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Policies

Content

Editorial Policies

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) is a follower of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as internationally recognized guidelines on authorship, peer review, and research integrity.

Submission of a manuscript to the journal implies that all authors have read and agreed to its content, and that the manuscript complies fully with the journal’s ethical and publication policies. MJCSC ensures transparency, fairness, and accountability across all stages of the editorial and publishing process.

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The journal does not accept adverts from third parties.

Affiliations

Authors must list all relevant institutional affiliations to accurately reflect where the research was approved, supported, and/or conducted.

  • For non-research articles, authors must list their current institutional affiliation.
  • If an author has moved to a different institution before the article has been published, they should list the affiliation where the work was originally conducted and include a note in the manuscript or acknowledgment section specifying their current institution and contact details.
  • If an author does not have a current institutional affiliation, an independent scholar status should be clearly stated.

Misrepresentation or falsification of affiliation details is considered a form of academic misconduct. In such cases, the journal reserves the right to contact the relevant institutions to verify the author’s information and take appropriate action in accordance with the journal’s ethical policies.

Change of affiliation alone is not a valid reason to remove an author from a publication, provided they meet the journal’s authorship criteria.

Appeals and complaints

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) follows the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding appeals to editorial decisions and complaints related to the management of the peer-review or publication process.

The journal welcomes genuine appeals to editorial decisions. However, authors must provide clear and substantial evidence or new information or data that directly address the editor’s or reviewers’ comments. Appeals should demonstrate that an important element of the submission or its evaluation was misunderstood, overlooked, or handled incorrectly.

All complaints, concerns, or appeals regarding authorship, peer review, or editorial decisions — including those raised after publication — must be addressed in writing to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief will review the matter objectively by first requesting relevant details from all parties involved, then determining an appropriate course of action in accordance with academic ethics and COPE guidelines. In cases where the Editor-in-Chief is personally involved in the complaint, the issue will be referred to the Editorial Board, led by the most senior member, for independent review and resolution.

Authors should note that appeals are rarely successful unless compelling evidence is provided. Editorial decisions based on the scope, originality, and priority of a manuscript are typically not open to appeal. Authors whose appeals are declined are encouraged to consider submitting their work to another appropriate journal.

Acknowledgment

Individuals who contributed to the development of a manuscript but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged. This includes, but is not limited to, contributions such as general supervision, acquisition of funding, study design, data collection, data analysis, technical assistance, formatting or language editing, and scholarly discussions that significantly supported the research.

All individuals or organizations being acknowledged must provide explicit consent before publication. Authors are responsible for notifying and obtaining permission from those they wish to acknowledge. The acknowledgment should include the person’s name, institutional affiliation, and specific nature of their contribution. If an individual has changed affiliation, both the affiliation at the time of contribution and the current affiliation may be indicated.

In addition, any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools or large language models (e.g., for text generation, image creation, or data analysis) must be clearly acknowledged in the manuscript. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content produced with such tools, and for using them in accordance with the journal’s authorship and ethical publishing policies.

Authorship

Listing authors’ names on an article recognizes those who have made significant intellectual contributions to the research and ensures transparency and accountability for the integrity of the published work.

Authorship Criteria

To qualify as an author, individuals must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Have made a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the work; or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
  • Have drafted the work or substantially revised it for important intellectual content.
  • Have approved the final version of the manuscript before submission and agreed on the journal to which the article is submitted.
  • Have reviewed and approved all versions of the article, including those revised during peer review, copyediting, and proofreading.
  • Have agreed to take responsibility and accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the article, and to resolve any questions regarding the published content.

Changes in Authorship

Any proposed changes to the authorship list — including adding, removing, or reordering authors — must be agreed upon by all authors before or after publication.

  1. Requests for authorship changes must include:
    (a) a written explanation of the reason for the change, and
    (b) written consent (via signed letter or email) from all authors, including the author(s) being added or removed.
  2. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to approve or deny such requests, particularly if they are made after acceptance or publication.
  3. If an authorship correction is necessary after publication, it will be handled through a formal post-publication notice.
  4. Authorship changes without valid justification or supporting documentation will not be accepted.

