Our Policies

Publication and Editorial Policy

PUBLISHING POLICY

Finesee Publishing is the exclusive publisher of this journal and is responsible for all print and online publishing activities. The management cannot influence the nomination or role of the Editorial Board.

Review Policy

FP's review policy is crucial to the publishing process. All submissions go through a double-blind peer review by experts in the field to ensure academic quality. Comments are given to authors regarding the paper's suitability for publication.

Publication Process

The prime objective of the publication process is to ensure the academic and research quality and thoroughness of the procedure. The review process is an integral part of the publishing process of the scholarly submissions made to the journal through online submission or the journal's email. All papers submitted to the journal undergo various steps of the rigorous double-blind peer-review process by which both the reviewer's and author's identity is not disclosed to each other to ensure independent review and avoid any potential conflict of interests.

To meet the growing requirements by authors for an efficient review and publication, the journal has taken appropriate measures to speed up the process yet without compromising on the quality of the publication.

The first step is desk review, whereby a paper is screened by the editor himself and/or assigned to any member of the Editorial Board. This normally takes 15-20 days after submission of the paper to check the similarity score, appropriateness of the study with the journal's scope and aims. An email will be sent to the corresponding author regarding the decision of this initial screening usually within a month.

After a paper goes through initial screening successfully, the review process starts by the peers, in the second step, by which it is sent to two reviewers who are experienced academicians in the area of research the paper focuses on. These reviewers make comments on originality, contribution, appropriateness of the flow of discussion, and references cited in the study. After this step, review reports are sent to all authors of the paper with a letter of acceptance conditioned to fulfillment of revisions in due time or rejection/excuse. This step usually takes another 30-60 days. The time for evaluation of articles may go a little long in case of unavoidable circumstances or delay due to reviewers.

The third step is about sending a revised copy to the copy editors who will observe the proofreading and editing of the paper, and their report will be sent to the corresponding author as well. Authors are requested to submit the proofread and edited copy of the paper within 1-3 weeks, after which the paper is sent for production. A print copy is sent to the corresponding author on request after publication. The journal has introduced an early online production system by which the advance copy of the paper is published and available online before the hard copy publication.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board
The Editorial Board advises and supports the journal's editor, and is responsible for:

  • Identifying new topics for commissioning special issues and advising on the direction for the journal-giving feedback on past issues and making suggestions for both subject matter and potential authors.
  • Providing content by writing articles and occasional editorial reviews.
  • Approaching potential contributors.
  • Helping to identify and suggest reviewers with expertise in the relevant area of a research paper and/or provide second opinions on papers (i.e. where there is a conflict between reviewers).
  • Ensuring the implementation of ethical guidelines envisaged by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
  • Identifying and resolving conflicts of interest using the journal’s policy thereof.
  • Identifying appropriate conferences for editors to attend.
  • Endorsing the journal to authors, readers, and subscribers and encouraging colleagues to submit their best research.
  • Handling complaints/grievances by authors, reviewers, or any other external and internal party.
  • Following COPE’s Codes of conduct and best practice guidelines for academic publishing.

Editorial Policy and Conflict of Interest Policy

The editor ensures impartiality in evaluating papers and engages well-established scholars to review submissions. Associate Editors manage the review process and recommend potential reviewers. If an editorial member submits a paper, an alternate member is assigned to manage the process to ensure neutrality.

Editorial Policy in Ethical and Complaint Processes

The editor ensures the implementation of ethical guidelines by COPE and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and handles complaints/grievances through an independent committee.

Benefits to Authors 

The following will be the benefits to authors to get a publication with us:

  1. Rigorous peer review of your research.
  2. Prompt publishing
  3. Multidisciplinary audience
  4. High visibility for global exposure

Double-Blind Review Policy
To ensure unbiased and independent review of all papers, we use a rigorous double-blind review process where the identities of both the authors and reviewers are kept anonymous to each other. This helps to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest and maintain the integrity of the review process.

Duration of Review and Publication

In order to meet the growing requirements by the authors for an efficient review and publication, the journal has taken appropriate measures to speed up the process yet without compromising on the quality of the publication. The first step is desk review, whereby a paper is screened by the chief editor/editor himself and/or assigned to the editorial board. This normally takes 15-20 days after submission of the paper to check the similarity score, appropriateness of the study with journal scope and objectives. An email is sent to the corresponding author regarding the decision of this initial screening usually within a month.

After a paper successfully goes through initial screening, the paper undergoes a review process by peers in the second step, by which it is sent to two reviewers who are experienced academics in the area of research the paper focuses on. These reviewers make comments on originality, contribution, appropriateness of the flow of discussion, and references cited in the study. After this step, review reports are sent to all authors of the paper with a letter of acceptance conditioned to fulfillment of revisions in due time or rejection/excuse. This step usually takes another 30-45 days.

The third step is sending a revised copy to the copy editors who look at proofreading and editing of the paper. Their report is sent to the corresponding author as well. Authors are requested to submit the proofread and edited copy of the paper within 1-3 weeks after which the paper is sent for production. A print copy is sent to the corresponding author on request after publication.

The journal has introduced an early online production system by which the advance copy of the paper is published and available online before the hard copy publication.

Editorial Role in the Review Process and Conflict of Interest Policy


To ensure the thoroughness and independence of the review process, we send all papers to well-established scholars in the relevant field for review. These reviewers are different from the editorial board members. The role of editorial board members is to recommend potential reviewers for papers and manage the review process assigned by the managing editor.

