Editorial Policy

Editorial Policy

"The Shield - Research Journal of Physical Education & Sports Science," published biannually by the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, is a peer-reviewed, Open-Access journal dedicated to research in physical education, sports sciences, sports medicine, and related disciplines. The journal is committed to strict adherence to the ethical standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. We offer free publication (no Article Processing Charges) to advance knowledge in athlete performance, coaching methodologies, and sports policy.

  1. Journal Structure and Article Types

The journal publishes high-quality scholarly contributions across several formats:

  • Editorials: Expert commentaries on emerging trends (e.g., AI in sports analytics or youth sports policy).
  • Original Research: Empirical studies reporting novel data (e.g., biomechanical analyses of sprint techniques).
  • Review Articles: Comprehensive syntheses of literature on topics like injury prevention or sports psychology.
  • Case Studies: Detailed reports on athlete interventions, training innovations, or specialized coaching approaches.
  • Short Communications: Brief, focused insights (e.g., preliminary findings or novel coaching tools).
  1. Peer Review Process

"The Shield" employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process, ensuring anonymity between authors and reviewers.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:

  • Originality: Novelty in methodology, findings, or application (e.g., innovative wearable tech for athlete monitoring).
  • Methodological Soundness: Valid and robust study designs (e.g., randomized trials in training protocols).
  • Ethical Compliance: Strict adherence to COPE guidelines (e.g., informed consent for athlete studies).
  • Impact: Significant contribution to sports sciences (e.g., clear policy implications for youth sports).

Key Details

  • Plagiarism Check: All submissions undergo a Turnitin originality check. The maximum acceptable similarity index is 18%. Properly cited common methodological sections are subject to exception.
  • Timeline: The average time from submission to acceptance is approximately 12–14 weeks, dependent on the complexity of revisions.
  1. Authorship Criteria and Ethical Guidelines

Authorship must strictly align with COPE’s authorship guidelines and requires all authors to meet all four of the criteria below:

Criteria

Description

Substantial Contribution

Significant involvement in study design, data collection (e.g., athlete performance metrics), analysis, or interpretation (e.g., qualitative insights).

Critical Intellectual Input

Actively drafting or revising the manuscript for scholarly rigor (e.g., refining methodology in sports biomechanics studies).

Final Approval

All authors must approve the final version submitted for publication.

Accountability

Authors agree to uphold the work’s integrity and address inquiries about accuracy (e.g., validating training intervention data).
  • Non-Author Contributors: Roles such as data collection (e.g., recording athlete heart rates), technical support, or funding acquisition must be acknowledged in a dedicated section.
  • Ghost/Guest Authorship: Listing individuals who do not meet all criteria is strictly prohibited.

Ethical Standards in Research

  • Human/Animal Research: Ethics approval (IRB/Animal Ethics) and participant consent (for human studies) are mandatory. Animal studies must follow ARRIVE guidelines.
  • Confidentiality: Participant data must be anonymized (e.g., use codes like “Athlete-01”).
  • Competing Interests: Authors must disclose all funding from sports brands, institutional ties, advisory roles, or other competing interests.
  • Funding Declaration: Declare all grants received (e.g., “Funded by the National Sports Institute under Grant NSI-2024-01”).
  1. Open Access, Licensing, and Retraction Policy

Open Access & Licensing

  • License: Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0), ensuring free accessibility and allowing reuse with proper attribution.

Repository Policy

  • Preprints: Authors may share preprints (e.g., in SportRxiv) but must update the repository record to link to the final published journal version post-acceptance.
  • Post-Publication: The accepted manuscript must cite the journal as the source and include the DOI (e.g., "Accepted by The Shield - Research Journal of Physical Education & Sports Science (DOI: 10.XXXX/theshield.202X.XXX)").

Withdrawal & Retraction

  • Withdrawal: Requires signed forms from all authors (no electronic signatures).
  • Retraction: The journal follows COPE’s retraction guidelines for severe ethical breaches, including data fabrication (e.g., falsified injury recovery rates), plagiarism, or ethical violations (e.g., unauthorized use of minors’ data).