Affiliation Updates

If an author’s institutional affiliation changes between the time of conducting the research and publication, both the original and current affiliations should be clearly indicated in the manuscript or acknowledgments section.

Authorship Integrity

The corresponding author bears primary responsibility for ensuring that all eligible contributors are listed as co-authors and that no individuals who did not contribute significantly are included. Individuals who do not meet the authorship criteria but contributed in other ways should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section in accordance with the journal’s ethical standards.

Contribution Details

Starting from 2026, all contributors must provide a clear and detailed description of their individual contributions to the manuscript. This promotes transparency and ensures proper acknowledgment of each author’s role in the research and publication process.

The description should, as applicable, specify each author’s involvement in one or more of the following categories:

  • Concept and study design
  • Definition of intellectual content
  • Literature search and review
  • Data acquisition and data analysis
  • Statistical analysis
  • Software development or computational modeling
  • Manuscript preparation and writing
  • Manuscript editing and critical revision
  • Final manuscript review and approval

The specific author contributions will be published alongside the article to ensure transparency.

Citations

Authors must ensure that all references cited in their manuscripts are relevant, current, and derived from reliable scholarly sources. Both research and non-research articles must cite peer-reviewed and verifiable literature to support all statements, arguments, and conclusions presented in the article.

Authors should avoid excessive or inappropriate self-citation, as well as any reciprocal citation arrangements between individuals or groups of authors intended to artificially increase citation counts. Such practices are considered a form of academic misconduct known as citation manipulation. Authors are encouraged to review the COPE guidance on citation manipulation to ensure full compliance with ethical citation standards.

For review articles, opinion pieces, or perspective papers, authors must ensure that references are balanced, comprehensive, and representative of the current state of research in the field. Citations should not be biased toward a particular research group, institution, or journal.

If authors are uncertain about the appropriateness of a particular citation, they are advised to consult the editorial office for clarification before submission.

Conflicts of Interest/ Competing interests

All authors are required to declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the objectivity, integrity, or interpretation of their submitted work.

A conflict of interest (COI) may arise when authors (or their employers, sponsors, or close associates such as family or friends) have financial, commercial, legal, institutional, or personal relationships that could affect their judgment or bias the presentation or assessment of their research.

Conflicts of interest can be financial or non-financial in nature. To ensure transparency, any relationships or circumstances that might be perceived by others as a competing interest must also be disclosed.

Examples of Financial Competing Interests include (but are not limited to):

  • Employment, consultancy, or advisory roles related to the subject of the article
  • Grants, sponsorships, or financial support from entities with a vested interest in the work
  • Royalties, honoraria, or consulting fees
  • Patents held or pending by the author(s) or their institutions
  • Stock or share ownership
  • Direct or indirect benefits tied to the development or outcome of the research

Examples of Non-Financial Competing Interests include (but are not limited to):

  • Membership on boards, committees, or advisory panels that could benefit from the research
  • Personal, political, religious, ideological, academic, or intellectual relationships that may influence the work
  • Involvement in advocacy, lobbying, or policy groups related to the manuscript’s content
  • Receipt of equipment, data access, or other resources from organizations with an interest in the results

All authors must complete a conflict of interest declaration at submission. These disclosures will appear in the “Conflict of Interest Statement” section of the published article.

If there are no competing interests to declare, the following statement will be added:

“The authors declare that they have no competing interests.”

Authors who receive funding or institutional support must also clearly acknowledge this in the Funding Disclosure section of the manuscript, specifying the funding agency, grant number (if applicable), and the role of the funder (if any) in study design, data collection, analysis, or publication.

Failure to disclose relevant competing interests may result in manuscript rejection, publication of a correction or retraction, or other actions consistent with COPE guidelines.

Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions

Sometimes, after an article has been published, it may be necessary to make a change or clarification to the final version. Such actions are taken only after careful consideration by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Any necessary changes will be accompanied by a permanent post-publication notice that remains linked to the original article. These may take the form of a Correction (Corrigendum or Erratum), an Expression of Concern, a Retraction, or, in exceptional cases, a Removal. The purpose of these measures is to maintain the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record.

