Publication Ethic

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

USROTUNA: Journal of Islamic Family Law and Islamic Family Ethics is a peer-reviewed academic journal that provides a scholarly platform for the publication of original research articles, conceptual studies, literature reviews, and other scholarly works focusing on Islamic family law, Islamic family ethics, and related interdisciplinary fields.

USROTUNA is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity and publication ethics throughout the publication process. Manuscripts submitted to USROTUNA must be original works that have not been previously published and are not simultaneously under consideration for publication in another journal or publication. All parties involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct, academic integrity, transparency, and professionalism.

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement is developed with reference to internationally recognized publication ethics principles, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and Guidelines, and is adapted to the academic context and scope of USROTUNA.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

1. Reporting Standards

   Authors must present their research accurately, objectively, and transparently. Research findings must be reported honestly and must not contain fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or misrepresentation of data, sources, arguments, or findings. Manuscripts should provide sufficient methodological information and appropriate references to enable readers to understand and critically assess the research. Authors are required to follow the submission guidelines and ethical standards established by USROTUNA.

2. Originality and Plagiarism

   Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are original works and that all ideas, arguments, data, quotations, and materials derived from other sources are properly acknowledged and cited. Plagiarism in any form, including direct copying, substantial paraphrasing without attribution, self-plagiarism, or presenting another person's ideas as one's own, is unacceptable. USROTUNA may use plagiarism or similarity detection software as part of the editorial screening process.

3. Exclusive and Concurrent Submission

   Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal or publication. A manuscript that has been substantially published elsewhere or is currently under review by another journal must not be submitted to USROTUNA. Authors should disclose any previous publication or related manuscript arising from the same research project.

4. Acknowledgment of Sources

   Authors must properly acknowledge all sources that have contributed to the research, including scholarly publications, legal documents, court decisions, classical Islamic texts, contemporary Islamic literature, empirical data, and other relevant sources. Citations must accurately represent the original source and should be provided whenever the work of other scholars or institutions influences the research.

5. Authorship and Contributions

   Authorship must accurately reflect significant contributions to the conception, design, research, analysis, interpretation, and writing of the manuscript. Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions should be listed as authors. All listed authors must have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission to USROTUNA.

   Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged. Changes to authorship after submission require the agreement of all authors and approval from the editorial team.

6. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

   Authors must disclose any financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other relationships that could potentially influence the research, interpretation of findings, or publication process. Any source of financial or institutional support for the research must also be disclosed.

7. Research Ethics and Protection of Participants

   Authors conducting research involving human participants, interviews, surveys, personal data, or other sensitive information must comply with applicable ethical standards and obtain ethical approval or informed consent where required. Authors must protect participants' privacy, confidentiality, dignity, and rights. Any identifying information must not be disclosed without appropriate consent.

8. Use of Sources and Islamic Texts

   Authors conducting research involving the Qur'an, Hadith, classical fiqh literature, legal opinions, or other Islamic sources must represent the sources accurately and contextually. Quotations and interpretations must not be deliberately altered or misrepresented to support predetermined arguments.

9. Fundamental Errors in Published Work

   If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their manuscript after submission or publication, they must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office. Authors are expected to cooperate with the editors in correcting the record, issuing a correction, or retracting the article when necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

1. Publication Decisions

   The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for making publication decisions based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological soundness, and contribution of the manuscript. Editorial decisions must be made independently and fairly, without discrimination or inappropriate external influence.

2. Initial Evaluation

   Editors must ensure that submitted manuscripts undergo an initial assessment for relevance to the focus and scope of USROTUNA, originality, academic quality, methodological appropriateness, and compliance with the journal's submission requirements before being sent for peer review.

3. Fair and Unbiased Review

   Editors must ensure that manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic and intellectual merits. Decisions must not be influenced by the author's gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, institutional affiliation, political views, seniority, or other personal characteristics.

4. Selection of Reviewers

   Editors must select qualified and independent reviewers whose expertise is relevant to the subject of the manuscript. Reviewers should not have conflicts of interest with the authors, institutions, or research discussed in the manuscript.

5. Confidentiality

   Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related information. Manuscripts, reviewer reports, and editorial correspondence must not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals. The identity of authors and reviewers must remain confidential in accordance with the journal's double-blind peer review policy.

6. Conflict of Interest

   Editors must disclose and appropriately manage any potential conflict of interest. Editors must not use unpublished information or materials from submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage without the explicit written consent of the authors.

7. Integrity of the Published Record

   Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity and quality of the journal's published content. Where credible concerns regarding plagiarism, research misconduct, fabrication, falsification, or other ethical violations arise, editors should investigate the matter appropriately and take corrective action when necessary, including issuing corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

1. Confidentiality

   Reviewers must treat all manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. Manuscripts and their contents must not be shared, discussed, copied, or used for personal or professional advantage without authorization from the editor.

2. Objectivity and Constructive Evaluation

   Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and professionally. Comments should be based on academic arguments and supported by clear reasoning. Reviews should be constructive and provide useful recommendations to help authors improve the quality, clarity, methodology, analysis, and contribution of their manuscripts.

3. Acknowledgment of Sources

   Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been appropriately cited by the authors. They should notify the editor if they identify substantial similarities between the submitted manuscript and previously published or concurrently submitted works.

4. Expertise and Suitability

   Reviewers should accept an assignment only when they have sufficient expertise and knowledge to evaluate the manuscript. If a reviewer feels that they lack the necessary expertise or cannot provide a timely review, they should promptly inform the editor and decline the assignment.

5. Conflict of Interest

   Reviewers must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest that could affect their impartiality. They should not review manuscripts involving personal, professional, institutional, academic, or competitive relationships with the authors or their affiliated institutions.

6. Confidential Use of Information

   Information, data, arguments, methods, or ideas obtained through the peer review process must not be used for the reviewer's own research or personal advantage. Reviewers must respect the intellectual property and confidentiality of the submitted manuscript.

7. Promptness

   Reviewers are expected to complete their reviews within the time specified by the editorial team. If additional time is required, reviewers should notify the editor as soon as possible. If they are unable to complete the review within the agreed period, the editor may assign the manuscript to another reviewer.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher of USROTUNA is committed to supporting the journal's editors and editorial team in maintaining publication ethics and academic integrity. The publisher shall provide appropriate support for the journal's editorial and peer review processes and shall not interfere with editorial decisions based on academic considerations.

The publisher also supports the editorial team in addressing allegations of plagiarism, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, and other forms of unethical publication practices. When necessary, appropriate corrections, retractions, or other editorial notices may be published to maintain the integrity of the academic record.

Allegations of Misconduct

USROTUNA takes allegations of publication misconduct seriously. Allegations involving plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, manipulation of the peer review process, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of academic misconduct will be investigated in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles and editorial procedures.

When misconduct is confirmed, USROTUNA may take appropriate action, including rejection of the manuscript, withdrawal of an accepted manuscript, publication of a correction or retraction, notification to the relevant institution, or other measures considered necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

USROTUNA is committed to promoting responsible scholarship, intellectual honesty, transparency, fairness, and respect for academic and ethical values. All authors, editors, reviewers, and other parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold these principles to ensure the credibility and integrity of research published by USROTUNA: Journal of Islamic Family Law and Islamic Family Ethics.