Reviewer Guidelines

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) sincerely appreciates the valuable contribution of its reviewers in maintaining the quality, integrity, and credibility of scholarly publishing. Peer reviewers play a vital role in ensuring that only scientifically sound, original, and ethically conducted research is published.

The journal follows a Double-Blind Peer Review process in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the review process.

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1. Purpose of Peer Review

Assess the originality and novelty of the research.

Evaluate the scientific and technical quality of the manuscript.

Verify the validity of the methodology and results.

Ensure ethical compliance and academic integrity.

Improve manuscript quality through constructive feedback.

Assist editors in making fair publication decisions.

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.Responsibilities of Reviewers

Review manuscripts objectively, fairly, and professionally.

Maintain complete confidentiality.

Accept reviews only within their area of expertise.

Complete reviews within the stipulated review period.

Provide constructive comments supported by academic evidence.

Identify strengths, weaknesses, and improvements.

Declare any conflicts of interest.

Report plagiarism, duplicate publication, AI misuse, or research misconduct.

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3. Confidentiality

Do not share manuscripts with third parties.

Do not discuss unpublished research.

Do not use unpublished information for personal or professional benefit.

Do not contact the authors directly.

Maintain confidentiality even after review completion.

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4. Conflict of Interest

Reviewers should decline the review invitation if they have:

Personal relationships with authors.

Institutional affiliation with authors.

Financial interests.

Collaborative research relationships.

Professional rivalry or competition.

Any circumstance affecting impartial judgement.

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5. Ethical Responsibilities

Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism

Duplicate publication

Data fabrication or falsification

Image manipulation

Citation manipulation

Ethical violations

Unauthorized AI-generated content

Copyright infringement

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6. Evaluation Criteria

Originality

Novel contribution to knowledge.

Relevance

Falls within the scope of IJAQC (Online).

Technical Quality

Scientifically sound methodology.

Appropriate algorithms and experimental procedures.

Literature Review

Current and comprehensive references.

Research Methodology

Appropriate research design.

Adequate datasets and methods.

Results

Accurate presentation of findings.

Appropriate figures, tables and analyses.

Discussion

Correct interpretation and discussion of limitations.

Conclusion

Supported by research findings.

References

Accurate, relevant and up-to-date citations.

Language Quality

Clear, professional English.

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7. Reviewer Recommendations

Accept without Revision

Minor Revision

Major Revision

Reject

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8. Constructive Review

Be objective and respectful.

Focus on improving the manuscript.

Avoid personal criticism.

Provide evidence-based suggestions.

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9. Timeliness

Respond promptly to invitations.

Complete reviews within deadlines.

Inform the Editorial Office if more time is needed.

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10. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Do not upload confidential manuscripts to public AI tools.

AI may only assist with language support.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for their review.

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11. Reviewer Recognition

Reviewer Certificate

Annual Certificate of Appreciation

Outstanding Reviewer Award

Recognition on the journal website (with consent)

Opportunity to join the Editorial Board

Priority consideration for future editorial responsibilities

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12. Editorial Decision

Reviewer recommendations are advisory. The final decision regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection rests solely with the Editor-in-Chief, based on reviewer reports, editorial evaluation, and journal policies.

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13. Code of Conduct

Integrity

Fairness

Objectivity

Confidentiality

Professionalism

Transparency

Accountability

Respect for Intellectual Property

Academic Excellence

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14. Commitment to Quality

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is committed to maintaining an ethical, transparent, and internationally recognised peer-review system. Through the dedication of qualified reviewers, the journal strives to publish high-quality, impactful, and innovative research that advances Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Cyber Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Robotics, and other emerging technologies.

The Editorial Board sincerely thanks all reviewers for their valuable time, expertise, and commitment to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing.

Policies of IJAQC (Online)

1. Initial Editorial Screening

Every manuscript is evaluated for:

Relevance to the journal scope.

Originality and novelty.

Scientific significance.

Compliance with submission guidelines.

Language quality.

Ethical compliance.

Plagiarism screening.

2. Assignment to Associate Editor

Suitable manuscripts are assigned to an Associate Editor who appoints independent expert reviewers based on subject expertise.

3. Double-Blind Peer Review

Minimum two independent reviewers.

Authors remain anonymous.

Reviewers remain anonymous.

Evaluation based solely on academic merit.