Corrections

A correction notice will be issued when an error or omission is identified that affects the understanding or interpretation of the article but does not compromise its overall scientific validity. Examples include mislabeled figures, typographical errors, or missing information such as funding acknowledgments or conflict-of-interest disclosures.

  • A Corrigendum is issued for author-introduced errors.
  • An Erratum is issued for publisher-introduced errors.
    Minor corrections may be incorporated directly into the online version with an accompanying correction note, while major corrections will result in the publication of a linked notice describing the change and its reason.

Retractions

A Retraction notice will be issued if a major error (e.g., in methodology or data analysis) invalidates the article’s conclusions, or if research or publication misconduct is identified. Misconduct may include plagiarism, duplicate publication, image manipulation, fabrication or falsification of data, or failure to obtain necessary ethical approvals.
Retractions are handled in strict accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines, and both the retracted article and the retraction notice remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

Retraction notices will ensure that:

  • The retraction and original article are linked in both directions.
  • The retracted article is clearly identified in all versions.
  • The HTML and PDF versions of the original are digitally watermarked “Retracted.”
  • The notice includes a clear explanation of the reason for retraction and identifies the individual(s) or entity (authors or editors) who requested it.

Retractions are not intended as punitive measures but as corrections to safeguard the academic record. Authorship disputes alone are typically resolved through a Corrigendum, provided there is adequate institutional support and documentation.

Expressions of Concern

An Expression of Concern may be issued when there are serious, yet unresolved, doubts about the integrity of an article — for example, when investigations are ongoing or outcomes remain inconclusive. Once the matter is resolved, the Expression of Concern may be followed by either a Retraction or a Correction notice.

Removals

In very rare circumstances, an article may need to be removed from the journal’s website. This will occur only when the content is defamatory, violates legal rights, or is subject to a court order. In such cases, a Removal notice will be published in place of the article, clearly stating the reason for removal.

Consent for Publication

For manuscripts that include identifiable personal data, images, videos, or other information relating to identifiable individuals, authors must obtain written informed consent for publication from the individual (or a parent/legal guardian in the case of minors) prior to submission.

The consent must explicitly acknowledge that the content will be published under the CC BY 4.0 license and will be freely accessible online. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from the next of kin where applicable.

Manuscripts must include a statement confirming that appropriate consent for publication was obtained. All consent documentation must be made available to the Editorial Office upon request.

This requirement applies only to studies involving identifiable human subjects or personal data and does not apply to purely technical, theoretical, or anonymized research.

Confidentiality

A submitted manuscript is treated as confidential material throughout the review and editorial decision-making process. The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) will not disclose submitted manuscripts to anyone except those directly involved in the processing and evaluation of the submission. These individuals include editorial staff, editors, corresponding authors, and invited reviewers.

It is a strict requirement to maintain the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the peer-review process at all stages. The journal complies with international data protection regulations to ensure that all personal data are handled responsibly and confidentially.

Reviewers invited to evaluate a manuscript must declare any competing interests before accepting the review. If a reviewer wishes to involve a colleague as a co-reviewer, they must first obtain permission from the Editor and provide the co-reviewer’s name, affiliation, and competing interest details in their confidential comments to the editor.

In cases involving suspected ethical or research misconduct, submitted materials and related information may be shared — under strict confidentiality — with the journal’s ethics committee, relevant institutional authorities, or other authorized third parties as part of the investigation process. MJCSC will always follow the appropriate COPE flowcharts and procedures to ensure fair and transparent resolution of ethical concerns.

Copyright, Licensing, and Access

Philosophy of the Journal

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) upholds the principles of open access publishing, ensuring that scholarly research is freely and permanently accessible to everyone.

Who Can Submit?

Anyone may submit an original and unpublished manuscript to be considered for publication in MJCSC, provided that they are the copyright owner or have received explicit authorization from the copyright holder. Authors are considered the initial owners of the copyright to their work before publication unless their institution or employer holds the rights under specific contractual terms.

