PUBLICATION ETHICS

About This Policy

This Publication Ethics and Editorial Policies document establishes the ethical responsibilities and standards applicable to all parties involved in the publication process of AL-WAARITS Journal. These policies aim to ensure that scholarly works concerning Islamic studies, technology, social issues, and their related fields are developed, evaluated, and published with academic integrity and professional responsibility.

The journal's publication ethics policies are informed by relevant principles and guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly the COPE Core Practices. These guidelines provide a framework for addressing publication ethics issues, research misconduct, authorship, conflicts of interest, peer review, corrections, and retractions. Al-Waarits Journal may consult relevant COPE guidance when handling complex ethical cases.

All ethical concerns and allegations are assessed fairly, objectively, confidentially, and based on available evidence. The journal seeks to protect the integrity of the scholarly record while respecting the rights and responsibilities of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other relevant parties.

Table of Contents

1. Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

Al-Waarits Journal expects all participants in the publication process to demonstrate honesty, fairness, transparency, confidentiality, and respect for intellectual property. Authors are responsible for the originality and accuracy of their research, reviewers are responsible for providing objective and confidential evaluations, and editors are responsible for making fair and independent editorial decisions.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship practices, or other forms of research and publication misconduct. Where ethical concerns arise, the journal may request clarification or supporting documentation, conduct an editorial assessment, consult independent experts, and take appropriate action based on the available evidence.

2. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Al-Waarits Journal recognizes that generative artificial intelligence tools may assist authors in certain research and manuscript preparation activities. However, the use of such tools must not compromise academic integrity, research accuracy, originality, or transparency.

• Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, interpretation, and integrity of their submitted manuscripts.
• AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.
• Substantive use of generative AI in preparing manuscript content, analysis, or other scholarly materials should be transparently disclosed in the manuscript.
• AI-generated references, quotations, data, and factual statements must be independently verified by the authors.
• AI tools must not be used to fabricate research data, manipulate findings, or create misleading academic evidence.
• Reviewers and editors must protect manuscript confidentiality and must not upload confidential manuscript materials to unauthorized AI systems.

The use of AI does not transfer authorship responsibility or accountability from the human authors to the technology.

3. Conflict of Interest

Al-Waarits Journal requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their professional judgment during the publication process.

Conflicts of interest may include financial relationships, research funding, employment, institutional affiliations, personal relationships, academic collaborations, or other professional interests. Authors must disclose relevant competing interests in their manuscripts. Reviewers and editors must notify the editorial office of any conflict before participating in the review or editorial decision.

Individuals with conflicts that cannot be appropriately managed must not participate in the relevant review or editorial decision. The journal may appoint an independent reviewer or editor to maintain fairness and objectivity.

4. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Al-Waarits Journal takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously. Such allegations may concern plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, unethical research practices, manipulated images, or other violations of academic integrity.

Upon receiving an allegation, the editorial team conducts a preliminary assessment and may request explanations, original data, research documentation, ethical approval, or other relevant evidence. Authors and other involved parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond.

Depending on the findings, the journal may reject a manuscript, suspend the editorial process, request corrections, issue an expression of concern, retract a published article, or take other proportionate action. All decisions must be based on evidence and handled confidentially.

5. Duties of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Al-Waarits Journal are responsible for ensuring that their work complies with the journal's scholarly, ethical, and submission requirements.

• Originality: Manuscripts must present original scholarly work, be appropriately cited, and be free from plagiarism and unacceptable duplication.
• Accuracy: Research methods, data, analysis, findings, and conclusions must be reported honestly and accurately.
• Authorship: All listed authors must have made meaningful scholarly contributions, approved the final manuscript, and accepted responsibility for their contributions.
• Exclusive Submission: A manuscript must not be submitted simultaneously to another journal while it is under consideration by Al-Waarits Journal.
• Research Ethics: Authors must obtain ethical approval and informed consent where required by the nature of their research and applicable regulations.
• Source Attribution: All sources, including scholarly literature, data, quotations, translations, and relevant religious references, must be properly acknowledged.
• Disclosure: Funding sources, competing interests, and relevant use of generative AI must be disclosed where applicable.
• Corrections: Authors must promptly inform the editor if they discover significant errors in their submitted or published work.
• Accountability: Authors must respond professionally to editorial and reviewer comments and provide supporting information when reasonably requested.

6. Duties of Editors

Editors of Al-Waarits Journal are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are handled fairly, confidentially, independently, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

• Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, and ethical compliance.
• Fair Evaluation: Manuscripts must be evaluated without discrimination based on nationality, institutional affiliation, personal characteristics, or personal relationships.
• Peer Review: Editors must select qualified and independent reviewers with relevant academic expertise.
• Confidentiality: Manuscript content, reviewer identities, and editorial correspondence must be protected from unauthorized disclosure.
• Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose relevant conflicts and transfer the handling of affected manuscripts to an independent editor.
• Research Integrity: Editors must respond appropriately to credible concerns involving plagiarism, authorship, data integrity, and research ethics.
• Editorial Decisions: Decisions and revision requirements must be communicated clearly, objectively, and professionally.
• Publication Record: Editors must consider justified requests for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions when necessary.

7. Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers support the academic quality and integrity of Al-Waarits Journal by providing objective, constructive, timely, and confidential evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

• Expertise: Reviewers should accept assignments only when they have sufficient expertise in the relevant subject area.
• Objectivity: Evaluations must be based on scholarly quality, originality, research methods, evidence, interpretation, and relevance to the journal's scope.
• Constructive Feedback: Comments must be clear, evidence-based, respectful, and useful for improving the manuscript.
• Confidentiality: Manuscripts and review materials must not be shared or used for personal advantage without authorization.
• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts and decline assignments when impartiality cannot be maintained.
• Research Integrity: Suspected plagiarism, data irregularities, unethical research, or other serious concerns must be reported confidentially to the editor.
• Independent Assessment: Reviewers must not contact authors directly about a manuscript unless authorized by the editor.
• AI and Confidentiality: Reviewers must not disclose confidential manuscript content to unauthorized AI tools and must comply with the journal's applicable AI policy.

8. Duties of the Publisher

Pandawan Sejahtera Indonesia, as the publisher of Al-Waarits Journal, supports the journal's commitment to publication ethics, editorial independence, transparency, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

• Editorial Independence: The publisher must respect the editorial independence of the journal and must not improperly influence individual manuscript decisions.
• Ethical Support: The publisher supports the editorial team in addressing credible allegations of publication misconduct and implementing appropriate corrective measures.
• Publication Integrity: The publisher supports transparent correction, retraction, and post-publication update procedures.
• Digital Continuity: The publisher supports appropriate digital preservation and access arrangements for published content.
• Transparency: Journal policies, publication information, and editorial procedures should be accessible and clearly communicated.
• Accountability: Where ethical concerns involve senior editorial personnel or create a conflict of interest, the publisher may facilitate independent oversight.

9. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Authors are expected to carefully review their manuscripts before submission to Al-Waarits Journal. Once a manuscript has been submitted, authors are expected to maintain their submission throughout the editorial and peer-review process and must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under active consideration.

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript must submit a formal written request to the editorial office, stating the manuscript title, submission identification number, reason for withdrawal, and confirmation that all co-authors have agreed to the request.

The editorial team will assess the request and provide written confirmation if the withdrawal is approved. A manuscript is considered formally withdrawn only after the journal has issued official confirmation. Withdrawal requests involving authorship disputes, research integrity concerns, or other exceptional circumstances will be assessed individually.

10. Correction Policy

Al-Waarits Journal may publish a correction when an error in a published article can be remedied without invalidating the overall reliability of the research.

• Erratum: A correction addressing an error introduced during the editorial or production process.
• Corrigendum: A correction addressing an error originating from the authors.

Correction requests are assessed by the editorial team. Where necessary, the journal may consult the authors or independent experts before determining the appropriate action. Approved corrections will identify the affected article and clearly explain the amendment. The correction notice will be linked to the original publication to maintain transparency and the accuracy of the scholarly record.

11. Article Retraction Policy

Retraction is an editorial action intended to correct the scholarly record when published findings or conclusions are no longer considered reliable or when serious ethical violations have been substantiated.

Potential grounds for retraction include:

• Substantiated plagiarism or significant redundant publication.
• Fabrication or falsification of research data.
• Serious errors that invalidate the main findings or conclusions.
• Unethical research practices or serious violations of research ethics.
• Compromised peer review or other serious publication misconduct.

Before a retraction decision is made, the journal will assess the available evidence, invite relevant authors to respond, and consult independent experts or institutions when necessary. A retraction notice will explain the reason for the action and remain linked to the original article. The original article will be clearly identified as retracted to preserve the scholarly record.

12. Post-Publication Updates

Al-Waarits Journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of its published scholarly record. When concerns arise after publication, the journal may take appropriate action based on the nature of the issue and the available evidence.

• Corrections: Issued when an identified error can be corrected without invalidating the main findings of the article.
• Expressions of Concern: Issued when serious concerns about an article's reliability exist but an investigation is ongoing or the available evidence is inconclusive.
• Retractions: Issued when substantial evidence demonstrates that an article's findings are unreliable or that serious publication ethics violations have occurred.

All post-publication actions will be communicated transparently and appropriately linked to the affected article.

13. Complaints, Appeals, and Misconduct Handling

AL-WAARITS Journal welcomes legitimate complaints and appeals concerning editorial decisions, peer-review procedures, publication ethics, authorship, and published content. Complaints should be submitted through the journal's official contact channels and should include a clear explanation of the concern and relevant supporting evidence where available.

The editorial team will review each complaint fairly and confidentially. Complaints involving an editor or an individual with a conflict of interest should be referred to an independent editorial representative or the publisher for appropriate assessment.

Authors may appeal an editorial decision by providing a reasoned explanation and relevant evidence. Appeals will be assessed independently where practicable. The journal will communicate the outcome after the assessment has been completed.

14. Editorial Independence and Ethical Oversight

Editorial decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, rejection, correction, retraction, and suspected research misconduct must be based on scholarly merit, available evidence, publication ethics, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Commercial interests, personal relationships, institutional pressure, or other inappropriate considerations must not determine the outcome of editorial assessments or ethical investigations. Editors must disclose conflicts of interest and must not participate in decisions where their impartiality may reasonably be questioned.

When necessary, Al-Waarits Journal may consult relevant COPE guidance, independent academic experts, research institutions, or other appropriate bodies to ensure that ethical concerns are handled fairly and responsibly.