Overview

World Journal of Cotton and Sustainable Development (WJCSD) is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal aims to promote the top quality international research, ideas and information about Cotton across the world. WJCSD will focus on all what you need to know about “Cotton” particularly issues relating to production, manufacturing, and its impact on global sustainability.

WJCSD aims to consider new perspectives about Cotton research and puts together, for the first time, original and cutting-edge contributions aimed at illuminating and charting new directions for researching, teaching and understanding of this extremely rare and important commodity.

The journal’s coverage is divided into several thematic focus areas designed to address environmental, economic, and social challenges within the cotton sector. These thematic focus areas include but not limited to: Sustainable Cotton Production; Economic and Social Sustainability; Medical and Hygiene Cotton Applications; Climate Change and Environmental Resilience; Technological Innovation & Nanotechnology; and Education, Research and Policy.

The journal publishes original papers, review papers, conceptual papers, technical reports, case studies, conference reports, management reports, book reviews, notes, commentaries, and news. WJCSD particularly encourages papers that significantly bring new knowledge to the area both for academics and practitioners.

Special Issues devoted to important topics about Cotton will occasionally be published. WJCSD is intended to benefit ordinary people, students, academics, professionals, researchers, policymakers, businesses, etc from all over the world with the best available scientific evidence, to enable better understanding of the different opportunities and challenges facing the production, manufacturing and and trade of Cotton.

WJCSD will be indexed and ranked by: ABI/Inform (ProQuest) and Cabell’s Directory of Publishing Opportunities
Published in the United Kingdom – 2 issues per year ISSN: (Print) 2634-2642 (Online) 2634-2650
Inaugural Edition: WJCSD Vol 1, Nos 1/2, 2025.

SDGs

Location

World Association for Sustainable Development (WASD), London, United Kingdom

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Country/Regions

Europe
UK

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Editorial Board

All members of our editorial committee are truly international in terms of their interests and range of specialisation. The validated academic background that they bring to bear on the quality of the review as well as their geographic areas of interest foster a uniquely different editorial experience.

WASD is very grateful for all our distinguished Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) and our Expert Reviewers which include distinguished international academic and professional experts in the different subject areas of the different journals. All our EAB members graciously offering their invaluable comments that have enriched the quality of the papers in all our publications and also for making available to us their valuable time and efforts.

We continuously looking for nominations for distinguished academic and professional colleagues who will be interested to join the Editorial Advisory Board to support our journals. Please contact Janet Snow (janet.snow@wasd.org.uk) if you have any question and/or you need any help. Please click here to learn more about your duties as member of the EAB.

We would like also to congratulate all our Authors for their extremely valuable contributions and we hope they continue to support the journal and encourage all their colleagues and friends to also consider the journal for their research outcome.

Related Publications

WASD testimonies

Subject Coverage

WASD produces various publications, to spread information all over the world, and to promote its aims and activities through various other partners. WASD publications are developed to provide an overview of Sustainable Development (SD) and why it is important and to provoke forward thinking on the development of a more coherent approach to solving global problems related to sustainability. In doing so, a holistic approach is used to critically examine the inter-relationship between the natural, the governmental, the economic and the social dimensions of our world and how science and technology can contribute to solutions. And although science, technology and SD are the main focus of our publications, there is no limit as to the articles/chapters that will be considered.

There is no limitation on the papers/topics that will be considered by WJCSD. Papers can address topics theoretically or empirically through either a descriptive or critical approach. Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

Sustainable Cotton production: focuses on the technical and environmental aspects of growing cotton while minimising ecological footprints. Key topics include but not limited to:

Eco-friendly farming techniques: Methods that reduce chemical reliance and promote soil health.
Organic and regenerative agriculture: Transitioning from conventional farming to systems that restore soil organic matter and biodiversity.
Resource efficiency: Specifically focused on water-efficient irrigation and the integration of sustainable technologies in textile agrivatries (agriculture + industry).
Advanced technology: Use of biotechnology and precision production (using data and sensors to optimise yields).
Impact assessment: Utilising Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure the environmental impact of Cotton products from "cradle to grave."
Circular economy: Strategies for energy economy, recycling within the industry, and creating a closed-loop system for textiles.