User Rights and Licensing

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) is an Open Access journal.
All published articles are distributed under the

Under this license, readers are free to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use

Provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source, a link to the license is included, and any changes are clearly indicated.

A copyright statement is embedded in each published article to confirm open-access status.

Open Access Policy

MJCSC provides immediate and unrestricted access to all its published content. Every peer-reviewed article is made available online without subscription barriers, ensuring universal access to scientific knowledge.

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, distribution, adaptation, and commercial reuse, provided that the original author(s) and source are properly credited.

To cover open access publishing costs, an article processing charge (APC) is applied only to accepted articles. For full details, please refer to the Author Guidelines.

Author Rights

Authors retain full copyright of their work and grant the Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) and its publisher, Mesopotamian Academic Press (MAP), a non-exclusive right to publish, distribute, and promote the article worldwide.

This means authors are free to:

  • Deposit the final published version of their article in institutional or subject repositories.
  • Share the article on personal websites, academic networks, and teaching materials.
  • Reuse or reproduce the content with proper citation to the original publication in MJCSC.

In all cases, the journal and publisher must be acknowledged as the original place of publication with accurate citation details.

Data sharing policy

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) strongly encourages and supports the sharing of research data to promote transparency, reproducibility, and the advancement of knowledge within the global academic community. The journal recognizes that accessible research data enhances trust, collaboration, and innovation across scientific disciplines.

Data Sharing Expectations

Authors are encouraged to make their research data publicly available at the earliest opportunity, unless restricted by privacy, confidentiality, or legal considerations. Shared data should be made available in a way that allows verification of results and potential reuse for future studies.

To facilitate this, MJCSC supports authors by:

  • Requiring data availability statements for all submissions.
  • Supporting standardized data formats and repository submissions.
  • Promoting proper data citation practices to ensure researchers receive credit for sharing datasets.
  • Collaborating with the scientific community to establish robust data validation and reuse frameworks.

Data Availability Statements

All submitted manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) that clearly specifies where the data supporting the findings can be accessed or explains why data sharing is not possible. This is a new policy and applied from 2026 onward. Acceptable examples include:

  • Data Available in a Public Repository

“The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the [Repository Name] repository, [Persistent Link or DOI].”

  • Data Available on Reasonable Request

“The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.”

  • No Data Available

“No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.”

Data Accuracy and Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all data presented in their manuscripts are accurate and correctly represent their research. Authors are expected to retain the raw data supporting their findings and provide it to the Editor if requested during the review or post-publication process.

If the underlying data cannot be provided upon request, the manuscript may be declined or retracted in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Data Citation and Reuse

MJCSC promotes the formal citation of datasets and encourages researchers to credit others when reusing shared data. Datasets should be cited in the reference list with a persistent identifier (such as a DOI).

Desk rejection policy

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in academic publishing. The journal follows the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to MJCSC are screened using trusted similarity detection tools. Plagiarism—including verbatim copying, close paraphrasing without proper citation, or reuse of text, figures, or data without acknowledgment—is strictly prohibited.

Similarity reports are evaluated by the editorial team on a case-by-case basis. Manuscripts that show evidence of inappropriate or uncredited reuse will be rejected before peer review.

In cases of confirmed plagiarism or self-plagiarism, actions may include manuscript rejection, retraction of published articles, and notification of the authors’ institutions, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must clearly declare all sources of funding or financial support for their research, including the role of the sponsor(s) in study design, data collection, analysis, and publication decisions.
If the sponsor had no involvement, this should also be explicitly stated. Funding declarations must comply with funders’ requirements and ensure full transparency.

Images and Figures

Authors should include only images and figures that are scientifically relevant and add value to the manuscript. Images should not be purely decorative and must accurately reflect the original data.

  • Any modification or enhancement (brightness, contrast, or color adjustment) must be applied uniformly and disclosed in the figure legend.
  • Manipulation that alters or misrepresents the data is strictly prohibited.
  • Authors must retain and provide original, unedited images upon request.
  • If images are obtained from third-party sources, authors must provide written permission from the copyright holder and cite the original source.
  • When images include identifiable individuals, written informed consent (or next-of-kin consent, where applicable) is required.

