Submission, Authorship and Peer Review Policy

Ancient Pakistan welcomes original and unpublished articles that fall within the journal's aims and scope. Research papers must not have been published previously or be under consideration elsewhere. Submission confirms that all authors have approved the article and agree to abide by the journal's editorial and ethical policies.

All articles must be submitted through the journal's Online Journal System (OJS) and prepared according to the Author Guidelines.

Authorship Policy

Authorship is limited to individuals who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the research, including its conception, data collection, analysis, interpretation or writing. Every author listed on the article must approve the final version of the article, agree to its submission and accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work. To ensure transparency and accountability, Ancient Pakistan requires all submissions to be accompanied by an Authorship and Declaration Form. The form includes the authors' details, research information and individual author contributions, and must be completed and signed by the corresponding author and all co-authors before publication. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all eligible contributors are appropriately listed. Contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section.

Editorial Independence and Peer Review Policy

Ancient Pakistan maintains complete editorial independence to ensure that all editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality and relevance to the journal's scope. The Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar, provides administrative support but does not influence editorial decisions.

All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening before being evaluated through a double-blind peer-review process. Suitable manuscripts are reviewed by one national and at least two international experts in the relevant field. Reviewers assess the originality, quality, methodology, significance and clarity of the research and provide constructive recommendations.

Based on the reviewers' reports, the Editor and Editorial Board may accept the article, request revisions or reject it. The final publication decision rests with the Editor. Editors and reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality, declare any conflicts of interest and withdraw from handling an article where impartiality may be compromised.

Image Integrity and Digital Manipulation

Images, photographs, drawings, maps, and other visual materials must accurately represent the original evidence. Only basic adjustments, such as cropping or uniform changes to brightness, contrast, or colour balance, are permitted where they improve clarity without altering the content or interpretation of the image. Authors may be asked to provide original image files. Inappropriate image manipulation will be treated as research misconduct.

Research Data Policy

Authors are encouraged to preserve the data supporting their published research, including excavation records, survey data, photographs, drawings, maps, and laboratory results. Where appropriate, authors should provide a Data Availability Statement indicating how supporting data can be accessed or explaining any legal, ethical, or heritage-related restrictions.

ORCID Policy

Ancient Pakistan encourages all authors to provide their ORCID iD at the time of submission. ORCID helps ensure accurate attribution of scholarly work and improves the visibility and discoverability of research.

Copyright and Permissions

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any copyrighted material used in their articles and for providing appropriate acknowledgement. Upon acceptance, authors grant Ancient Pakistan the right to publish their work in print and electronic formats.

Open Access Policy

Ancient Pakistan provides immediate open access to all published articles to promote the wide dissemination of scholarly research. The journal does not charge submission, processing, or publication fees, and all published articles are freely accessible online.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

Ancient Pakistan is committed to preserving the scholarly record. All published content is archived through the journal's OJS platform maintained by the University of Peshawar, ensuring its long-term accessibility and preservation.

Corrections, Retractions and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy of the scholarly record. Where errors or ethical concerns are identified, appropriate action may include the publication of a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue. All such notices will be clearly linked to the original article.