Economic and social sustainability: focus area addresses the human and financial dimensions of the industry, ensuring that cotton production is viable for farmers and fair for workers. Key topics include but not limited to:

Energy and economics: Analysing the energy balance in the cotton industry to ensure production remains efficient and cost-effective.
Supply chain integrity: focusing on transparency and the implementation of farmer certification systems (like BCI or organic certifications).
Policy and governance: Researching the policy frameworks that governments and international bodies use to support sustainable cotton.
Traceability: developing systems to track cotton from the farm to the final consumer to ensure ethical sourcing.

Medical and hygiene Cotton applications: focus area addresses the life-saving and sanitary roles of cotton, emphasizing its contribution to global health and infection control. Key topics include but not limited to:

Medical Textiles & Biomedical Engineering

- Wound care and dressings: Research on absorbent gauze, bandages, and surgical lint. Focus on Cotton's "breathability" and its role in accelerating the healing process.
- Implantable biomaterials: Advanced studies on Cotton-derived cellulose for drug delivery systems, dental applications, and tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Surgical safety: Development of sterile Cotton-based surgical gowns, drapes, and masks that act as effective microbial barriers while remaining comfortable and non-toxic.

Hygiene and personal care products

- Feminine hygiene: Sustainability assessments of organic Cotton sanitary napkins and tampons as biodegradable alternatives to plastic-heavy disposables.
- Infant care: Innovation in high-absorbency Cotton for baby diapers and wipes, focusing on hypoallergenic properties for sensitive skin.
- Adult continence care: Research into the development of reusable and high-performance cotton textiles for long-term care facilities and aging populations.

Sustainable medical innovation

- Antimicrobial integration: Incorporating natural agents (like neem or aloe vera) into medical cotton to create "bio-active" dressings that prevent infection without synthetic chemicals.
- Biodegradability and waste management: Comparative studies on the environmental impact of Cotton vs. synthetic medical waste. How Cotton products can be safely composted or processed to reduce the medical sector’s carbon footprint.
- Resource efficiency in bleaching: Developing eco-friendly methods for producing "medical-grade" bleached absorbent Cotton with minimal water and chemical use.

Climate change and environmental resilience: addresses the dual role of cotton as both a victim of and a contributor to global climate shifts. Key topics include but not limited to:

Climate adaptation and mitigation: Research on developing "climate-ready" Cotton varieties that can withstand extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and erratic rainfall.
Carbon sequestration: Studies on the capacity of cotton farming systems (particularly organic and regenerative) to act as carbon sinks.
GHG emissions modeling: Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) focused on reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of Cotton ginning and nitrogen fertiliser application.
Water-climate nexus: Managing irrigation systems in water-stressed regions exacerbated by shifting climate patterns.

Technological innovation and nanotechnology: focuses on "precision Cotton" and the application of cutting-edge materials science. Key topics include but not limited to:

Nanotechnology in agriculture: * Nano-fertilisers and nano-pesticides: Targeted delivery systems that reduce chemical runoff and improve nutrient uptake efficiency.
- - Nano-biosensors: Real-time monitoring of soil health, moisture levels, and early detection of pests at the molecular level.
Smart finishing: Using nanoparticles (e.g., Silver, Zinc Oxide) to impart antimicrobial, UV-protective, and self-cleaning properties to Cotton fabrics.
- Digital transformation: The role of AI, Blockchain, and IoT in creating transparent supply chains and optimising harvest yields.

Education, research and policy: this category bridges the gap between academic findings and real-world implementation through governance and knowledge sharing. Key topics include but not limited to:

Agricultural economics education: Developing curricula and training programs for the next generation of Cotton scientists and sustainable farmers.
Research policy and funding: Analysing how national and international policies influence research priorities and the adoption of sustainable technologies.
Extension and outreach: Evaluating the effectiveness of "Farmer Field Schools" and digital extension services in disseminating best practices to smallholders.
Regulatory frameworks: Policy research on international trade disputes, subsidy impacts, and the harmonisation of global sustainability standards (e.g., BCI, GOTS).