Authors must also be mindful of cultural sensitivities related to certain images (e.g., human remains, religious artifacts) and follow institutional ethical approval guidelines.

Research Misconduct

The journal considers all forms of academic and research misconduct as serious ethical violations. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Affiliation misrepresentation
  • Breach of copyright or third-party rights
  • Citation manipulation
  • Duplicate submission or redundant publication
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Image manipulation or fabrication
  • Plagiarism and text recycling
  • Peer review manipulation
  • Undeclared conflicts of interest
  • Unethical or non-consensual research

Data falsification/fabrication

Deliberate manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of data is considered a serious form of research misconduct. Such actions are intended to mislead readers and compromise the integrity of the scholarly record, resulting in long-term reputational and academic consequences.

When submitting a manuscript to the Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC), authors must ensure that all data presented are accurate, original, and correctly represent the work conducted. Data must not be selectively omitted, altered, or misrepresented in any form.

To assist the editorial and peer-review process, authors are required to retain all raw data and related materials associated with their submitted manuscripts. The journal reserves the right to request access to the original data for verification purposes at any stage of review or after publication.

If authors are unable to produce the original data upon request, or if deliberate data fabrication or manipulation is confirmed, the manuscript may be rejected, and if already published, it may be retracted in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Duplicate Submission and Publication

Authors must confirm upon submission that their manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere. Duplicate submission or publication—submitting the same or substantially similar work to multiple journals—is considered a serious violation of publication ethics.

Secondary or translated publications may be considered only under the following conditions:

  • Formal written permission is obtained from the original publisher and copyright holder.
  • The Editor is informed of the previous publication.
  • The new version clearly acknowledges the original article with a full citation.

Image and Data Fabrication

Deliberate data or image manipulation designed to mislead readers constitutes a severe form of misconduct.

  • Original data must be retained and made available upon request.
  • Fabricated or manipulated visual datasets, altered benchmarking images, and tampered simulation results must be avoided.
  • Failure to produce original data upon request may lead to rejection or retraction of the article.

Response to Misconduct

All suspected cases of research or publication misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE flowcharts. Depending on the severity, actions may include:

  • Formal inquiry and communication with the author(s) and their institution.
  • Publication of a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction.
  • Temporary or permanent ban on future submissions.

MJCSC’s primary goal is to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record, not to punish authors. Investigations will be handled with fairness, confidentiality, and transparency.

Publication Ethics

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) and its editorial board fully adhere to and comply with the ethical standards and best practices outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Duties of Editors

  • Publication Decisions: The Editorial Board is responsible for deciding which articles are accepted for publication based on their scholarly merit, originality, and contribution to the field. Editorial decisions are guided by reviewer recommendations, journal policies, and applicable legal requirements (including libel, copyright, and plagiarism laws). Decisions are not influenced by an author’s race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, religion, or political beliefs.
  • Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest: Editors must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and share information only with the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, and the publisher as necessary. Unpublished materials disclosed in a submission may not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Editors must also disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling a manuscript where such conflicts exist.
  • Author Relations: Editors must ensure that the peer review process is fair, unbiased, and timely. Manuscripts submitted by members of the editorial board are subject to independent handling to ensure objectivity and impartiality.
  • Reviewer Relations: The journal encourages reviewers to comment on ethical concerns, such as unethical study design, data manipulation, or plagiarism. Editors will forward reviewer comments to authors in full unless the remarks are offensive or defamatory. Reviewers are acknowledged for their contributions, and those who repeatedly submit poor-quality or biased reviews will be discontinued.
  • Quality Assurance: Editors are responsible for maintaining the scientific quality and integrity of published content. They must verify that all research involving human or animal subjects has appropriate ethical approval. Errors or misleading information identified post-publication must be corrected or retracted promptly in line with COPE guidelines.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers assist editors by providing objective, constructive, and evidence-based evaluations. Comments should be clear and designed to help authors improve their manuscripts.
  • Reviewer Qualifications and Ethics: Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to complete a review in a timely manner must notify the editor and withdraw. Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist due to personal, professional, or financial relationships with the authors or their institutions.
  • Confidentiality: All manuscripts under review must be treated as strictly confidential. Reviewers must not use unpublished data or ideas for personal benefit and may not share or discuss manuscripts with others without prior editor approval.
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers must ensure that authors properly cite all relevant prior work. They should inform the editor of any overlap, plagiarism, or duplication discovered in a manuscript.

