Journal of Rafidain Environment (JRE) is a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal published semi-annually by the College of Environmental Sciences, University of Mosul. The journal publishes original research and review articles in environmental science and related disciplines. JRE focuses on contemporary environmental challenges, promoting academic knowledge and international scientific collaboration. All submissions undergo double-blind peer review and plagiarism screening, and the journal adheres to COPE ethical guidelines.

Guide for Authors
Instructions for Preparing Scientific Manuscripts

Manuscript Submission
Authors should submit their manuscripts electronically through the journal website submission system to the editorial office. 

1. Manuscript Preparation

Manuscripts may be submitted in English or Arabic and must be written in clear, error-free language using accurate scientific terminology. The manuscript should be typed in Times New Roman, with font size 12 for English and font size 14 for Simplified Arabic, using Microsoft Word, formatted on A4 paper size with a single-column layout, and without line numbering within the text.

Writing in English     
The Rafidain Journal of Environmental Sciences publishes articles in both Arabic and English. Authors who are not proficient in English are advised to seek professional language editing prior to submission. Either American or British English is acceptable, but not a mixture of both. The journal does not provide language editing services; therefore, authors are fully responsible for the grammatical and linguistic accuracy of their manuscripts. Authors may use professional editing services before submission. All accepted articles will undergo final language review by the journal.

General Formatting Requirements    
The journal does not impose a strict formatting style; however, each manuscript must include the following essential components: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References. All figures and tables must be included in the main manuscript file and arranged according to their order of appearance in the text.

1. Manuscript Structure

Title
The manuscript title should not exceed 17 words. Geographic locations such as countries, cities, or study sites may be mentioned. Avoid abbreviations or overly technical terms. If abbreviations are used, they should be defined at their first occurrence.

Abstract
The abstract should be between 150 and 250 words and should clearly state the objective of the study, general methodology, main results, and key conclusions. The abstract must not contain abbreviations or references.

Keywords
Authors must provide 4 to 5 keywords suitable for indexing. These should differ from the words used in the title and should not contain abbreviations.

Introduction
The introduction should present the scientific background of the study, its significance, a brief review of recent related literature, and a clear statement of the research objective.

Materials and Methods          
This section must provide sufficient details to allow the replication of experiments or fieldwork. Authors are required to use metric units and the International System of Units (SI). Any statistical software used should be identified, including the version if possible. If analytical instruments were used, specify the type of instrument and the laboratory location.

Results
This section should clearly present the findings and highlight their significance. Figures and tables should be self-explanatory and not require reference to the main text. Avoid duplication of data in the text, tables, or figures. Tables and figures must be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text.

Discussion
This section should provide a scientifically accurate interpretation of the results, supported by recent literature. Avoid restating the results. The discussion may be combined with the results section. It is recommended to conclude this section with a brief summary of the findings.

Conclusion
This section should emphasize the key findings and scientific implications derived from the study. References should not be included in this section.

Acknowledgments
This section should recognize any financial or technical support, as well as individual or institutional contributions. The full name of the funding agency must be provided, including the grant number if applicable.

References
References should follow the Harvard referencing style. Authors may use reference management tools such as Mendeley or any other recognized software, or format references manually using Microsoft Word, provided that the formatting fully complies with the Harvard style.

Figures and Tables    
Figures and tables must be of high quality, clearly drawn, and legible. Figures should be submitted in JPEG, PNG, or BMP format, accompanied by descriptive captions. They must be embedded within the manuscript. For multi-part figures (e.g., three or more), label each part clearly, as in: Figure 2a, Figure 2b, Figure 2c.

1. File Size
   The final manuscript file submitted for publication should not exceed 10 MB.

Guide for Reviewers

Before you accept or decline an invitation to review, consider the following questions:

Q1) Does the article match your area of expertise? Only accept if you feel you can provide a high-quality review.

Q2) Do you have a potential conflict of interest? Disclose this to the editor when you respond.

Q3) Do you have time? Reviewing can be a lot of work – before you commit, make sure you can meet the deadline.

How to peer review for the Journal of Rafidain Environment (JRE)

The reviewer report should comprehensively critique the submission and consist of much more than a few brief sentences. JRE does not require a specific structure for reports; however, a suggested format is:

Summary
Major issues
Minor issues

We encourage reviewers to help authors improve their manuscript. The report should give constructive analysis to authors, particularly where revisions are recommended. Where reviewers do not wish authors to see certain comments, these can be added to the confidential comments to the Editor-in-Chief. While expectations vary by discipline, some core aspects that should be critiqued by reviewers may include:

• Are the research questions valid?
• Is the sample size sufficient?
• Is there necessary ethical approval and/or consent and was the research ethical?
• Are the methods and study design appropriate for answering the research question?
• Do the experiments have appropriate controls?
• Is the reporting of the methods, including any equipment and materials, sufficiently detailed that the research might be reproduced?
• Are any statistical tests used appropriate and correctly reported?
• Are the figures and tables clear and do they accurately represent the results?
• Has previous research by the authors and others been discussed and have those results been compared to the current results?
• Are there any inappropriate citations, for example, not supporting the claim being made or too many citations to the authors’ own articles?
• Do the results support the conclusions?
• Are limitations of the research acknowledged?
• Is the abstract an accurate summary of the research and results, without spin?
• Is the language clear and understandable?

To help authors receive timely reviews, reviewer reports should be submitted via the manuscript tracking system on or before the agreed deadline. Reviewers should contact JRE if they are unable to meet the deadline so an alternative date can be arranged.

We encourage reviewers to focus their reports on objectively critiquing the scientific aspects of the submission, including the soundness of the methodology and whether the conclusions can be supported by the results. Comments may also be given on novelty and the potential impact of the work. At the end of their review, we ask reviewers to recommend one of the following actions:

• Accepted
• Minor Revision
• Major Revision
• Reject
• Unable to Review

Confidentiality

Manuscripts under peer review should be strictly confidential. Reviewers must not share manuscripts or discuss their content with anyone outside the peer review process.

Reviewers may, on request, consult with colleagues from their research group, trusting that the confidentiality of the manuscript is maintained. Reviewers should first contact JRE or the Editor-in-Chief and note the name of the colleague(s) in the ‘Comments to the editor’ section of their report.

Conflicts of interest

Reviewers should decline to review a submission when they:

Have a financial interest in the subject of the work
Have previously discussed the manuscript with the authors
Feel unable to be objective

Applications to review

We appreciate applications to join our community of peer reviewers. Our Editorial Board selects reviewers on a manuscript-by-manuscript basis. In each case, they invite the most appropriate scientists from their own specialty and/or publication list. To ensure we have your up-to-date contact details, interested reviewers should register for a user account.