Publication Ethics and Malpractice

The E-Journal of Islamic Thought and Understanding (E-JITU) is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, research integrity, editorial independence and transparency. The journal expects authors, editors, editorial board members, peer reviewers and the publisher to act responsibly, fairly and professionally throughout the publication process.

E-JITU follows the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including the COPE Core Practices, as relevant to the journal's scope and publishing activities. These principles guide the journal in promoting responsible publication practices and addressing concerns about research and publication misconduct.

The journal adheres to relevant international ethical guidelines where applicable, including:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

COPE Guidelines and Flowcharts
https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts

Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT)
https://credit.niso.org/

Publication Ethics

1. Editorial Responsibilities

The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board are responsible for maintaining the quality, integrity and fairness of the editorial process.

E-JITU is committed to the following principles:

  • Fairness and objectivity: Manuscripts are evaluated on their scholarly merit, originality, quality, relevance to the journal's scope and contribution to knowledge. Editorial decisions are not influenced by personal characteristics, beliefs, institutional affiliation or other irrelevant considerations.
  • Editorial independence: Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by commercial, institutional or other inappropriate external interests.
  • Confidentiality: Information relating to submitted manuscripts and the peer review process is kept confidential and is not used for personal or professional advantage.
  • Conflicts of interest: Editors do not participate in decisions where an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest could affect their impartiality.
  • Integrity of the scholarly record: The journal takes appropriate action when credible concerns arise about the integrity of submitted or published work.

When an editor has a conflict of interest, the manuscript will be assigned to an appropriate editor who is not involved in the conflict.

2. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions meet appropriate standards of academic and research integrity.

Authors are expected to:

  • submit original work that has not been published elsewhere, unless prior publication has been appropriately disclosed and permitted;
  • ensure that the manuscript accurately represents the research, analysis and interpretation undertaken;
  • acknowledge and cite the work of others appropriately;
  • obtain the necessary permission to reproduce copyrighted or otherwise protected material;
  • avoid submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal;
  • disclose relevant conflicts of interest and sources of funding, where applicable;
  • comply with applicable research ethics and institutional requirements; and
  • respond appropriately to reasonable editorial requests for clarification or supporting information.

Further requirements for manuscript preparation and submission are provided in the Author Guidelines.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should accurately reflect substantial intellectual contributions to the work. Individuals who have made qualifying contributions should be appropriately recognised as authors, while other contributors may be acknowledged where appropriate.

Ghost, guest and honorary authorship are not acceptable.

Any request to add, remove or change the order of authors after submission must be justified and handled according to the journal's procedures and relevant COPE guidance. The journal may require confirmation from all affected authors before approving such changes.

4. Peer Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive and evidence based assessments;
  • maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and information obtained during review;
  • identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited, where applicable;
  • disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest;
  • decline a review if they lack the necessary expertise or cannot provide an impartial assessment; and
  • complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or inform the editorial office if this is not possible.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, professional or competitive advantage.

The journal's review model, reviewer selection and review procedures are set out in the Peer Review Policy.

5. Research Ethics and Ethical Oversight

Research involving human participants, personal or sensitive information, vulnerable groups, animals or other activities requiring ethical oversight must comply with applicable institutional, national and professional requirements.

Where required, authors must obtain appropriate ethical approval and informed consent or consent for publication and provide relevant information in the manuscript. Personally identifiable information should not be published without appropriate consent or another valid ethical or legal basis.

The journal may request evidence of ethical approval, consent or other relevant documentation when necessary.

6. Data, Sources and Research Transparency

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data, evidence, sources and other materials supporting their work.

Where appropriate, the journal may request supporting data, research materials or primary sources to help verify the work. When such materials cannot be shared because of privacy, legal, ethical, confidentiality or other legitimate restrictions, authors should provide an appropriate explanation.

Authors using archival, historical, textual or other sensitive sources should comply with applicable access, attribution, copyright and confidentiality requirements.

7. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

E-JITU recognises that generative artificial intelligence and other AI assisted technologies may be used in scholarly work where appropriate.

AI tools do not qualify for authorship and must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity and ethical acceptability of their manuscripts, including content produced or assisted by AI tools.

Specific requirements concerning the disclosure and responsible use of generative AI are provided in the Use of Generative AI Policy.

Publication Malpractice

1. Publication Misconduct

E-JITU takes seriously any credible allegation or evidence of publication misconduct occurring before or after publication.

Publication misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism or uncredited use of another person's work;
  • inappropriate text recycling;
  • duplicate, redundant or overlapping publication;
  • fabrication or falsification of data or research findings;
  • inappropriate manipulation or misrepresentation of research materials;
  • citation manipulation;
  • peer review manipulation;
  • authorship or contributorship misrepresentation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • misuse of confidential information;
  • unethical research practices; and
  • other actions that compromise the integrity of the editorial or scholarly record.

The journal distinguishes between deliberate misconduct, honest error and legitimate scholarly disagreement and responds according to the circumstances and seriousness of each case.

2. Similarity Screening and Plagiarism

E-JITU may use similarity detection software as part of its manuscript screening process.

A similarity report is an editorial screening tool and is not, by itself, evidence of plagiarism. The editorial team considers the nature, extent, location and context of any identified overlap before deciding on appropriate action.

Cases involving plagiarism, substantial text recycling or inappropriate overlap are handled in accordance with the Plagiarism Policy and relevant COPE guidance.

3. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

E-JITU provides a mechanism for receiving and assessing concerns relating to publication misconduct.

When a credible concern is raised, the journal may:

  1. conduct an initial assessment of the concern and available evidence;
  2. request an explanation or response from the relevant party;
  3. seek additional information or advice from appropriate editors, subject experts or institutional authorities where necessary;
  4. determine whether further action is required; and
  5. take proportionate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where appropriate, the journal may refer a matter to the relevant institution, research organisation, funder or other competent authority, particularly where an institutional investigation is required.

E-JITU will use relevant COPE Flowcharts and other COPE guidance to assist in handling publication ethics cases.

The journal may proceed with appropriate action based on the available evidence even when a concerned party does not respond.

4. Editorial Actions

Depending on the circumstances and seriousness of a case, E-JITU may:

  • request clarification or correction;
  • request additional documentation or supporting evidence;
  • reject a manuscript before publication;
  • restrict or suspend consideration of submissions where justified;
  • issue a correction, Expression of Concern or Retraction after publication;
  • notify relevant institutions, funders or other appropriate authorities; or
  • take other proportionate measures necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Any action will be based on the available evidence and the circumstances of the individual case.

Post Publication Integrity

1. Corrections, Expressions of Concern and Retractions

E-JITU is committed to maintaining an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

When an error or significant integrity concern is identified in a published article, the journal may publish an appropriate post publication notice, including a:

  • Correction (Erratum or Corrigendum);
  • Expression of Concern; or
  • Retraction.

The action taken will depend on the nature and significance of the issue and its effect on the reliability of the published work.

Detailed procedures are provided in the Correction and Retraction Policy.

2. Complaints and Appeals

E-JITU provides mechanisms for authors and other relevant stakeholders to raise legitimate complaints concerning editorial processes or publication ethics.

Authors may appeal an editorial decision where they believe that a substantive error, procedural issue or relevant information was not properly considered. Appeals should provide clear reasons and supporting information.

Complaints and appeals will be considered objectively and, where practicable, by an editor or Editorial Board member who was not involved in the original decision.

An appeal does not guarantee that the original decision will be changed.

Policy Integration

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement provides the overarching ethical framework for E-JITU and should be read together with the journal's other policies and guidelines. For detailed information on specific publication and ethical matters, authors, reviewers and editors are encouraged to refer to the relevant E-JITU policies, including:

• Plagiarism Policy
• Peer Review Policy
• Correction and Retraction Policy
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Use of Generative AI Policy
• Copyright and Licensing Policy