Duties of Authors

  • Reporting Standards: Authors must present an accurate and complete account of their research. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior. Authors should retain and, when requested, provide access to raw data for editorial review and post-publication verification.
  • Originality, Plagiarism, and Concurrent Submission: Authors must ensure their work is entirely original. The use of others’ ideas, data, or text must be properly cited. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical and prohibited.
  • Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Authors must disclose all potential financial or personal conflicts of interest that may influence their work. All sources of funding and the role of sponsors in the research must be clearly stated.
  • Authorship: Only those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the research should be listed as authors. The corresponding author bears responsibility for ensuring that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript and consent to publication. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
  • Corrections and Retractions: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor and cooperate to issue a correction or retraction as appropriate.

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept strictly confidential to ensure impartiality, fairness, and academic integrity.

  1. Initial Editorial Screening: Upon submission, each manuscript is first evaluated by the Editorial Office to verify compliance with the journal’s aims and scope, formatting requirements, ethical standards, and basic methodological soundness. Submissions may be desk-rejected at this stage if they are clearly outside the journal’s scope, fail to meet ethical requirements, or demonstrate fundamental scientific deficiencies.
  2. Assignment to Handling Editor: Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to a Handling Editor with relevant subject-matter expertise. The Handling Editor oversees the peer-review process and ensures that it is conducted in accordance with journal policies and international best practices.
  3. Reviewer Selection and Invitation: The Handling Editor invites at least two independent expert reviewers who possess appropriate academic or professional expertise in the manuscript’s subject area. Reviewers are selected based on scholarly competence, publication record, and absence of conflicts of interest. Reviewer anonymity is preserved throughout the process.
  4. Double-Blind Peer Review: Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on clearly defined criteria, including but not limited to:
    • Originality and contribution to the field
    • Methodological rigor and validity
    • Clarity of presentation and logical coherence
    • Appropriateness of data analysis and interpretation
    • Relevance to the journal’s readership

    5. Reviewers provide detailed, constructive reports and make one of the following recommendations:

    • Accept without revision
    • Minor revision
    • Major revision
    • Reject
  5. Editorial Decision: The Editorial Board considers all reviewer reports and makes a decision based on their recommendations, the quality of the manuscript, and its alignment with the journal’s standards. In cases of conflicting reviews, additional reviewers may be consulted to ensure a balanced and fair assessment.
  6. Revisions and Re-Review (if applicable): Authors receiving revision requests are expected to address all reviewer comments in a clear, point-by-point response. Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation, particularly in cases of major revision.
  7. Ethical, Security, and Societal Oversight: For manuscripts involving ethical concerns, security-sensitive content, biosecurity issues, artificial intelligence risks, or broader societal implications, the editors may seek additional specialist or ethics committee advice before reaching a final decision.

  8. Final Decision and Acceptance: Once all review requirements are satisfactorily met, the Editor-in-Chief or delegated senior editor issues the final acceptance decision. Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, proofreading, and publication.

Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to MJCSC are screened using trusted similarity detection tools. Plagiarism—including verbatim copying, close paraphrasing without proper citation, or reuse of text, figures, or data without acknowledgment—is strictly prohibited.

Similarity reports are evaluated by the editorial team on a case-by-case basis. Manuscripts that show evidence of inappropriate or uncredited reuse will be rejected before peer review.