Other related subjects and topics:

Cotton and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
International trade aspects of Cotton including topics such as the promotion and marketing of Cotton
Socio-economic and environmental challenges relevance to Cotton with particular emphasis on the significant challenges and opportunities major producing countries like Sudan.
Low productivity of Cotton sector in Sudan which is mainly driven by low technical efficiency
Role of technology transfer in raising productivity of Cotton
Policy implications and sustainability of any massive investment in the production of Cotton
Best practice in the promotion of technologies
Business ethics, values and social responsibility and management
Development of research methods, validation of measures and calibration
Environmental issues and environmental challenges for Cotton
Industry and processing
Government involvement in the production of Cotton such as government legislation, regulation and enforcement
Innovation and diffusion

Guidelines for authors

Before submitting your paper, please ensure that you read and fully understand the guidelines for submission below. This will help to ensure a successful submission. This checklist is intended to confirm that you have followed the guidelines closely. Please note that we will return any papers that do not comply with these guidelines so that errors can be corrected before the paper can be considered for suitability for our journals.

Ensure that you read and understand the various aspects of our publishing ethics policy and guidelines, particularly in terms of authorship and research integrity, and that you follow all aspects of our research conduct, especially the Code of Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Submitted papers should not have been previously published, nor should they be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere (N.B. conference papers may only be submitted if they were not originally copyrighted and have been completely rewritten).
All papers submitted for publication in WASD journals are refereed through a double-blind process.
Please submit your paper online in the form of an MS Word file (no other formats are accepted).
You must indicate the type of paper (see the different types of paper below).
You must include a structured abstract (see below).
You must include 6–10 keywords for your paper.
Your paper should be 3,000–5,000 words in length including references (see typescript preparation).
Your paper must not contain any author details. Author details should be provided in a separate document, including affiliation and email addresses.
You must provide a short biography of 50–100 words for each author, as well as high-definition photos for all authors in white background.
We also request that all authors upload their details to our SDGs Who’s Who Directory (sdgswhoswho.org). Authors need to register online first and then return to the link to upload their details.
Authors must provide their ORCID iDs. If they do not have one, they should register at https://orcid.org and provide us with the identifier.

Submission Preparation Checklist (all items required)

The submission has not been previously published in English, nor is it under consideration by another journal or book; alternatively, an explanation has been provided in the Comments to the Editor.
The text meets the formatting requirements.
The submission file is in Microsoft Word document format.
A plagiarism and AI-generated content report has been provided.
A copyright form, signed by all authors, has been submitted.
Where the research involves human participants or raises privacy concerns, an appropriate data approval or ethical clearance certificate has been provided.

Typescript Preparation

All authors must provide the following information: full name, position, department, institution, full postal address including email, and biographical notes of approximately 50 words per author (maximum 100 words).
The title should be as concise as possible.
References to successful applications within industry are required.
All references should be cited in the text and included in the reference list.
All references should include an active and accessible link or DOI.
Papers may be updates of previously written material but must be original to the author and, once accepted for publication, must not appear in any other periodical.
Papers must be double-spaced and submitted in A4-sized Microsoft Word format (not PDF) to the Journal Manager, Janet Snow, at admin@wasd.org.uk.
Papers should not exceed 5,000 words (including references).
All papers must be written in UK English. If English is not your first language, you may contact us for editorial support and assistance with proofreading. Contact us: admin@wasd.org.uk

Translated Works

Difficulties often arise when translating acronyms, so it is advisable to spell out the acronym in English (for example, IIRP – French personal income tax).
Similarly, labels and suffixes require careful attention where the letters refer to words that have been translated.
The names of mathematical functions may change in translation; these should be checked against an English-language mathematical reference text.

References

Use the Harvard (name and date) referencing system for citations in the text, with a detailed alphabetical reference list provided at the end of the paper. For example, ‘Hamel (2000) suggests …’, ‘Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) found that …’, or ‘A study of economic change (Nelson and Winter, 1982) has shown that …’.
Footnotes should be avoided. However, brief and specific notes may be included and should be numbered sequentially following the alphabetical reference list.
References should be made only to works that are published, accepted for publication (not merely ‘submitted’), or available through libraries or institutions. Any other sources should be accompanied by a note indicating their availability.
Full references should include all authors’ names and initials, the date of publication, the title of the paper, the title of the publication (in italics), the volume and issue number (for journal articles), the publisher and format (for books and conference proceedings), and page numbers.
Use the Harvard referencing style and consult the following sample: Ahmed, A. and Naim, A. (2026) Managing Artificial Intelligence for accelerating the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development (WJSTSD), Vol. 21, Nos. 1–3, pp. 1–10. WASD: London, United Kingdom. Available at: https://doi.org/10.47556/J.WJSTSD.21.1-2-3.2026.1

Figures

All illustrations, whether diagrams or photographs, are referred to as figures.
Figures should be in black and white (not colour) and numbered sequentially (for example, Figure 1).
All figures should be cited in the text.