4. Evaluation Criteria

Originality and innovation.

Scientific contribution.

Relevance to the journal scope.

Research methodology.

Experimental design.

Accuracy of results.

Practical applications.

Quality of writing.

References and citations.

Ethical compliance.

5. Reviewer Recommendations

Accept without revision.

Accept with minor revisions.

Major revisions required.

Reject manuscript.

6. Revision Process

Authors should submit:

Revised manuscript.

Point-by-point response to reviewers.

Document highlighting revisions.

7. Final Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision regarding acceptance, revision or rejection after considering reviewer reports.

8. Review Timeline

Stage	Expected Time
Initial Editorial Screening	5-7 Working Days
Double-Blind Peer Review	2-4 Weeks
Author Revision	1-3 Weeks
Final Editorial Decision	5-10 Working Days
Online Publication	Within 7 Days

9. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Conduct fair and objective reviews.

Maintain confidentiality.

Review only within their expertise.

Meet review deadlines.

Declare conflicts of interest.

Report ethical concerns.

10. Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers shall treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and use them solely for scholarly evaluation.

11. Conflict of Interest

Editors and reviewers must disclose financial, institutional or personal conflicts that could influence editorial decisions.

12. Ethical Standards

Fairness

Transparency

Confidentiality

Objectivity

Academic Integrity

Professional Responsibility

13. Commitment to Excellence

IJAQC (Online) is dedicated to maintaining a transparent, ethical and internationally recognised peer-review system that promotes scientific excellence, technological innovation and high-quality scholarly publishing.

Open Access Policy

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is committed to Open Access publishing, ensuring that high-quality scholarly research is freely available to researchers, academicians, scientists, industry professionals, policymakers, students, and the global research community.

All published articles are immediately available online without subscription, registration, or access fees. Readers may read, download, print, copy, distribute, search, and cite published articles for lawful academic and educational purposes with proper attribution.

1. bjectives of Open Access

Promote unrestricted dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Increase visibility and impact of published research.

Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.

Support innovation in AI, Quantum Computing and Cyber Security.

Promote knowledge sharing for academia, industry and society.

2. Benefits of Open Access

Immediate worldwide accessibility.

Greater visibility and discoverability.

Higher readership and citation potential.

Rapid dissemination of research findings.

Enhanced academic collaboration.

Long-term digital preservation.

3. Author Rights

Authors retain copyright while granting the journal a non-exclusive licence to publish, archive, index and disseminate their work.

Share articles on personal and institutional websites.

Deposit articles in repositories and databases.

Use published work for teaching and research.

Reuse content in future publications with proper citation.

4. Reader Rights

Read and download articles free of charge.

Print articles for educational purposes.

Cite published work appropriately.

Share article links.

Use content for research and non-commercial education.

5. Open Access Publishing Model

IJAQC (Online) follows the Gold Open Access publishing model. Accepted articles are published online immediately without any embargo period.

6. Licensing

Articles are distributed under the journal's applicable licensing policy. Users must provide proper attribution whenever published work is reused.

7. Digital Preservation & Archiving

Published articles are digitally archived to ensure long-term preservation, integrity and permanent accessibility.

8. Accessibility & Global Dissemination

Research is disseminated through scholarly databases, indexing services, search engines and recognised academic repositories.

9. Commitment to Open Science

IJAQC (Online) supports transparency, reproducibility and responsible sharing of scientific knowledge across Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Cyber Security and emerging technologies.

10. Commitment

IJAQC (Online) is committed to ethical, transparent and unrestricted scholarly communication while promoting scientific innovation and global knowledge exchange.

Publication Ethics

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and professional conduct. The journal expects all participants involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher—to adhere to internationally accepted ethical standards.

IJAQC (Online) follows the ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and promotes honesty, originality, accountability, fairness, transparency, and academic integrity throughout the publication process.

1. Responsibilities of Editors

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board shall:

Evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit, originality, scientific quality, technical contribution, and relevance.

Make editorial decisions without discrimination.

Ensure a fair, confidential, and timely Double-Blind Peer Review process.

Maintain confidentiality of manuscripts and reviewer identities.

Select qualified reviewers with appropriate expertise.

Investigate plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, falsification, image manipulation, and other misconduct.

Avoid conflicts of interest.

Publish corrections, retractions, or clarifications when necessary.

Maintain editorial independence from commercial or financial interests.