In cases of confirmed plagiarism or self-plagiarism, actions may include manuscript rejection, retraction of published articles, and notification of the authors’ institutions, in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Preprints Policy

MJCSC allows authors to share their preprints freely at any time. If a manuscript based on a preprint is accepted for publication, authors should update the preprint record to link to the published version via its Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Posting preprints does not count as prior publication

MJCSC requires that all research involving human participants, personal data, or ethically sensitive content comply with recognized institutional, national, and international standards for responsible research.

Studies Involving Human Participants or Personal Data

Authors must include an Ethics Approval statement when their work involves:

  • Human subjects (e.g., surveys, interviews, usability studies, experiments)
  • Biometric, identifiable, or sensitive personal data
  • Datasets containing images, videos, or voices of identifiable individuals
  • Data collected from online platforms where users may have reasonable expectations of privacy
  • Research that may impact individuals, communities, or vulnerable groups

The Ethics Approval statement must specify:

  • The name of the ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB)
  • The approval number or ID (if applicable)
  • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained when required
  • Measures taken to protect participant privacy and confidentiality

Protection of Privacy and Informed Consent

Authors must ensure that no personally identifiable information appears in their manuscript unless explicit consent has been obtained. Identifying details must be anonymized or removed whenever possible.

For manuscripts that include identifiable personal data, images, videos, or other information relating to identifiable individuals, authors must obtain written informed consent for publication from the individual (or a parent/legal guardian in the case of minors) prior to submission.

The consent must explicitly acknowledge that the content will be published under the and will be freely accessible online. If the individual is deceased, consent must be obtained from the next of kin where applicable.

Manuscripts must include a statement confirming that appropriate consent for publication was obtained. All consent documentation must be made available to the Editorial Office upon request.

This requirement applies only to studies involving identifiable human subjects or personal data and does not apply to purely technical, theoretical, or anonymized research.

Special Issues

Special Issues of MJCSC are curated by the Editorial Board to highlight emerging research themes in computer science. All submissions follow the same peer review and author guidelines as regular issues. Guest editors are appointed to ensure the integrity and academic quality of the special issue’s content.

Appointment of Guest Editors

Guest Editors for special issues are selected based on their academic expertise, editorial experience, and research reputation. Potential Guest Editors may be nominated by members of the Editorial Board, existing editors, or through self-nomination. All nominations are reviewed by the Editorial Board and approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Guest Editors are responsible for:

  • Defining the scope and objectives of the special issue.
  • Drafting the call for papers and promoting submissions.
  • Managing the peer review process to ensure fairness and quality.
  • Overseeing the revision and acceptance of manuscripts.
  • Ensuring that all published articles meet the journal’s editorial and ethical standards.
    Final publication decisions are made in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief.

Setup of Special Issues

To propose a special issue, a formal proposal must be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief, detailing:

  • The theme and objectives of the issue.
  • The target audience and expected impact.
  • Proposed Guest Editors.
  • A detailed timeline for submissions, review, and publication.

Proposals are reviewed and approved by the Editorial Board and the Editor-in-Chief. Once approved, a call for papers is announced through the journal’s website, email notifications, and academic networks. A clear schedule is established for manuscript submission, peer review, and final publication to align with MJCSC’s annual publication cycle.

Editorial and Review Process

Manuscripts submitted to special issues follow the same double-blind peer review process as regular submissions. Each manuscript undergoes:

  • Initial screening by the Guest Editors to ensure relevance and basic quality.
  • Double-blind review by at least two qualified reviewers selected for their expertise.
  • Revisions based on reviewer feedback, followed by re-evaluation if necessary.
  • Final recommendation by the Guest Editors and approval by the Editor-in-Chief.

Accepted manuscripts are copyedited, formatted, and published according to MJCSC’s editorial standards. The performance and feedback from special issues are reviewed annually to maintain continuous improvement.

Guidelines for Special Issues

All submissions to special issues must comply with the same submission requirements, author guidelines, and ethical policies as regular issues. Potential contributors are encouraged to review the journal’s Author Guidelines before submission.

Special issues are managed and published in the same manner as regular issues.
Topics for special issues are determined by the Editorial Board based on emerging trends, research priorities, and global academic relevance. A call for submissions is typically included in the journal’s annual release schedule.