Example: In-text citation example: The relationship between technology adoption and productivity improvement is illustrated in Figure 1.

All figures must include a source (for example, Figure 1: Title of the figure. Source: Author(s), year).

Example: Insert figure
Figure 1: Technology Adoption and Productivity Growth
Source: World Bank (2025)

Figures presenting data analysis should be provided in an editable format.
Figures should be placed at the end of the paper or can be inserted within the text
Original line diagrams will be reduced and used directly; therefore, they should be prepared to the highest possible standard.
Please note that lettering may be reduced in size by a factor of two or three, and fine lines may not reproduce clearly.
Electronic copies of all figures must also be provided.

Authors and Authorship

All authors must provide accurate and truthful information about themselves and their contributions to the paper. Each author should clearly explain their role in the research and writing process.

Authors are expected to adhere to the highest standards of research integrity, including fair and ethical practices. Any form of research malpractice, falsification, plagiarism, or misrepresentation is strictly prohibited.

All authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the work or its interpretation. Contributions should be honest, transparent, and appropriately recognised.

Ideally, each author, regardless of their position as first, second, or subsequent author, may have one publication per annual cycle, subject to the journal’s requirements, the quality of the paper, and the author’s active contribution to the research.

Also, the number of authors for a manuscript should ordinarily not exceed three. Submissions listing more than three authors will only be considered where the study constitutes substantial empirical and/or model-based research, and where a clear and justified account of each author’s contribution is provided. Under no circumstances should the total number of authors exceed four.

Types of Papers

The following types of papers are sought:

Conceptual: Papers that lay out the landscape, define needs, and propose approaches or solutions. These papers are likely to be discursive and may cover philosophical discussions or comparative studies of others’ work and thinking.

Literature Review: Papers that cite relevant literature. The main purpose is to annotate, summarise, and/or critique the literature in a particular subject area.

Review: Papers that provide an overview or historical examination of industries, systems, methodologies, research, national or industrial differences, cultural differences, or other concepts. These papers are likely to be more descriptive or instructional (“how to” chapters) than discursive.

Case Studies: Empirical work, industry cases, test cases, pilot studies, or similar. Case studies describe actual interventions or experiences within organisations. They may be subjective and do not generally report on research. Legal cases or hypothetical case studies used for teaching purposes also fall into this category.

Research: Papers reporting on any type of research undertaken by the author(s). This may include construction or testing of a model or framework, action research, data testing, market research or surveys, and empirical, scientific, or clinical research.

Viewpoint: Papers based on the author’s opinion and interpretation, including journalistic pieces.

Technical: Papers that describe and evaluate technical products, processes, or services.

Abstracts

The abstract should be approximately 100 words, with a maximum of 150 words. It must be written concisely and clearly, reflecting only the content of the original paper. To produce a structured abstract, please complete the following fields using this template. Four fields are obligatory: Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings, and Original/value of the paper. The other two fields, Research limitations/implications and Practical implications, may be omitted if not applicable.

Purpose: What are the reasons for writing the paper or the aims of the research?

Design/methodology/approach: How were the objectives achieved? Include the main method(s) used for the research. Describe the approach to the topic and the theoretical or subject scope of the paper.

Findings: What was discovered during the work? This refers to analysis, discussion, or results.

Original/value of the paper: What is new in the paper? State the value of the paper and to whom.

Research limitations/implications (if applicable): If research is reported, this section should include suggestions for future research and any identified limitations in the research process. How can the findings be applied to other countries in the region? What are the implications for achieving sustainable development in the country and the region?