To avoid any potential conflict of interest, if papers are received from any editorial members, the chief editor assigns the paper to alternate editorial members to manage the review and publication process, ensuring independence and neutrality.

Following are the ethical guidelines for Peer Reviewers as per Journal’s SOPs

  • Reviewers must have the required subject expertise to assess manuscripts properly and in a timely manner.
  • Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the peer review process and not disclose any details of the manuscript.
  • Reviewers must not use information obtained during the review process for personal or other benefits or to harm others.
  • Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicting interests and seek advice from the journal if they are unsure.
  • Reviewers are prohibited from any discrimination based on the origin of the manuscript, nationality, religion, politics, gender, or other author characteristics.
  • Reviewers must be objective, constructive, and avoid being hostile, inflammatory, defamatory, or making derogatory personal comments.
  • Reviewers must provide accurate information about their professional expertise.
  • Impersonation during the review process is considered serious misconduct.
  • Reviewers are independent in making their assessments.
  • For more detailed ethical guidelines for peer reviewers developed by COPE, please refer to the following document: COPE

Plagiarism Policy

We are dedicated to promoting original and scholarly work and have a Zero Tolerance for Plagiarism policy. The Editorial Board is stringent in enforcing this policy. It is the responsibility of the authors to ensure that their work is entirely original and that proper credit is given through appropriate citations. Any form of plagiarism is considered unethical publishing behavior and is not acceptable in our journal.

We firmly believe that taking the ideas and work of others without giving them proper credit is unfair and dishonest. Even using one sentence from another manuscript, or from one's own previously published work, without appropriate citation, is considered plagiarism. We expect authors to use their own words instead. The Editorial Board has the authority to reject the review process of a submitted manuscript if it is found to contain even minor or major plagiarism. We may also cancel the publication if plagiarism is confirmed upon the complaint of the victim(s) of the plagiarism.

We strictly follows the policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan regarding plagiarism. According to the HEC guidelines, the similarity index of a paper should be below 20%, with a maximum of 5% coming from a single source. Authors must take responsibility for addressing this issue, and only papers free of plagiarism will be processed and evaluated. Therefore, it is recommended that authors check their articles for plagiarism before submitting them to the repository. If authors engage in any unethical behavior to conceal plagiarism in their papers and deceive the journal's administration, they will be held accountable for any consequences or punishments imposed by relevant authorities. In such cases, the journal cannot be held responsible for the authors' actions or any other unethical conduct.

Open Access and Copyright Policy

This journal operates under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License, which is copyrighted and licensed. The Editorial Board of journal promote unrestricted access to knowledge, education, and research for all, and thus follows an Open Access Policy to disseminate its content. FP adheres to an Open Access and Copyright Licensing Policy based on the principle that freely sharing research with the public promotes greater global exchange of knowledge.

FP also follows a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. Authors who submit and publish in FP agree to this copyright policy under the creative common license 4.0 (Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License). Under this license, authors retain the copyright and publishing rights to their scholarly research work, and allow others to non-commercially remix, tweak, and build upon their work. Other authors using the content of FP must properly cite the author(s) and publisher in their work. Articles published in READS may be read and shared for non-commercial purposes under certain conditions.

  BY: Attribution must be given to the original source (Attribution)

  NC: Works may not be used for commercial purposes (Non-commercial)

The FP use the CC BY-NC to protect the author’s work from misuse.

Complaint Policy and Procedure

To ensure that all complaints and grievances from authors, reviewers, editorial members, or any external and internal person/body are addressed transparently, we have established a clear process for communication. If you have any concerns or complaints related to submission, review, conflict of interest, or publication process, please contact us via email. We will respond promptly and work to resolve the issue in a fair and transparent manner.

Ethical Policy

Our journal follows a rigorous ethical policy, developed in accordance with the COPE guidelines and HEC ethical guidelines. We are committed to upholding high standards of integrity and transparency in all aspects of our publishing practice. Here are some key points of our ethical policy:

  • The Editor, with the assistance of Associate Editors, is responsible for maintaining the quality of the journal.
  • The Editor has full authority to accept or reject any research paper based on the scope of the journal, the publishing policy, ethical considerations, and professional standards.
  • The Editor, with the assistance of Associate Editors, ensures the blind peer review process for every paper.
  • The Editor ensures that every paper undergoes a plagiarism check and strictly follows the HEC Plagiarism Policy.
  • The Editor is obligated to follow the journal's policy without any institutional pressure.
  • The Editor will provide a corrigendum for any correction, clarification, or apologies as required.
  • The CEO, with the assistance of the President of FP, appoints and periodically changes members of the Editorial Board/Advisory Board. All members of the Editorial Board work on an honorary basis.
  • The Editor ensures the smooth functioning of the journal and conducts regular editorial board meetings.
  • The Editor disregards any discriminating factors, such as gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, cultural sentiments, political affiliation, or institutional association of the author(s) while selecting articles for publication.
  • The Editor and Associate Editors promptly respond to any query from the authors of papers submitted for publishing.
  • The Editor and Associate Editors will not edit any submitted paper that may have a conflict of interest. They are responsible for ensuring the impartiality of reviewers/evaluators and disclosing any conflict of interest.
  • The Editor ensures the confidentiality of the manuscript's content before publishing, both on the Editor's and reviewer's end.