Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

ELWAFA: Islamic Studies Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure that all published articles meet ethical, scholarly, and professional standards. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to uphold these ethical principles.

Authors' Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to ELWAFA must ensure that:

  • The submitted work is original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere.
  • All sources of information are properly acknowledged and cited.
  • The manuscript is free from plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and other forms of academic misconduct.
  • All listed authors have made significant scholarly contributions to the research and approve the final version of the manuscript.
  • Any conflicts of interest, financial support, or funding sources are disclosed.
  • Errors discovered after publication are promptly reported to the editorial office so that corrections or retractions can be made when necessary.
  • Research involving human participants complies with applicable ethical standards and has received approval from the relevant ethics committee where required.

Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • Conduct reviews objectively, fairly, and within the agreed review period.
  • Treat all manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Provide constructive comments supported by academic reasoning.
  • Inform the editor of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.
  • Decline the review if a conflict of interest exists or if they are unable to provide an impartial assessment.

Editors' Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • Making publication decisions based solely on the academic merit, originality, relevance, and quality of the manuscript.
  • Ensuring a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer review process.
  • Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.
  • Taking appropriate action when ethical concerns, allegations of misconduct, or publication malpractice arise.
  • Preventing conflicts of interest throughout the editorial process.
  • Issuing corrections, retractions, or other editorial notices whenever necessary.

Peer Review and Publication Ethics

All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review conducted by at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript. Editorial decisions are based on reviewers' recommendations together with the editors' assessment of the manuscript's scholarly quality, originality, significance, and relevance to the journal's focus and scope in Islamic studies.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, citation manipulation, or any other form of publication misconduct. Manuscripts found to violate these principles may be rejected, corrected, or retracted depending on the severity of the misconduct.

Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with recognized ethical standards and applicable institutional or national regulations. Where ethical approval is required, authors must provide information regarding the approving ethics committee within the manuscript. Informed consent must be obtained whenever required.

Authors are also expected to protect participants' privacy, confidentiality, and personal data throughout the research and publication process.

Corrections and Retractions

When significant errors or ethical violations are identified after publication, ELWAFA will take appropriate action in accordance with COPE recommendations. Depending on the circumstances, this may include the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Publication Ethics Reference

ELWAFA: Islamic Studies Journal follows the ethical principles and best practice guidelines issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Further information is available at https://publicationethics.org.