1. Submission Policy

The Raparin Journal of Humanities (RJH) welcomes original, unpublished research papers in the fields of humanities and related disciplines. Manuscripts must not have been published previously or be under consideration by another journal. All submissions must be written in clear, academically appropriate language. Manuscripts submitted in English or any other language must be free of grammatical errors and formatted in full accordance with the journal’s author guidelines The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript before submission.

All manuscripts must be submitted online through the journal’s official submission portal. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that their work complies with RJH’s ethical standards and that all data, references, and permissions have been properly included.

2. Peer Review Process

All submissions undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review. After submission, manuscripts are checked by the editorial office for scope, format, and ethical compliance, including plagiarism screening. Qualified reviewers evaluate the manuscript’s originality, methodology, clarity, and contribution to the field.

Authors receive anonymous reviewer feedback along with a decision, which may include acceptance, revision, or rejection. If revisions are requested, authors must address reviewers’ comments and resubmit. Once the editor is satisfied, the manuscript is accepted and proceeds to production.

Confidentiality and ethical standards are maintained throughout the process. Appeals or concerns regarding the review process may be submitted to govar@uor.edu.krd.

3. Authors’ Rights

Authors publishing in the Raparin Journal of Humanities (RJH) retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right of first publication. They may share their published articles in institutional repositories, personal websites, or academic networks, provided that proper citation and acknowledgment of RJH as the first publisher are included.

All published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits others to use, distribute, and adapt the work, as long as proper credit is given to the authors and the journal. Authors retain full attribution as the original creators of their work and preserve their moral rights, including the right to object to any distortion, mutilation, or modification that could adversely affect their reputation. 

Authors also have access to the final published version of their article for academic, teaching, or research purposes. Their work is protected against plagiarism, misrepresentation, and unethical reuse, with any allegations of misconduct handled according to RJH’s ethical guidelines.

4. Raparin Journal Ethics Statement

The Raparin Journal of Humanities (RJH) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical conduct in all aspects of scholarly publishing. The journal adheres to internationally recognized principles, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

RJH expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to act responsibly and honestly throughout the publication process. Authors must ensure that their work is original, accurately presented, and free from plagiarism. Any research involving humans or animals must comply with ethical standards, including obtaining informed consent and approval from relevant ethics committees.

Reviewers are required to provide fair, objective, and confidential evaluations of manuscripts. Editors are responsible for ensuring impartial decisions, maintaining confidentiality, and handling conflicts of interest appropriately. The journal employs a double-blind peer review system to safeguard the integrity of the review process.

RJH strictly prohibits any form of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate submissions, and improper authorship attribution. Allegations of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate actions, such as retraction, correction, or notification of the author’s institution, will be taken when necessary. By adhering to these principles, RJH aims to maintain trust, uphold scholarly standards, and contribute responsibly to the advancement of knowledge in the humanities.

5. Originality and Plagiarism

All submitted manuscripts are rigorously checked using plagiarism detection software to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the research.

Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly cited. The overall similarity index of a manuscript must not exceed 15%, and no single source should exceed 5% similarity. Manuscripts that fail to meet these standards may be rejected or returned for revision.

RJH takes plagiarism seriously and follows internationally recognized guidelines to address any instances of academic misconduct.

6. Manuscript Format and Structure

Authors must prepare their manuscripts according to the following format to ensure consistency, clarity, and smooth processing during review and publication.

6.1 Page layout

The first page of the manuscript must include the following elements in order:

• Title of the Paper: Title of the manuscript should not exceed 15 words.
• Author Name(s): Full names of all authors must be listed without academic or professional titles (e.g., no Dr., Prof., PhD).
• Institutional Affiliation: Each author’s affiliation must follow this exact format:
  Department of …, College of …, University of …, City, KRG, Country
• Email Address: A valid and professional email address must be provided for each author.

6.2 Font and Formatting

• Manuscripts must use Times New Roman, 12-point font for all text, including the title, headings, abstract, and main content.
• Double-spaced lines with 2.5 cm margins on all sides.
• Consecutive page numbers must be included throughout. Do not use chapter numbering
• The manuscript must include an abstract of 100–200 words.
• Abstracts should be provided in English as well, regardless the language of the paper. 
• Provide 4–6 keywords that accurately represent the main themes of the paper.
• Keywords should be listed alphabetically and separated by commas.

6.3 Research Paper Structure

The main body of the manuscript should follow a clear and logical structure appropriate to academic research. The standard structure includes:

The ‘Received’ and ‘Accepted’ dates on the manuscript should be left untouched (blank), as these will be completed by the journal during the publication process.

• Abstract (maximum 200 words): The abstract should provide a concise summary of the study, including an introduction, the research problem, objectives, methodology, data and sampling details, analytical approach, and the main findings.
• Introduction: Briefly introduce the research topic, its significance, objectives, and the problem addressed. Provide sufficient background and justify the relevance of the study.
• Literature Review/Theoretical background: Provide a survey of scholarly sources on the topic that provides an overview of current knowledge.
• Methodology: Clearly explain the research design, methods, instruments, sample, data collection procedures, and analysis techniques. Ensure that the methodology is transparent and replicable.
• Results: Present the findings in a clear and organized manner. Use tables, charts, or figures when necessary. Avoid interpretation in this section.
• Discussion: Interpret and explain the significance of the results. Link findings to previous studies, provide insights, and address limitations where relevant.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main findings, highlight contributions to the field, and suggest implications or recommendations for future research.
• References: Include all references or sources cited in the manuscript

6.4 Tables and Figures

• Tables and figures must be clearly numbered (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1).
• Ensure images or graphs are in high resolution (JPEG, PNG, or TIFF).

7. Citing and References

Self-citations must not exceed 10% of the total reference list.

All citations and references must follow the Harvard Referencing System, and should not be placed in footnotes.

The reference list must follow the same font style and size used in the abstract for consistency.

References should be arranged alphabetically by the authors’ last names.

All entries must be formatted strictly according to Harvard style.

In-text citations must include the author’s last name and year of publication, such as (Halgurd, 2006); for two authors, use (Halgurd, Peywand 2025); for three or more authors, use (Halgurd et al., 2006).

The reference list should include full bibliographic details in Harvard format:

8. Citations from Previous RJH Publications

Authors are required to include at one citation from articles previously published in RJH journal. This practice helps strengthen the manuscript by connecting it to the journal’s existing scholarly contributions, ensuring continuity, relevance, and engagement with the journal’s academic community.

9. Submission of Work & Manuscript Length

Articles must not exceed 28 pages in total, including references, tables, and appendices. The complete manuscript must be uploaded through the journal’s online submission system using the official RJH Article Template. Submissions that do not follow the required format, length, or template will be returned or rejected at the initial screening stage.