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2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJAQC (Online) shall:

Submit only original and unpublished work.

Ensure all data, software, algorithms, and findings are accurate.

Properly acknowledge all sources and citations.

Avoid plagiarism, duplicate publication, and data manipulation.

Include only genuine contributors as authors.

Nominate one corresponding author.

Disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest.

Obtain ethical approvals where required.

Notify the journal promptly if significant errors are discovered.

Retain original research data when requested.

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3. Authorship Criteria

Authorship shall be limited to individuals making significant intellectual contributions such as:

Research conception and design.

Algorithm or model development.

Data collection or acquisition.

Software development.

Data analysis and interpretation.

Manuscript drafting or revision.

Final approval before submission.

Individuals providing only technical, financial, or language support should be acknowledged but not listed as authors.

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4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers shall:

Conduct objective and unbiased reviews.

Maintain strict confidentiality.

Review only within their expertise.

Complete reviews within agreed timelines.

Identify relevant missing references.

Report plagiarism or ethical concerns.

Declare conflicts of interest.

Avoid using confidential information for personal benefit.

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5. Responsibilities of the Publisher

The Publisher is committed to:

Preserving editorial independence.

Supporting transparent editorial and peer review.

Protecting authors' intellectual property.

Maintaining integrity and accessibility of published content.

Preserving digital archives.

Cooperating in investigations of publication misconduct.

Publishing corrections and retractions where necessary.

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6. Research Integrity

IJAQC (Online) considers the following as serious ethical violations:

Plagiarism.

Data fabrication.

Data falsification.

Image manipulation.

Citation manipulation.

Duplicate submission.

Redundant publication.

Undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Manipulation of AI-generated research outputs.

Such misconduct may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or institutional notification.

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7. Ethical Compliance

Where applicable, authors shall confirm:

Ethics committee approval.

Informed consent from participants.

Compliance with privacy laws.

Responsible handling of security-sensitive research.

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8. Conflict of Interest

All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members shall disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the publication process. Appropriate measures will be taken to ensure independent editorial decisions.

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9. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may:

Reject the manuscript.

Request corrections.

Publish a corrigendum or retraction.

Notify the author's institution or funding agency.

Suspend future submissions.

Inform relevant academic or professional bodies.

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10. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is dedicated to fostering honesty, transparency, fairness, accountability, and scientific excellence. By adhering to internationally recognized publication ethics, the journal seeks to ensure the credibility, reliability, and long-term value of the scholarly work it publishes while advancing knowledge in Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Cyber Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Robotics, and other emerging technologies.

Article Correction Policy

International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online)

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record. Despite rigorous editorial screening and peer review, errors may occasionally be identified after publication. When such errors are brought to the attention of the Editorial Office, the journal will take appropriate corrective action in a fair, transparent, and timely manner.

Corrections are made only when the identified error materially affects the accuracy, interpretation, reproducibility, scientific validity, or integrity of the published work. Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not influence the scientific content generally do not require formal correction.

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1. Purpose of Article Corrections

The purpose of the Article Correction Policy is to:

Preserve the integrity and credibility of the scholarly record.

Correct significant scientific, technical, or editorial errors.

Ensure transparency in scholarly communication.

Maintain the confidence of authors, reviewers, readers, and indexing agencies.

Protect the reputation of the journal and its published research.

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.Types of Post-Publication Corrections

A. Erratum

An Erratum is issued when a significant error has been introduced by the journal during the editorial or production process.

Examples include:

Incorrect author names or affiliations.

Errors in the article title or abstract.

Incorrect figures, tables, equations, or algorithms introduced during production.

Missing acknowledgements or funding information due to editorial oversight.

Production or formatting errors affecting interpretation of the published work.

All errata will be published promptly and permanently linked to the original article.

B. Corrigendum

A Corrigendum is issued when authors identify a significant error in their published article that affects the accuracy or clarity of the research but does not invalidate its overall findings.

Examples include:

Errors in datasets or numerical values.

Incorrect equations, algorithms, or computational models.

Mistakes in references or citations.

Errors in software implementation or methodological descriptions.

Incorrect figures, graphs, tables, or supplementary materials prepared by the authors.

All authors must approve the corrigendum before publication.

C. Addendum

An Addendum provides additional peer-reviewed information that enhances or clarifies a published article without altering its original conclusions.

