality of the content published within each Special Issue.

Appointment of Guest Editors

Guest Editors for Special Issues of MJBD are chosen based on their academic expertise, editorial experience, and established research reputation in relevant areas. Potential Guest Editors may be nominated by members of the Editorial Board, existing editors, or through self-nomination. All such nominations undergo a thorough review process by the Editorial Board and require final approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

Guest Editors are entrusted with several key responsibilities:

  • Defining the precise scope and objectives of the Special Issue.
  • Drafting the comprehensive call for papers and actively promoting submissions across appropriate academic networks.
  • Managing the entire double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, objectivity, and scientific rigor.
  • Overseeing the revision and final acceptance of manuscripts selected for the Special Issue.
  • Ensuring that all published articles fully comply with the journal’s editorial and ethical standards.

Final publication decisions for manuscripts within Special Issues are made in close consultation with the Editor-in-Chief.

Setup of Special Issues

To formally propose a Special Issue for the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data, a detailed proposal must be submitted directly to the Editor-in-Chief. This proposal must thoroughly outline:

  • The overarching theme and specific objectives of the proposed issue.
  • The target audience for the Special Issue and its anticipated academic impact.
  • The names and qualifications of proposed Guest Editors.
  • A comprehensive timeline detailing key dates for submissions, the review process, and final publication.

These proposals are meticulously reviewed and subsequently approved by the Editorial Board and the Editor-in-Chief. Once approved, a call for papers is officially announced and widely promoted through the journal’s website, targeted email notifications, and relevant academic networks. A clear schedule is then meticulously established for manuscript submission deadlines, the peer review process, and final publication, ensuring seamless integration with MJBD’s continuous publication approach and annual publication cycle.

Editorial and Review Process

Manuscripts submitted to Special Issues of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data follow precisely the same double-blind peer review process as regular submissions, utilizing ScholarOne of Clarivate. Each manuscript is subjected to:

  1. An initial screening conducted by the Guest Editors to confirm its relevance to the Special Issue's scope and adherence to basic quality standards.
  2. A thorough double-blind review conducted by at least two highly qualified reviewers, specifically chosen for their expertise in the manuscript's subject matter, ensuring anonymity for both authors and reviewers.
  3. Revisions by authors based on the detailed feedback provided by reviewers, with subsequent re-evaluation if deemed necessary by the editorial team.
  4. A final recommendation by the Guest Editors, followed by definitive approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

Accepted manuscripts are then professionally copyedited, meticulously formatted, and published in strict accordance with MJBD’s editorial standards. The overall performance and feedback pertaining to Special Issues are rigorously reviewed annually to ensure continuous improvement and adaptation to evolving academic trends.

Guidelines for Special Issues

All submissions to Special Issues must strictly adhere to the same submission requirements, comprehensive author guidelines, and ethical policies as those stipulated for regular issues of the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data. Potential contributors are strongly encouraged to thoroughly review the journal’s full Author Guidelines prior to submitting their manuscripts. Special Issues are managed and published in an identical manner to regular issues, maintaining the same high standards of academic rigor and publishing ethics. Topics for Special Issues are determined by the Editorial Board, based on identifying emerging trends, significant research priorities, and broader global academic relevance. A call for submissions is typically included within the journal’s annual release schedule, particularly in conjunction with the Special Issue in July/August.

Publication Timing and Frequency

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data publishes three times annually: general issues are released in April and November, and a dedicated Special Issue is published in July/August of each year. MJBD operates on a continuous publication approach, meaning that submissions are accepted year-round and scheduled for online publication immediately after the rigorous peer review and production processes are successfully completed. Special Issues are organized occasionally to specifically highlight emerging themes or to commemorate significant scientific events within the journal's scope. All Special Issues, without exception, adhere to the same high editorial, double-blind peer review, and ethical guidelines as regular issues, ensuring consistent quality and integrity across all publications.

Standards of Reporting

To ensure the verifiability and reproducibility of research, authors are strongly encouraged to communicate their findings with comprehensive descriptions of their research rationale, protocols, methodologies, and analytical approaches. This detailed reporting is crucial for supporting the scientific integrity of published work.