Publication Timing and Frequency

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science publishes one issue per year on a continuous basis. Special issues will be published as part of the annual volume and follow the same continuous publication model. to highlight emerging themes or to commemorate significant scientific events.

All special issues adhere to the same editorial, peer review, and ethical guidelines as regular issues.

Conflict of Interest and Guest Editor Participation

To maintain editorial integrity and comply with COPE guidelines, Guest Editors must avoid handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. This includes papers authored or co-authored by the Guest Editors themselves or by close collaborators.

  • Submissions from Guest Editors, or from individuals where a conflict of interest exists, will be managed independently by the Editor-in-Chief or an unconflicted member of the Editorial Board.
  • Guest Editors may contribute to a special issue, but their number of submissions must be limited and clearly disclosed to ensure transparency.
  • Guest Editors must not influence the review or decision process for their own manuscripts or those involving collaborators, students, or colleagues with whom they have a close professional relationship.

These measures ensure fair peer review and safeguard the integrity of the special issue.

Standards of Reporting

The Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science (MJCSC) requires that all research be reported in a manner that supports verification, transparency, and reproducibility.
Authors should provide comprehensive details regarding their research rationale, methodology, data collection, analysis, and interpretation to enable replication and critical assessment.

Authors are encouraged to follow reporting and reproducibility practices relevant to computer science, such as sharing datasets and code when possible, documenting computational environments, and applying recognized guidelines (e.g., ACM Artifact Review and Badging, FAIR data principles, or field-specific reproducibility checklists).

Use of Third-Party Material

Authors must obtain the necessary written permission to reuse any third-party material in their submissions. Such materials include, but are not limited to: text, illustrations, photographs, tables, data, audio, video, film stills, screenshots, or musical notations.

Permission must allow the material to be published under the journal’s open-access license (CC BY 4.0), unless the material is clearly identified as excluded from the license.

The use of short excerpts of text and some other materials is generally permitted on a limited basis for purposes such as criticism or review, without formal permission. However, for all materials not covered by this allowance, authors must secure explicit permission from the copyright holder before submission.

The submitting author is responsible for ensuring that permissions are properly obtained and documented. When material from another source is reused, authors must provide appropriate acknowledgment and citation.

The use of general descriptive names, trade names, or trademarks—even if not specifically identified—does not imply that such names are not protected by law. The journal and publisher accept no legal responsibility for copyright violations committed by authors.

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing

This policy applies only to the writing process and not to the use of AI tools for research data analysis or interpretation.

Authors may use AI or AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, GrammarlyGO, Jasper AI) solely for improving language and readability. These tools must not be used to generate scientific ideas, analyses, or conclusions without meaningful human intellectual contribution and oversight.

The use of AI technologies should always occur under human oversight, and all content must be critically reviewed and verified by the authors before submission. Authors bear full responsibility and accountability for all content produced, including sections generated or assisted by AI tools.

Authors must explicitly disclose the use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in their manuscript. A disclosure statement will be published at the end of the article under a dedicated section titled “AI Use Statement” to maintain transparency and trust among authors, editors, reviewers, and readers.

Example Disclosure:
“Portions of this manuscript’s text were edited using an AI-assisted language tool (e.g., ChatGPT) to improve readability and grammar. The authors reviewed and take full responsibility for the content.”

Authorship cannot be attributed to AI systems. Authorship implies intellectual contribution, accountability, and responsibility, which are human-only capacities.

Use of AI in Peer Review

To protect the confidentiality of submissions and authors’ rights, MJCSC strictly prohibits the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Copilot) during the peer review process.

Reviewers must not upload any portion of a manuscript or their review comments into AI platforms, as this may compromise data privacy, intellectual property, or author confidentiality.

The peer review process is a human scholarly responsibility, requiring critical judgment that cannot be delegated to AI systems.

MJCSC may, however, use controlled, privacy-compliant AI technologies internally (e.g., for plagiarism detection, metadata validation, or reviewer matching), in accordance with COPE guidance and applicable data protection standards.