Submissions

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Author Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit original research articles, review papers, or short communications to Afaaq Research for Urban Studies (Afaaq RUS).
All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to determine their relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Suitable manuscripts will be sent for double-blind peer review by at least two independent experts before a final decision is made.

1- General Requirements

  • All submissions must be original and unpublished. The work must not be under consideration by another journal or publisher.

  • Authors are responsible for securing permission to reproduce any copyrighted materials (e.g., photos, maps, figures, or datasets).

  • All authors must consent to be listed on the submission and must have made a significant contribution to the work.

  • Research involving human subjects, animals, or sensitive data must have received approval from the relevant ethics committee in accordance with national and institutional guidelines.

  • The editorial team reserves the right to desk reject submissions that do not meet the journal’s quality or ethical standards.


2- Manuscript Preparation

Use the Microsoft Word Template

General Considerations

  • Language: Manuscripts must be written in clear, concise English. Where needed, authors are encouraged to have their work professionally edited before submission.

  • File Format: Submit your manuscript in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

  • Font and Layout: Use assigned style in ARUS template mentioned above.

  • Length: Articles should generally range between 5,000–8,000 words, including references, tables, and figures.

  • Structure:

    1. Title Page (separate file, with author names and affiliations)

    2. Abstract (Limited to 250 words)

    3. Keywords (At least 5 words)

    4. Introduction

    5. Literature Review

    6. Methodology

    7. Results and Discussion

    8. Conclusion and Recommendations

    9. Acknowledgments (if any)

    10. References


3- Referencing and Citation Style

  • Afaaq RUS follows the APA 7th Edition referencing style.

  • In-text citations should include the author’s last name and year (e.g., Hegazy, 2024).

  • The reference list should be arranged alphabetically at the end of the manuscript.

  • All URLs and DOIs must be active and properly formatted.


4- Figures and Tables

  • Figures and tables must be numbered sequentially and clearly titled.

  • All visuals should be of high resolution (minimum 300 DPI) and embedded in the text where first cited.

  • Each figure and table must include a source or caption.


5- Ethical Considerations

  • Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest or funding sources.

  • Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited. All submissions are checked using plagiarism detection software.

  • Authors should ensure data transparency and, where applicable, share supplementary data to support reproducibility.


6- Review Process

  • Submissions undergo double-blind peer review.

  • Reviewers are selected based on subject expertise and academic standing.

  • Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit their manuscripts based on reviewer comments.

  • The editorial decision (accept, revise, or reject) will be communicated promptly after review completion.


7- Copyright and Licensing

  • Authors retain full copyright of their work.

  • Published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license.

  • This allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Submission Preparation Checklist

Before submitting to Afaaq Research for Urban Studies, authors must confirm that their submission meets all of the following requirements:

  • This submission adheres to the Author Guidelines provided on the journal’s website and follows the journal’s formatting and referencing style. Please Use the Microsoft Word Template.

  • The manuscript has not been previously published, nor is it under review by another journal.

  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx).

  • All figures, tables, and illustrations are properly numbered and referenced in the text.

  • The manuscript is formatted according to the journal’s template and citation style (APA 7th edition).

  • The text is double-spaced, uses a 12-point font, and includes page numbers.

  • The submission has been anonymized for double-blind review (no author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments in the main file).

  • All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness.

  • If submitting to a peer-reviewed section, authors have ensured that the file complies with the journal’s ethical and authorship policies.

  • The Cover Page includes author details, affiliations, ORCID IDs, and contact information.
  • All authors have approved the final version for submission.

By checking this box, authors agree to all the above conditions and confirm that their work complies with the journal’s editorial and ethical standards.

Articles

This section publishes original, peer-reviewed research articles that contribute to the advancement of urban planning, sustainability, and architecture in the context of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, and international best practices.

Submitted manuscripts should present innovative research findings, critical analyses, or theoretical developments related to urban design, environmental planning, smart cities, sustainable development, cultural heritage, or spatial policy.

All submissions in this section undergo a double-blind peer review by at least two experts in the field. Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are anonymized before submission.

Articles should follow the journal’s Author Guidelines, include a structured abstract (limit to 250 words), and clearly indicate the study’s objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.

Manuscripts are evaluated based on originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and contribution to the field of urban studies.

Copyright Notice

Authors retain full copyright of their work and grant Afaaq Research for Urban Studies the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License.
This license allows others to share, copy, redistribute, adapt, and build upon the work, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source.

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material contained in their manuscripts.

By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that:

  • The work is original and has not been published elsewhere.

  • The manuscript does not infringe any copyright, privacy, or other rights.

  • All co-authors have approved the submission and agree to its publication under the stated license.

Privacy Statement

Afaaq Research for Urban Studies is committed to protecting the privacy of all users of the journal website. Any personal information collected by this journal will be used solely for the purposes of scholarly publishing and will not be shared with third parties for commercial or non-academic purposes.

The names and email addresses entered on this journal website will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal, including manuscript submission, peer review, editorial communication, publication, indexing, and notification of new issues or announcements. They will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party, except where required for essential publishing services.

As part of the publishing process, limited metadata (such as author names, affiliations, article titles, abstracts, and references) may be shared with trusted third-party services that support scholarly communication and discovery, including indexing services, digital preservation services, and DOI registration agencies (e.g., Crossref), in accordance with international publishing standards.

The journal employs appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. Users have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal data held by the journal, subject to applicable legal and scholarly record-keeping requirements.

By registering with or submitting to this journal, users consent to the collection and use of their personal data in accordance with this Privacy Statement.