Use of Third-Party Material

Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions to reuse any third-party materials within their submitted articles for the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data. While brief extracts of text and certain other types of material may be used on a limited basis for criticism and review without formal permission, authors intending to include any copyrighted material for which they do not hold ownership, and which falls outside such informal agreements, must secure written permission from the copyright holder before submission. For detailed information or assistance in requesting permission to reproduce copyrighted work, please direct your inquiries via email to: .

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data recognizes the potential of AI and AI-assisted technologies in academic writing. This policy specifically pertains to the application of these tools in the writing process itself, not to their use for analyzing data or generating insights during the actual research.

Authors who choose to incorporate AI and AI-assisted technologies into their manuscript preparation for MJBD should do so with the primary objective of enhancing readability and improving language quality. These technologies are intended to support, rather than replace, essential authoring responsibilities such as developing scientific insights, drawing research conclusions, or formulating recommendations. The application of any AI tool must always remain under direct human oversight and control, and all content generated or refined by AI must be meticulously reviewed and edited by the authors. Authors must be aware that AI-generated content, while potentially sounding authoritative, may be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Ultimately, authors bear full responsibility and accountability for the entirety and accuracy of the content they produce and submit to MJBD.

Authors are required to openly disclose their use of AI and AI-assisted technologies within their manuscripts. A clear statement detailing this use will be included in the published work. This level of transparency is vital for fostering trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors, and for ensuring compliance with the terms of use for any employed tools or technologies.

It is imperative that authors do not attribute authorship to AI or list AI as a co-author. Authorship signifies responsibilities and tasks that can only be fulfilled by human individuals. Each author of a submission to MJBD is responsible for addressing any inquiries regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, for approving the final version of the manuscript, and for consenting to its submission for publication. Authors also have a fundamental duty to ensure the originality of the work, to confirm that all stated authors meet the criteria for authorship, and to verify that the work does not infringe upon the rights of third parties.

Use of AI in Peer Review

General Policy on Generative AI in Peer Review

To safeguard authors' rights and maintain the utmost confidentiality of research, the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data currently prohibits the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies, such as ChatGPT or similar services, by reviewers during the peer review process. We are actively evaluating compliant AI tools and anticipate revising this policy in the future as technology continues to evolve responsibly.

Guidelines for Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Journal Peer Review Process

This policy has been developed in response to the emergence of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies*, aiming to provide clear transparency and guidance to our authors, editors, and particularly our reviewers. The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data will closely monitor ongoing developments in this field and will adjust or refine this policy as appropriate. The following guidelines are specifically for reviewers involved in our peer review process.

When a researcher is invited to review a manuscript for MJBD, the manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers are strictly advised not to upload any submitted manuscript, or any part of it, into a generative AI tool. Such an action could violate the authors’ confidentiality and proprietary rights, and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, it could also breach data privacy regulations.

This confidentiality requirement also extends to the peer review report itself, as it may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or its authors. For this reason, reviewers should not upload their peer review report into an AI tool, even if the intention is solely to improve language and readability.

Peer review is a fundamental pillar of the scientific ecosystem, and the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity throughout this process. Reviewing a scientific manuscript involves responsibilities that can only be attributed to human intellect. Therefore, Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used by reviewers to assist in the scientific evaluation of a paper. The critical thinking, nuanced understanding, and original assessment required for peer review are beyond the scope of such technology, and there is a significant risk that these tools could generate incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The human reviewer remains fully responsible and accountable for the entire content and accuracy of their review report.

The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data's author policy states that authors are permitted to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process before submission, but solely for improving the language and readability of their paper, and always with appropriate disclosure as detailed in our author guidelines. Reviewers can find such disclosures at the end of the paper, in a dedicated section preceding the reference list.

Please note that the Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data (and its publishing platform) may utilize identity-protected AI-assisted technologies that conform to responsible AI principles. These tools are employed during the initial screening process for tasks such as completeness checks, plagiarism detection, and identifying suitable reviewers. These in-house or licensed technologies respect author confidentiality, are subject to rigorous evaluation for bias, and comply with all data privacy and security requirements. The Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data embraces new AI-driven technologies that support reviewers and editors in the editorial process, and we continuously develop and adopt in-house or licensed technologies that respect the confidentiality and data privacy rights of authors, reviewers, and editors.

* Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology capable of producing various forms of content, including text, imagery, audio, and synthetic data. Examples include ChatGPT, NovelAI, Jasper AI, Rytr AI, DALL-E, etc.