Qubahan Engineering Journal (QENGJ) follows a structured editorial and peer-review process designed to maintain scholarly quality, research integrity, transparency, and editorial independence.

Step 1 — Manuscript Submission

Authors submit their manuscript through the journal's online submission system together with all required information and declarations.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have approved the submitted version.

Step 2 — Administrative Screening

The Editorial Office conducts an initial administrative examination to verify:

• Completeness of the submission;

• Required manuscript files;

• Author information and affiliations;

• Compliance with journal formatting requirements;

• Funding information;

• Conflict of interest declarations;

• Ethics information where applicable;

• Generative AI disclosure where applicable;

• Copyright and permission requirements; and

• Other mandatory submission information.

Administrative screening does not constitute scientific acceptance.

Step 3 — Scope and Editorial Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor evaluates the manuscript for:

• Alignment with the journal's Aims and Scope;

• Originality;

• Scholarly significance;

• Methodological quality;

• Technical quality;

• Ethical compliance;

• Research-integrity concerns;

• Quality of presentation; and

• Suitability for external peer review.

Manuscripts that clearly fail to meet QENGJ requirements may be rejected without external peer review.

Step 4 — Similarity and Integrity Screening

The journal may screen manuscripts using similarity-detection tools and other editorial checks.

A similarity percentage alone is not used to determine plagiarism.

Editors assess potentially problematic similarities in context and may request clarification or supporting documentation where necessary.

Step 5 — Reviewer Selection

Manuscripts approved for external review are normally assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise.

Reviewers are selected according to:

• Expertise;

• Independence;

• Absence of relevant conflicts of interest;

• Academic or professional experience; and

• Availability.

The journal seeks appropriate institutional and geographical diversity when selecting reviewers.

Step 6 — Double-Anonymous Peer Review

QENGJ normally operates a double-anonymous peer-review process.

Under this model:

• Reviewers are not informed of author identities through the normal review process; and

• Reviewer identities are not disclosed to authors.

Reviewers assess the manuscript's originality, methodology, technical quality, significance, clarity, ethical integrity, and contribution to knowledge.

Step 7 — Reviewer Recommendations

Reviewers may recommend:

• Accept;

• Minor Revision;

• Major Revision; or

• Reject.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory.

The responsible editor evaluates the reports and makes the editorial decision.

Where reviewer opinions differ substantially, an additional reviewer may be invited.

Step 8 — Revision

Where revision is requested, authors should submit:

• A revised manuscript; and

• A detailed point-by-point response to all reviewer and editor comments.

Authors should clearly explain any recommendation they have not followed.

Revised manuscripts may be returned to the original reviewers or evaluated by additional reviewers where necessary.

Step 9 — Final Editorial Decision

The Editor-in-Chief or authorized handling editor makes the final decision after considering:

• The manuscript;

• Reviewer reports;

• Author responses;

• Methodological quality;

• Ethical requirements;

• Research integrity; and

• Compliance with journal policies.

Possible final decisions include:

• Accept;

• Request further revision; or

• Reject.

Step 10 — Article Processing Charge

The Article Processing Charge of US$750 becomes applicable only after final editorial acceptance.

Payment does not guarantee acceptance and does not influence reviewer recommendations or editorial decisions.

Step 11 — Production

Accepted manuscripts proceed to production.

Production may include:

• Copyediting;

• Language and formatting checks;

• Typesetting;

• Metadata verification;

• Reference checking where appropriate;

• Preparation of article proofs; and

• DOI registration where applicable.

Step 12 — Author Proof

The corresponding author receives the article proof for final checking.

Proof corrections should normally be limited to production errors, factual inaccuracies, and essential corrections.

Major changes to the accepted scientific content require editorial approval.

Step 13 — Publication

After completion of production requirements, the article is published online as part of the journal's scholarly record.

Published articles display relevant bibliographic metadata, copyright information, licensing information, publication date, and DOI where assigned.

Editorial Independence

The journal maintains separation between financial administration and scholarly decision-making.

Publication charges, institutional relationships, sponsorship, or commercial considerations must not determine the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript.