Societal Transformation: AI and Big Data Journal (AIBD) is a free online multidisciplinary journal inthe field of computer sciences with no publication/review fee.
AI AND GENERATIVE TOOLS POLICY
At Societal Transformation: AI and Big Data, we recognize the expanding role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT in contemporary academic research.
Acceptable Use: Authors may use AI tools for language refinement, grammar correction, reference formatting, and generating code snippets, provided such use is transparent and verifiable. AI-generated content must not exceed 19% of the manuscript.
Unacceptable Use: AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, analyses, images, or citations; to substitute for essential scholarly contributions (such as idea generation, interpretation, and drawing conclusions); or to circumvent ethical and authorship standards.
Disclosure: Any use of AI must be explicitly stated in the Acknowledgments section (e.g., "This manuscript used ChatGPT for language editing only"). Authors retain full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work. Manuscripts exceeding the permitted AI content threshold will be returned for revision.
PEER-REVIEW POLICY
All manuscripts submitted to the journal are processed through a rigorous, transparent, and structured editorial workflow using the Open Journal Systems (OJS).
Manuscripts failing to meet these criteria may be rejected at this stage (desk rejection).
Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be returned for revision or rejected
Eligible manuscripts are assigned to a handling editor or section editor with expertise in the relevant field, who oversees the peer review process.
The journal follows adouble-blind peer review process, where both reviewers and authors remain anonymous.
Each manuscript is evaluated byat least two independent reviewers
Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise, preferably holding a PhD or equivalent qualification
Reviewers assess originality, methodology, significance, clarity, and ethical compliance
Based on reviewers' reports, the editor makes one of the following decisions:
If revisions are required, authors must respond to reviewer comments and resubmit within the given timeframe.
Revised manuscripts may be:
Multiple rounds of revision may occur until a final decision is reached.
The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on acceptance or rejection based on:
Accepted manuscripts undergo:
Language editing and formatting
Authors are required to approve final proofs before publication.
Finalized articles are published online in the journal and assigned appropriate metadata. Articles are made accessible according to the journal's open-access policy.
The authors should guarantee that their work is entirely original and that if they have utilized the work and/or words of others, this has been properly credited or quoted. All manuscripts submitted to the journal will be checked for originality using Ithenticate / TurnItIn software. The maximum amount of plagiarism that may be tolerated is 19%. The editor of the journal, on the other hand, may commence the investigation by evaluating any allegations of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or text recycling. If the assertions are correct, all identified authors will be contacted in order to conduct an inquiry about the overlapping material. Further feedback from the Editorial Board members and the author's institution may be sought if needed.
The journal's decision will be based on the author's research and response (s). Depending on the nature and severity of the problem, the following steps may be taken:
Note: In each of the scenarios, the author's institution may also be contacted.
The journal encourages editorial changes, and author's genuine appeals; however, it is essential to understand that the editor's ultimate decision is a product of broad discretion that aligns with the best interests of the journal. Thus, for the appeals to be considered, the provision of concrete evidence or new data by the author(s) that addresses and alleviates the concerns of the reviewers and editors is a major requirement.
The editor(s) will consider appeals such as:
Furthermore, receival of an eligible appeal can lead to the following:
In case of an appeal or a complaint, the author(s) should email the editor at noman.islam@iqra.edu.pk.
After a paper is published, we generally do not allow making any changes to the paper. However, the editorial board may allow corrections in the published paper in exceptional cases.
The corrections may be allowed to rectify unintentional miscalculations, human lapses or technical errors in the published paper.
The published papers may be retracted if a clear evidence of fraudulent data, plagiarism or unethical publication practices is found.
The copyright infringement or non-disclosure of conflict interest may also result in retraction of the published papers.
The decision of correction or retraction will be made on case to case basis following the COPE'sRetraction Guidelines.
The decision of the editorial board with regards to correction or retraction will be final and cannot be challenged.
Our repository policy aims to increase the access and citation of the published articles in our Journal.
Societal Transformation: AI and Big Data Journalallows authors to archive their published articles in an institutional repository which should be on a non-profit server. The authors can also self-archive their published articles on their personal website or web space.
A link to the Journal's home page or the article's DOI number must be mentioned along with the deposited article in the institutional or personal repository.
What is a DOI?
DOI stands for digital object identifier. It is a unique identifying code assigned to each article at the time of publication on the IQRA University website. DOIs are distributed by independent registration agencies, such as CrossRef.
IMPORTANT:All papers will be acknowledged on receipt by email and will receive a preliminary editorial review within four weeks. Papers of high interest will be sent out for external review. We aim to notify authors of acceptance, rejection or need for revision within four months of submission. Recently, due to the high volume of submissions and demands on referees, it may not always be possible to meet this target, but we aim to have your manuscript reviewed within six months.
Reporting Standards
Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author's obligation to promptly notify the journal editor and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
