• Sociology and social theory

• Political science, governance, and public policy

• Economics, development studies, and public finance

• Education, educational leadership, and policy studies

• Psychology and applied behavioral sciences

• Anthropology and cultural studies

• Human geography, urban and regional studies

• Gender studies, women's empowerment, and social inclusion

• Media, communication, and journalism studies

• Criminology, law, and justice studies

• Public administration and development management

• International relations and global studies

• Population studies, demography, and migration

• Social work, community development, and welfare studies

• Environmental studies and sustainable development

• Religion, society, and comparative cultural studies

• Peace, conflict resolution, and security studies

• Research methods, policy analysis, and interdisciplinary social research

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Open Access Policy

The ACADEMIA International Research Journal (AIRJ) is a fully open-access journal, meaning all content is freely available to users and their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.  All published articles are immediately and permanently available online without subscription or access barriers.

All content is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication.

Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.

AIRJ does not impose any embargo period on published content.

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Plagiarism Policy

Introduction

At Academia International Research Journal (Multidisciplinary), we uphold the highest standards of academic honesty and ethical conduct. Plagiarism—whether intentional or accidental—undermines scholarly credibility and breaches the trust of our academic community. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism to protect the originality and authenticity of all published work.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, or intellectual output without proper acknowledgment. This includes but is not limited to:

• Direct Copying: Verbatim reproduction of text from any source without quotation marks and citation.

• Paraphrasing Without Credit: Rewriting existing ideas or findings without citing the original source.

• Uncited Data or Visuals: Using charts, graphs, tables, or datasets without appropriate references.

• Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one’s own previously published or submitted work without disclosure or citation.

Similarity Thresholds

Detection Tools & Responsibilities

• Plagiarism Screening: All manuscripts undergo screening using advanced tools such as Turnitin.

• Author Responsibility: Authors must ensure the originality of their work and proper citation before submission.

Handling Detected Plagiarism

All submissions must include a Statement of Originality, confirming that:

• The manuscript is original work.

• All third-party content is appropriately credited.

• The manuscript is not under consideration or published elsewhere.

Appeals Process

Authors may submit a formal appeal if they dispute plagiarism findings. Appeals are reviewed impartially by the editorial board. Final decisions are binding and based on verified evidence.

Use of AI-Generated Content

Academia International Research Journal strictly prohibits the use of AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Gemini) in any manuscript section, including abstracts, literature reviews, methodology, or results.

Use of AI-assisted content will result in automatic rejection or retraction. Only original human scholarship is accepted.

Transparency and Retractions

In cases of retraction due to plagiarism:

• A formal retraction notice will be published.

• The article will be removed from all online archives.

• The incident will be documented to uphold the journal’s academic integrity.

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Archiving Policy

AIRJ is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of published scholarly content.

Digital Preservation

The journal utilizes the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) and other preservation mechanisms available through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform to ensure permanent accessibility of published articles.

Website Backup

Regular backups of journal data, articles, metadata, and system files are maintained to safeguard against accidental loss.

Persistent Access

Published content remains freely available and permanently accessible through the journal website.

Content Preservation

If the journal ceases publication, all published content will remain accessible through preservation services and institutional archives whenever possible.

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Peer Review Policy

Overview

AIRJ is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence, transparency, and integrity. All manuscripts submitted to ANMJ undergo a rigorous blind peer review process to ensure originality, methodological quality, theoretical relevance, and ethical compliance in the fields of business, management, and social sciences.

Review Model: Blind Peer Review from 4 Experts in the same Field

(2 Internal & 2 External)

To guarantee impartiality and academic objectivity:

• Author Anonymity: Reviewers do not know the identities of authors.

• Reviewer Anonymity: Authors are not informed of reviewers’ identities.

This model ensures that manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit, free from institutional or personal bias.

Peer Review Workflow

1. Submission & Initial Editorial Screening
   Manuscripts are submitted via the AIRJ online platform. The editorial office conducts a preliminary check for:

   • Alignment with journal scope and aims

   • Formatting compliance and adherence to submission guidelines

   • Required ethical documentation (e.g., IRB approval, if applicable)

   • Plagiarism screening using Turnitin or equivalent tools

   Manuscripts failing to meet these criteria may be desk-rejected without external review.

2. Reviewer Selection and Assignment
   Each manuscript passing initial screening is assigned to at least four (2 Internal & 2 External)

   independent reviewers based on:

   • Subject-matter expertise

   • Publication track record

   • Absence of conflicts of interest

3. Review Process
   Reviewers evaluate manuscripts on:

   • Originality and contribution to management knowledge

   • Methodological rigor

   • Theoretical and practical relevance

   • Quality of analysis and interpretation

   • Organization, clarity, and scholarly presentation

   Reviewer recommendations include:

   • Accept as is

   • Accept with minor revisions

   • Revise and resubmit (major revisions)

   • Reject

4. Editorial Decision and Feedback
   The handling editor reviews all reports and issues a final decision. Authors receive a detailed decision letter with anonymized reviewer comments. Revised manuscripts may undergo further review.

   Standard review timeline: 4–6 weeks (may vary based on reviewer response and manuscript complexity). Authors are expected to adhere to revision deadlines to avoid delays.

Reviewer Ethics and Responsibilities

• Selection & Integrity:
  Reviewers are selected for scholarly competence, fairness, and impartiality, representing a diverse global academic community.

• Confidentiality:
  Reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential and must not:

  • Share content externally

  • Use unpublished data for personal benefit

  • Discuss manuscript details without editorial approval

• Ethical Conduct:
  Reviewers must:

  • Provide unbiased, constructive, and respectful feedback

  • Disclose any conflicts of interest

  • Avoid discriminatory or inappropriate remarks

Appeals Policy

Authors may appeal editorial decisions on grounds of:

• Factual misunderstandings

• Reviewer or editorial bias

• Ethical or procedural errors

Appeals are reviewed by the Editorial Board or an independent academic, whose decisions are final.

Ethical Standards

AIRJ adheres to ethical principles set forth by:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

• Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan

All participants in the review process must comply with these standards.

Reviewer Recognition

To acknowledge reviewer contributions, AIRJ:

• Publishes an annual list of reviewers (with consent)

• Provides Certificates of Appreciation upon request

Conclusion

The peer review process is fundamental to AIRJ’s commitment to quality assurance. Through fairness, transparency, and rigorous evaluation, AIRJ ensures that each published article meaningfully advances the fields of business and management scholarship while building trust within the global academic community.

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Copyright & Licensing Policy

Copyright Policy

The copyright policy of AIRJ is based on a non-exclusive publishing agreement, according to which the journal retains the right of first publication, but the author(s) are free to publish their work subsequently. The copyright of all work rests with the author(s).

Licensing Policy

All articles published by AIRJ are made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0  (CC BY 4.0).

Under CC BY 4.0, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, share, adapt, and reuse the content for any lawful purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the original authors.

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Repository Policy