Practical implications (if applicable): What outcomes and implications for practice, applications, and consequences are identified? Not all papers will have practical implications, but most will. What changes to practice should result from this research or paper?

Keywords

Provide approximately 6–10 words or phrases to be used for tagging the paper in the publisher’s database. Example: Keyword 1; Keyword 2; Keyword 3; Keyword 4; Keyword 5; Keyword 6.Selecting appropriate keywords increases the likelihood that researchers will retrieve your paper during a keyword search.

Choose keywords that reflect the specific focus of the paper. Avoid overly broad terms such as “Management” unless the paper addresses the topic on a wide scale. Use the most common term for a concept and do not invent new terms for established concepts.

Think broadly when selecting keywords: for example, if the paper discusses performance appraisal in an electronics factory, it may be useful to include the industry as a keyword. If the research or activity takes place in a specific country, include the country’s name as a keyword.

Style

Papers must be clear, concise, and get to the point early. They should not read as promotional material for a country or company. Blatantly promotional content will not be published.Keep paragraphs short and sentences simple and straightforward.Authors should write in the active voice and, where possible, avoid technical jargon.

Acronyms must be fully translated into English. The full form should be given the first time it appears in the text, after which the acronym may be used consistently.

Do not assume that the reader is familiar with specific national institutions or corporations.

Authors are encouraged to approach their topic from an international perspective.

Countries and groups of countries should be referred to by their full title, as terms such as ‘China’, ‘Europe’, or ‘America’ can be ambiguous.

Special attention should be given to identifying units of currency by nationality.

Units of Measurements

Please use the International System of Units (SI) throughout your paper. Imperial units will be converted to SI, except where conversion would alter the meaning of a statement or imply a greater or lesser degree of accuracy.

Tables

All tables should be cited in the text, must include a source, and should be provided in an editable format.
Example of in-text citation: Table 1 presents the distribution of respondents across different industry sectors.
Example of table format/caption:

Table 1: Distribution of Survey Respondents by Industry

Industry Sector	Number of Respondents	Percentage (%)
Manufacturing	45	30%
Services	60	40%
Technology	30	20%
Others	15	10%

Source: Survey data collected by the author (2026)

Guest Editor Guidelines

WASD encourages Guest Editors to submit proposals for Special Issues addressing particular (specific) issue(s) of the broad theme of WJWSD or focusing on a particular country or a region. The following general guidelines may help you in preparing and editing the special issue and you can also check our current call for papers for special issues. Please send your proposal to the Managing Editor (admin@wasd.org.uk).

General Information

Please send the following details:

Name, title, specialisation, short CV, editorial experience, institution, country, full postal address (preferably with tel., fax and email address).
You are free to choose the topic of your special issue.
You need first to formulate the aims, and objectives as well as focus and subject coverage of the special issue in the form of ‘ call for papers ‘ (to send to invited authors).
Identify authors to invite; and appoint a panel of referees to help you in your task.
You can invite other Co- Guest Editors to help you in your task, if you may wish to do that.
At this stage there are no restrictions on the size and number of high quality papers accepted for publication in the special issue. However, if you would like to publish 12 – 15 papers, for example, you need to invite at least 30 experts to write papers for the special issue.
Guide for authors and sample papers as well as information about the refereeing process and information about other relevant journals can be obtained from our editorial office (admin@wasd.org.uk).

Time Table

Allow four months for invited authors to submit the first draft of their papers.
Two month for the refereeing process and to inform the authors with the outcome of the refereeing process and any changes requested by the referees.
Two month for authors to resubmit to you the final manuscript of their papers after incorporating any changes requested by the referees.
When you receive the final manuscripts of all referees, corrected by authors and accepted papers, please send them to us to process for publication.
The publication process takes up to a period of six month from the date in which we receive all the accepted papers.
The corresponding author of each paper will receive, by email, the proofs of his/her paper to check. S/he must return the corrected proofs within fourteen days in order to avoid any delays in publishing the special issue.
It is the responsibility of authors to check and correct any errors in their papers before publication.

Paper Submission

a contents list of the special issue
a title of the special issue
a short Editorial to introduce the special issue each
complete paper should be supplied in MS Word to the Editor-in-Chief
title of paper
names of author(s) and complete addresses with email address of each author
keywords (up to 10 words)
biographical notes of no more than 100 words for each author
an abstract of no more than 50 words
references (using the Harvard short reference system)
each paper must have the Copyright form completed.