Examples include:

Additional experimental or computational results.

Clarification requested by readers or reviewers.

Supplementary datasets or software documentation.

Additional technical explanations omitted unintentionally during submission.

Addenda are subject to editorial evaluation and, where appropriate, independent peer review.

D. Retraction

A Retraction is issued when a published article is found to contain serious ethical, scientific, or technical problems that render its findings unreliable.

Retraction may occur in cases involving:

Plagiarism.

Data fabrication or falsification.

Image manipulation.

Fraudulent or manipulated research results.

Duplicate or redundant publication.

Serious methodological or computational errors.

Unethical research practices.

Copyright infringement.

Manipulation of the peer review process.

Unauthorized or malicious use of Artificial Intelligence in generating research results.

Retraction notices will remain permanently linked to the original article to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

E. Expression of Concern

The Editor-in-Chief may publish an Expression of Concern when credible evidence suggests possible research misconduct or significant concerns regarding a published article, but the investigation has not yet been completed.

Following the investigation, the journal may publish:

A correction.

A corrigendum.

A retraction.

A notice confirming that no further action is necessary.

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3. Procedure for Requesting Corrections

Authors requesting a correction should submit:

A formal written request to the Editorial Office.

Article title, DOI (if assigned), volume, issue, and publication details.

A detailed explanation of the identified error.

The corrected text, figures, tables, algorithms, datasets, or other relevant material.

Supporting evidence where applicable.

The Editorial Office may request additional clarification or documentation before making a decision.

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4. Editorial Assessment

Every correction request is evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate:

Associate Editors.

Editorial Board Members.

Independent subject experts or reviewers.

The journal reserves the right to determine the most appropriate corrective action based on the nature, seriousness, and impact of the identified error.

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5. Online Corrections

When corrections are approved:

A formal correction notice will be published.

The correction will be permanently linked to the original article.

The publication history will remain transparent.

Readers will have access to both the original publication and the official correction.

Published articles will not normally be replaced or removed except where required by legal or ethical obligations.

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6. Errors Not Requiring Formal Correction

The following generally do not require publication of a formal correction unless they significantly affect the interpretation of the research:

Minor spelling mistakes.

Grammatical errors.

Formatting inconsistencies.

Punctuation errors.

Minor stylistic improvements.

Such changes may be made only at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief.

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7. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

Carefully review proofs before publication.

Promptly notify the journal upon discovering significant errors.

Cooperate fully during any correction investigation.

Provide accurate supporting documentation when requested.

Ensure the accuracy of revised data, software, algorithms, and supplementary materials.

Failure to disclose known errors may constitute publication misconduct.

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8. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors shall:

Investigate correction requests fairly, objectively, and promptly.

Maintain confidentiality throughout the investigation.

Ensure transparency in all post-publication corrections.

Publish corrections, corrigenda, addenda, expressions of concern, or retractions where necessary.

Follow internationally accepted publication ethics and COPE recommendations.

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9. Preservation of the Scholarly Record

IJAQC (Online) is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. All corrections, errata, corrigenda, addenda, expressions of concern, and retractions will remain permanently accessible and clearly linked to the original published article to ensure transparency, accountability, and long-term preservation of scientific knowledge.

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10. Policy Review

The Editorial Board reserves the right to revise or update this Article Correction Policy periodically to reflect evolving international publishing standards, technological developments, ethical guidelines, and best practices.

By submitting a manuscript to the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online), authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Article Correction Policy.

Plagiarism Policy

International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online)

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, ethical publishing, and responsible research. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and is strictly prohibited.

All manuscripts submitted to IJAQC (Online) must represent the original work of the author(s). Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions are free from plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content, and other forms of academic misconduct.

The journal screens every submitted manuscript using internationally recognized plagiarism detection software such as Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate) or equivalent tools before initiating the peer-review process. Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism or unethical overlap may be rejected immediately or subjected to further investigation in accordance with this policy.

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1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's ideas, words, research findings, algorithms, software, datasets, figures, tables, images, code, or intellectual property as one's own without proper acknowledgment or permission.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

Copying text without appropriate citation.

Paraphrasing another author's work without proper acknowledgment.

Using datasets, algorithms, software code, figures, tables, or images without permission or attribution.

Submitting another person's research as one's own.

Purchasing or commissioning research papers.

