Publication Guidelines

Publication Guidelines – Wasit Journal of Sports Sciences

First: General Instructions

  • The journal is a quarterly, non-profit scientific journal specialising in publishing scientific research in sports sciences for academic publication purposes. It is issued by the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences / University of Wasit.

  • The journal adopts a double-blind peer-review policy and provides open access to published research without restriction or condition.

  • Names, email addresses, and telephone numbers are stored in the journal's database for the journal's scientific purposes only and will not be made publicly available or used for any other purpose.

  • The journal adopts the CC BY 4.0 license, (a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license), thereby preserving the intellectual property rights of researchers who publish in the journal.

  • Initial screening of submitted manuscripts is conducted by the Editorial Board, including electronic plagiarism/similarity checking. Authors are notified of any issues within the first week of receiving the manuscript.

  • The manuscript is sent by the Editorial Board for confidential scientific peer review by reviewers approved by the journal.

  • The peer-review process is completed within three weeks, in accordance with the journal's instructions and reviewer guidelines.

  • Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the manuscript may be accepted as submitted, accepted subject to revisions, or rejected. The author is notified of the decision.

  • After completion of the peer-review process, the author is requested to pay a publication fee of 100,000 Iraqi dinars. The journal is non-profit, and these fees are intended only to cover peer-review, publication, and translation costs.

  • Publication for researchers from outside Iraq is completely free during 2023.

  • All manuscript review procedures are conducted electronically through the Open Journal Systems (OJS).

1. Publication Requirements

  • The journal publishes original scientific research in the field of sports sciences written in Arabic or English.

  • The manuscript must not have been previously published or submitted for publication in another journal.

  • The manuscript must not constitute part of a published book.

  • Authors must identify the sources of financial or other support for their research.

  • Manuscripts submitted to the journal will not be returned, whether they are published or not.

2. Peer Review

All manuscripts submitted for publication are sent to specialists for review in accordance with established scientific procedures. Final acceptance is granted after the author has made the revisions requested by the reviewers.

Nevertheless, the authors are responsible for the contents of their manuscripts. Published research represents the views of its authors and not those of the journal. The Editorial Board bears no responsibility for the content of published research.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo an initial screening by the Editorial Board to determine their suitability for peer review and compliance with the publication guidelines. The Editorial Board has the right to decline a manuscript without providing reasons.

3. Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted for Publication

  1. The journal publishes only the types of research specified by the journal.

  2. The manuscript must not exceed 15 pages of standard A4 size. A fee of 2,000 Iraqi dinars is charged for each additional page.

  3. The manuscript must contain:

    • The research title in Arabic and English.

    • An abstract in Arabic and English, presented on one page, with approximately 200 words for each abstract.

    • Keywords indicating the specific field of the research in both Arabic and English.

    • A brief biography of the author or authors.

  4. The author's name and current affiliation/address must be stated immediately below the research title in both Arabic and English.

  5. Manuscripts should be prepared using Simplified Arabic, font size 14 for the main text. The manuscript should be printed on one side of the page, with a line spacing of 5.

  6. As far as possible, the journal's policy requires the manuscript to consist of the following sections:

Introduction

The introduction should include the theoretical framework of the research. Previous studies should form an integrated part of the introduction and should not be presented under a separate heading.

Research Problem, Objectives, and Questions/Hypotheses

The manuscript should clearly present the research problem, objectives, and research questions and/or hypotheses.

Significance of the Study

The manuscript should explain the significance and importance of the study.

Limitations of the Study

The limitations of the study should be stated, if applicable.

Definition of Terms

Relevant research terminology should be clearly defined.

Research Procedures

The research procedures should include:

  • Population and sample.

  • Research instrument.

  • Validity and reliability of the instrument.

  • Research procedures/instructions.

  • Research methodology.

Results

Presentation of the research results.

Discussion

Discussion and interpretation of the research results.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Presentation of the conclusions and recommendations.

  1. Graphs and illustrative figures should be incorporated into the text and numbered consecutively. Their titles and explanatory notes should be placed below the figures.

  2. Tables should be incorporated into the text and numbered consecutively. Their titles should be placed above the tables, while explanatory notes should be placed below the tables.

  3. Page margins should be 1.5 cm on all sides.

  4. Footnotes should be provided at the bottom of each page when necessary.

  5. The APA system should be used for in-text citation and referencing.

  6. The list of sources and references should be arranged alphabetically according to the authors' surnames and formatted according to the APA system at the end of the manuscript. The source number is also mentioned in the body of the manuscript when the source is used.

Examples

Book:

Hassan, Bashar. (2019). Sports Injuries and Modern Rehabilitation Techniques, 1st ed., Al-Mizan Printing Press, Najaf Al-Ashraf.

Article Published in a Scientific Journal:

Daham, Fadel, & Hassan, Bashar. (2022). The effect of exercises using a designed device on the range of motion of the ankle joint affected by partial ligament tear in football players. Wasit Journal of Sports Sciences, 2(2), 28–43. https://doi.org/10.31185/wjoss.12

Book Chapter:

Al-Salama, Mahmoud. (2004). The effect of aggressive television programmes on children's behaviour. In Salem Al-Mahmoud (Ed.), Television and Children (pp. 123–146). Amman: Dar Al-Masirah for Publishing and Distribution.

Conference Proceedings Paper:

Awad, Mohammed. (2005). An analytical study of the impact of the foreign exchange market on the national economy. Paper presented at the National Economy in the Twenty-First Century Conference, University of Sharjah, 14–15 October 2005.

Master's or Doctoral Thesis:

Bashara, Muwaffaq. (2003). The Effect of a Training Programme for Higher-Order Thinking Skills on Developing Critical and Creative Thinking among Tenth-Grade Students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Yarmouk University, Jordan.

Page numbers should be included in the text only when quoting directly. Footnotes may be used at the bottom of the page when necessary and should be indicated by a number or an asterisk.

4. Items Required for Submission

  1. The author must submit an electronic copy of the manuscript prepared using Microsoft Word for Windows. The electronic version alone may be sufficient, or the manuscript may be submitted on a CD.

  2. The author must attach a curriculum vitae (CV) including:

    • Name in Arabic and English.

    • Current employment affiliation.

    • Academic rank.

    • Most important publications/research.

  3. A manuscript submission letter.

  4. A publication undertaking/declaration.

  5. A publication fee of 100,000 Iraqi dinars is required for researchers from inside Iraq and US$100 for researchers from outside Iraq, according to the following payment methods:

    1. Direct payment at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences / University of Wasit.

    2. Bank/financial transfer through Al-Taif Financial Transfer Company.

  6. A plagiarism/similarity-checking fee of 15,000 Iraqi dinars is required if the manuscript has not been checked using the Turnitin plagiarism-detection system. If the manuscript has already been checked, a copy of the similarity report must be attached for evaluation purposes.

  7. The manuscript should be submitted through the journal's official website:

wjoss.uowasit.edu.iq

  1. The author must complete the journal's publication undertaking form provided below.