Refereeing Process

Each paper is to be refereed by two referees, initially.
If one referee accepted the paper and one rejected it, the paper should be send to a third referee and his/her decision is final.
You can choose your referees to help you, as you may wish, from experts in the subject of the special issue.
Since the refereeing process is a blind one, you can also use some of the authors as referees if you have problems in appointing enough referees.
Refereeing forms of the journals are available upon request which can be adapted for the special issue.

Ethics

Publishing Ethics

WASD undertakes all its publishing activities very seriously adhering to the top quality standards, procedures and ethics. WASD always with integrity, honesty and transparency with all our stakeholders including our authors. WASD is fully committed to all the research and publishing guidelines and flowcharts included in the CODE OF PRACTICES FOR JOURNAL EDITORS of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and our Founding Editor-in-Chief (Professor Allam Ahmed) is a member of COPE. All submission should follow our Publishing Ethics Policy before submitting any manuscripts to our Journals/Books.

All our publications are either published in-house or in partnerships with international publishers and therefore, WASD is also fulling committed to various publishing ethics procedures and guidelines set-up by all our publishing partners: Emerald Publishing Research and Publishing Ethics; Palgrave Macmillan Ethics Policy; Routledge Taylor and Francis (including Greenleaf Publishing) Editorial Policies; Inderscience Publishers Ethical Guidelines for Authors; and Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) of the United Nations System Standards and Procedures.

WASD will always:

Act and adhere fully to all the guidelines and standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and all our leading publishing partners when dealing with all ethical matters and aspects of publishing.
Ensure all publications are processed through a minimum of double-blind peer review process (sometimes we use up to five blind reviewers).
Ensure all published papers are available FREE of charge (without passwords) to all people across the world particularly those in poor developing countries.
Assign DOIs to all accepted papers and chapters.

Authors

All authors should consider the following notes very carefully before making their submission.

Ensure you read and understand the various aspects of our publishing ethics policy and guidelines carefully in terms of authorship, research integrity and follow all aspects of our research conducts.
Ensure you follow the highest standards of research rigour and integrity.
Make sure your read and understand the above various research and publishing ethics polices and guidelines provided by our various publishing partners particularly the CODE OF PRACTICES of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N. B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper was not originally copyrighted and if it has been completely re-written).
All papers submitted for publication in WASD journals are refereed through a double blind process.
All submitted articles/chapters should not include libellous, defamatory or unlawful statements.
Obtain all necessary approval/permission for any third-party material included in your submission.
Proof of consent has been obtained for any named individuals or organisations.
All submissions must be original, fully referenced and that all authors are represented accurately. Ensure authorship has been agreed prior to submission and no one has been ‘gifted’ authorship or denied credit as an author (ghost authorship).

Editors

Uphold the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research and ensure and protect the reputation of the journal by only publishing high quality content.
Read fully, understand and follow CODE OF PRACTICES during all editorial processes. In doing so, the journal editors will carry out thorough, objective and confidential peer review for original contents submitted after the initial desk quality and editorial check. Also, they have to clearly justify with details any content which will not be peer reviewed such as editorials, opinion viewpoints, etc.
Ensure that intellectual property is respected, research integrity maintained and where required use Crossref Similarity Check to check for potential misconduct and/or plagiarism by any author, following COPE guidelines, when dealing with papers where any significant levels of similarity to other works are detected.
Avoid any bias in editorial decision-making and provide a transparent review and publication process as far as is possible and they should judge each article on its merits, without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, seniority, or institutional affiliation of the author(s).
Full respect and care paid to the author(s) and not to use any data or analysis presented in a submitted manuscript in the editor’s own research without the consent of the author and allow authors the right to appeal any editorial decision. Editors must also be familiar with WASD editorial appeals process for appeals against editorial decisions.
Keep their peer-review process confidential and must not share information about a manuscript with anyone outside of the peer-review process.
Ensure, as far as possible, that papers meet ethical standards on authorship; originality and all issues relating to misconduct and/or plagiarism.
Delegate the peer review of any original article to a member of the editorial or advisory board as appropriate.

