Trust & Integrity

Publication ethics

Lumora is committed to ethical scholarly publishing. These standards apply to every Lumora journal and every person involved in the editorial process — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Lumora's editorial standards follow internationally recognized guidance, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ICMJE recommendations, and the Saudi National Committee of Bioethics (NCBE). Each journal applies these principles within its own editorial workflow.

Publisher responsibilities

Support editorial independence and ensure editorial decisions are never influenced by commercial or political interests.
Maintain transparent policies on peer review, fees, copyright, and corrections.
Provide a clear route to raise ethical concerns and investigate them promptly and fairly.
Respond to publisher inquiries at Support@lumora.sa within 24 hours, 24/7.

Responsibilities of authors

Submit only original work that is accurately reported and not under consideration elsewhere.
Cite all sources, data, and prior work; plagiarism and redundant publication are not accepted.
Ensure authorship reflects genuine contribution; all listed authors must approve the submission.
Disclose all conflicts of interest and funding sources.
For research involving humans: obtain ethics committee / IRB approval and informed consent as required by local law and NCBE guidance.
For research involving animals: obtain institutional approval and follow ARRIVE guidelines.
Register clinical trials prospectively and report per CONSORT or equivalent standards.
Disclose any use of generative AI; AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Ethics approval & IRB

Studies involving human participants, identifiable data, or sensitive populations require documented ethics approval from a recognized committee. For researchers in Saudi Arabia, approval through the National Committee of Bioethics framework is expected where applicable.

Researchers who need to prepare or submit an IRB application may use the Saudi IRB Review Platform as a structured starting point. Final approval must come from the competent ethics authority for your institution and jurisdiction.

Responsibilities of editors

Base decisions on scholarly merit, relevance, and integrity — not author identity, affiliation, or background.
Maintain confidentiality of submissions and manage conflicts of interest fairly.
Act promptly on credible concerns about published or submitted work.
Ensure fair, timely peer review and clear communication with authors.

Responsibilities of reviewers

Provide objective, constructive, and confidential assessments within agreed timelines.
Declare conflicts of interest and decline assignments where impartiality is not possible.
Flag suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism, data fabrication, or undisclosed conflicts.

Research integrity screening

All submissions are screened for similarity and integrity concerns. Lumora journals may use plagiarism-detection and image-integrity tools as part of editorial screening.

Misconduct, corrections, and retractions

Allegations of misconduct — including plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, undisclosed conflicts, image manipulation, or authorship disputes — are investigated carefully and fairly. Where the published record must be amended, journals may issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions following COPE guidance.

Raising a concern

To report an ethical concern about a Lumora journal or submission, contact Support@lumora.sa. Concerns are handled confidentially. We aim to acknowledge receipt within 24 hours.

Last updated: 2026 · Related: Peer Review Policy, Author Guidelines, All Policies