Translating published work into another language without appropriate citation.

Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without disclosure (self-plagiarism).

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.Similarity Screening

Every manuscript submitted to IJAQC (Online) undergoes plagiarism screening before entering the peer-review process using recognized plagiarism detection software such as Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate) or equivalent similarity detection tools.

The similarity report is carefully evaluated by the Editorial Office to distinguish legitimate citations, references, standard technical terminology, and properly quoted material from unethical copying.

A high similarity percentage does not automatically indicate plagiarism; every report is evaluated within its academic context.

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3. Acceptable Similarity Limits

Regardless of the overall similarity score, extensive copying from a single source, unattributed text, copied software code, datasets, algorithms, figures, or evidence of intentional plagiarism may result in immediate rejection.

The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to make the final decision based on the nature, extent, and context of the overlap.

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4. Self-Plagiarism

Authors must avoid self-plagiarism by ensuring that previously published material is not reproduced without:

Proper citation.

Appropriate disclosure.

Significant new scientific contribution.

Permission where required.

Simultaneous submission of substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals or duplicate publication of the same research is considered unethical publishing practice.

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5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Generated Content

The use of Artificial Intelligence tools for language editing, grammar correction, or manuscript preparation may be acceptable when used responsibly.

However:

AI systems or software cannot be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and scientific validity of the manuscript.

AI-generated text, images, code, datasets, references, or analyses must not be presented as original scholarly work without appropriate disclosure where required.

Authors must verify all AI-assisted outputs for accuracy and proper citation.

The use of AI must not result in plagiarism, fabricated references, misleading information, or unethical research practices.

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6. Editorial Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

If plagiarism or publication misconduct is identified before publication, IJAQC (Online) may:

Reject the manuscript immediately.

Request revision and proper citation where the overlap is minor and unintentional.

Suspend the editorial review pending investigation.

Notify all authors regarding the findings.

If plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal may:

Publish a correction or clarification.

Retract the article.

Remove the article from active publication where legally required.

Notify the author's institution, employer, funding agency, or relevant academic authority.

Restrict future submissions from the responsible author(s) for an appropriate period.

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7. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

Submit only original and unpublished work.

Properly acknowledge all sources of information.

Obtain permission before reproducing copyrighted material.

Ensure the authenticity of data, software, algorithms, and research findings.

Verify manuscript originality before submission.

Cooperate fully with any investigation concerning suspected plagiarism or publication misconduct.

Submission of a manuscript to IJAQC (Online) constitutes a declaration that the work is original and has not been copied from any published or unpublished source without proper acknowledgment.

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8. Responsibilities of Reviewers and Editors

Reviewers and editors play an essential role in safeguarding publication ethics.

They are expected to:

Report suspected plagiarism or duplicate publication.

Maintain confidentiality throughout the investigation.

Evaluate similarity reports objectively.

Follow fair, transparent, and unbiased procedures while handling ethical concerns.

Recommend appropriate action whenever publication misconduct is suspected.

Editorial decisions shall always be based on evidence and internationally accepted ethical publishing standards.

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9. Investigation Procedure

All allegations of plagiarism are investigated confidentially by the Editorial Office.

The investigation may include:

Examination of the similarity report.

Comparison with the original source(s).

Communication with the corresponding author.

Review by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board, where appropriate.

Consultation with independent experts, if necessary.

Final editorial decision based on the available evidence.

Authors shall be given an opportunity to respond before any final decision is taken.

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10. Consequences of Plagiarism

Depending on the seriousness of the misconduct, IJAQC (Online) may impose one or more of the following actions:

Manuscript rejection.

Mandatory revision.

Withdrawal before publication.

Publication of a correction or retraction.

Temporary or permanent restriction on future submissions.

Notification to the author's institution, employer, funding agency, or relevant academic authorities.

Any other action considered appropriate under internationally accepted publication ethics standards.

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11. Commitment to Academic Integrity

The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing & Cyber Security (IJAQC Online) is dedicated to promoting originality, ethical scholarship, transparency, and responsible scientific publishing. The journal encourages authors, reviewers, editors, and readers to uphold the principles of honesty, accountability, fairness, and academic integrity in all aspects of scholarly communication.

By submitting a manuscript to IJAQC (Online), authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Plagiarism Policy and accept full responsibility for the originality, authenticity, and ethical integrity of their research.