Reviewers

Similar to the editors, all the journal reviewers must uphold the highest standards of rigour and integrity in all aspects of research and ensure and protect the reputation of the journal by only publishing high quality content.
Read fully, understand and follow CODE OF PRACTICES during all editorial processes. In doing so, WASD reviewers will carry out thorough, objective and confidential peer review for original contents submitted after the initial desk quality and editorial check.
Only accept invitations to review work that is relevant to their own expertise and speciality and seek advice from the editor if anything is unclear at the time of invitation.
Declare any conflict of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript. This includes any relationship with the author that may bias their review.
Avoid any bias in reviewing decision-making and provide a transparent review and publication process as far as is possible and they should judge each article on its merits, without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, seniority, or institutional affiliation of the author(s).
Review submitted work in a responsible, impartial and timely manner.
Report any suspected ethical misconduct as part of a thorough and honest review of the work.
Remain in good communication with both the publisher and the editor.

Misconduct and Plagiarism Check

WASD is fully committed to our core publishing values of honesty, rigour, respect, and accountability.
The journal is expected to adhere fully to CODE OF PRACTICES and WASD has a legal and ethical responsibility for all submitted works and will work closely with the editor to ensure that papers are dealt with fairly whenever there is any case of misconduct and/or plagiarism.
Authors are expected to ensure that the content they submit to the journal is fully based on their own research and expressed in their own words.
We strongly recommend that authors visit the flowcharts available at COPE’s website, that detail the various decision processes that can follow any suspicion that a work is not original or ethical.
WASD is fully committed to using transparent, timely, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of research misconduct when they arise. If any of the journal editors receive any case of misconduct and/or plagiarism by any author, reviewer, or journal editor, WASD has the duty to investigate the matter according to our guidelines. In doing so, WASD uses various applications and software for Crossref Similarity Check to detect any case of misconduct and/or plagiarism following clearly COPE guidelines and comparing submissions of 49 million works from 800 scholarly publishers. Also, our international editors and reviewers are subject matter experts and very knowledgeable in their fields which means it’s high unlikely to fail detecting any plagiarised submitted to the journal.
Consequences for misconduct are as varied as the misconduct itself and are determined on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, the author will be given the opportunity to provide an explanation for the misconduct.
An editorial decision will only be made once the investigation is completed. If ethical misconduct is discovered in content that has already been published, we may publish a statement of concern whilst the work is investigated. If we deem it necessary, the paper may be retracted with a statement of explanation. Other consequences may include a submission ban for any or all authors and contacting the relevant institution(s).
In most cases, WASD reserves the right to request any and all information from the author concerning the creation of the work, to verify its originality. If no such evidence is provided or no satisfactory explanation given, then we may ban the author(s) from resubmitting to any of our books and journals for a determined period. In extreme cases, we may take the matter to the author’s institution for their attention.

Author Fees

WASD and all its associated platforms are not-for-profit international associations.
WASD publishing platforms aim to provide scholars and researchers the opportunity FREE of Charge to share their knowledge and experiences from all over the world on major global issues; the emphasis is on the importance of evidence-based planning to overcome the challenges facing various countries’ efforts to achieve a sustainable future.

Copyright and Licensing

The journal articles are published as an open access article by WASD under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). WASD therefore requires authors wishing to make their article open access to sign an Open Access Agreement providing for the article to be made available under one of the Creative Commons Licenses to meet the terms of open access publication and ensure the widest possible dissemination. The Creative Commons website explains how these licenses work.
WASD’s policy is to acquire copyright for all contributions, once accepted for publication, your Article will be published in the journal, and will be stored and distributed electronically, in order to meet increasing library and faculty demand, and to deliver it as an individual article copy or as part of a larger collection of articles to meet the specific requirements of a particular institution.
As publisher, WASD reserves the right to refuse to publish your article where its publication creates legal liability, or where circumstances come to light that were not known to the Editor, including prior publication, conflict of interest, manifest error etc. WASD is the ultimate custodian of academic quality and integrity and will ensure that this will be done only in exceptional circumstances and on reasonable grounds. In such circumstances the Article will be returned to the Author together with all rights in it.

All Articles

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WJCSD