Publication Ethics and Misconducts

Madzahib: Jurnal Fiqih dan Ushul Fiqih is a double-blind peer-reviewed scholarly journal published by STIS Al-Manar. This statement establishes the ethical principles and standards governing the publication process and outlines the responsibilities of all parties involved, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the academic record and upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Madzahib adheres to the principles and best practices set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Ethical Principles of Publication

Madzahib publishes original research articles, review papers, and scholarly studies in the fields of fiqh and usul al-fiqh. All manuscripts must meet standards of academic rigor, originality, and ethical integrity. The journal applies a double-blind peer-review process to ensure impartial and objective evaluation of submitted manuscripts. Submission of a manuscript to Madzahib implies that:

- The work is original and has not been previously published.
- The manuscript is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
- All authors have approved the submission.
- The research complies with applicable ethical standards.

2. Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors must uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Specifically, authors are required to:

1. Ensure that the manuscript represents original research and does not contain plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.
2. Properly acknowledge and cite all sources that have influenced the research.
3. Accurately present research methods, data, analysis, and findings.
4. Disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research outcomes.
5. Obtain ethical approval where required, particularly for research involving human participants, institutions, or sensitive data.
6. Limit authorship to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
7. Promptly notify the editor if a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered in the published work and cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions where necessary.

Unethical behavior such as duplicate submission, redundant publication, or improper authorship attribution is strictly prohibited.

3. Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Reviewers play a critical role in safeguarding the quality and credibility of the journal. Reviewers are expected to:

- Provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of manuscripts.
- Assess the academic merit, originality, methodological soundness, and relevance of the submission to the journal’s scope.
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all materials received for review.
- Refrain from using any unpublished information obtained through the review process for personal advantage.
- Disclose any conflicts of interest and decline review assignments where impartiality may be compromised.
- Identify relevant published works not cited by the authors and alert the editor to any substantial similarity or overlap with other publications.

4. Editors’ Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for ensuring the integrity and fairness of the publication process. Editors shall:

- Make publication decisions based solely on scholarly merit, originality, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
- Ensure that manuscripts are evaluated through a fair, unbiased, and confidential double-blind peer-review process.
- Safeguard the confidentiality of authors and reviewers.
- Avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where such conflicts exist.
- Take appropriate corrective measures in cases of suspected misconduct, including investigation, communication with relevant parties, and issuance of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when warranted.

Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by commercial, political, or personal interests.

5. Publisher’s Responsibilities

As the publisher, STIS Al-Manar is committed to supporting ethical publishing practices and ensuring editorial independence. The publisher shall:

- Uphold the autonomy of the editorial board in making publication decisions.
- Ensure that ethical guidelines are consistently implemented.
- Support the investigation of alleged misconduct.
- Cooperate with institutions, indexing bodies, and other publishers in resolving ethical disputes when necessary.

6. Handling of Misconduct and Ethical Violations

Madzahib takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. Reports of suspected ethical violations will be reviewed carefully and objectively by the editorial board. Misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

- Plagiarism
- Data fabrication or falsification
- Redundant or duplicate publication
- Citation manipulation
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest

If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions may include:

- Rejection of the manuscript
- Publication of a correction or clarification
- Retraction of the article
- Temporary or permanent prohibition of future submissions

The journal follows COPE guidelines in handling ethical complaints and disputes.

7. Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — must disclose any relationships or interests that could potentially influence the objectivity or integrity of the research or editorial decisions. Transparency in conflict disclosure is essential to maintaining trust in scholarly communication.

8. Plagiarism Policy

Madzahib: Journal of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh maintains a strict anti-plagiarism policy. All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software prior to the peer-review process. Manuscripts that exceed the acceptable similarity threshold or demonstrate evidence of plagiarism will be returned to the authors for revision or rejected outright. The journal upholds zero tolerance for plagiarism and related academic misconduct.