Publication Ethics

IJIM: International Journal of Islamic Educational Management is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing and is committed to ensuring that all processes of manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decision-making, publication, and post-publication correction are conducted with integrity, transparency, fairness, and accountability.

This Publication Ethics statement applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the journal publisher. The policy covers issues related to authorship, originality, plagiarism, research integrity, conflicts of interest, peer review, data integrity, artificial intelligence, corrections, retractions, and other forms of publication misconduct.

1. Principles of Publication Ethics

IJIM is committed to:

  • maintaining academic integrity and responsible research practices;
  • ensuring fairness, objectivity, and transparency in editorial and peer-review processes;
  • protecting the confidentiality of manuscripts and personal information;
  • preventing plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabrication, falsification, and other forms of academic misconduct;
  • ensuring that published research contributes meaningfully to the development of Islamic educational management;
  • promoting responsible use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in scholarly research and publishing;
  • correcting the scholarly record when errors or misconduct are identified.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to IJIM are responsible for ensuring that their work meets the following ethical standards:

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication in another journal.

All manuscripts must appropriately acknowledge and cite the ideas, data, arguments, and words of other authors. Plagiarism, including direct copying, substantial unattributed paraphrasing, self-plagiarism, and inappropriate reuse of previously published material, is unacceptable.

IJIM may use plagiarism-detection software or other appropriate methods to assess the originality of submitted manuscripts.

Multiple or Concurrent Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Manuscripts under consideration by IJIM should not be submitted elsewhere until a final editorial decision has been made or the manuscript has been formally withdrawn.

Accuracy of Research

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the information, data, analysis, interpretations, and conclusions presented in their manuscripts are accurate and appropriately supported.

Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or misrepresentation of research data or findings constitutes serious publication misconduct.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the study, data collection or analysis, interpretation of findings, or development of the manuscript.

All listed authors must have made a meaningful contribution to the research and must approve the final version of the manuscript.

Individuals who have contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged.

Authors should agree on the order of authorship before submission. Any changes to authorship after submission must be justified and agreed upon by all affected authors.

Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors must properly acknowledge all sources of funding, institutional support, data, intellectual contributions, and other assistance relevant to the research.

Research Ethics

Research involving human participants, personal data, educational institutions, teachers, students, administrators, or other identifiable individuals must comply with applicable ethical standards and institutional requirements.

Where applicable, authors should obtain informed consent and ethical approval from the relevant institution or ethics committee.

Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants and should not disclose personally identifiable information without appropriate consent.

Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, personal, or other relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its interpretation.

Any relevant funding sources and potential conflicts of interest should be clearly stated in the manuscript.

3. Use of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies

IJIM recognizes that artificial intelligence and other digital technologies can support scholarly research and manuscript preparation. However, authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical standards of their manuscripts.

AI tools must not be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the research or publication.

Authors should disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies when such tools have been used substantially in the preparation of the manuscript, particularly for generating text, analyzing data, producing substantial content, or other activities that may affect the scholarly work.

AI-generated content must be carefully reviewed and verified by the authors. Authors remain responsible for identifying and correcting factual errors, fabricated references, inappropriate interpretations, bias, or other inaccuracies produced by AI systems.

The use of AI must not replace the authors' intellectual responsibility, scholarly judgment, or accountability for the research.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for managing manuscripts fairly, objectively, confidentially, and professionally.

Editors shall:

  • evaluate manuscripts based on their academic quality, relevance to the journal's scope, originality, and contribution;
  • make editorial decisions independently and without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, institutional affiliation, nationality, political views, or other irrelevant characteristics;
  • maintain confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts;
  • select appropriate and qualified reviewers;
  • manage conflicts of interest appropriately;
  • ensure that peer review is conducted fairly and objectively;
  • investigate suspected cases of publication misconduct;
  • take appropriate corrective action when errors or ethical violations are identified;
  • ensure that editorial decisions are based on scholarly merit rather than commercial, personal, or institutional interests.

Editors should not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage without the authors' permission.

5. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions should be based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution of a manuscript.

Editors must not allow commercial interests, personal relationships, institutional affiliations, political considerations, or other inappropriate influences to affect editorial decisions.

The journal's editorial process should remain independent from the interests of the publisher, authors, reviewers, sponsors, and other external parties.

6. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers play an important role in maintaining the academic quality and integrity of IJIM.

Reviewers should:

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively and constructively;
  • provide clear, relevant, and evidence-based comments;
  • maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts under review;
  • identify relevant published work that has not been cited where appropriate;
  • identify possible plagiarism, substantial overlap, fabricated information, or other ethical concerns;
  • disclose any potential conflict of interest;
  • decline the review if they are unable to provide an impartial assessment or lack sufficient expertise;
  • complete reviews within the agreed timeframe whenever possible.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal research, professional advantage, or any other purpose.

7. Peer Review Process

IJIM uses a peer-review process to support the quality and integrity of published research.

Manuscripts are initially evaluated by the editorial team to determine their relevance to the journal's focus and scope and their basic academic and ethical suitability.

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening may be sent to qualified reviewers for independent evaluation.

Reviewers assess manuscripts based on factors including:

  • originality and significance;
  • relevance to Islamic educational management;
  • theoretical contribution;
  • methodological rigor;
  • clarity of analysis;
  • quality and reliability of evidence;
  • ethical compliance;
  • clarity of presentation; and
  • contribution to the field.

Editorial decisions may include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.

The journal may request additional review or clarification when necessary to ensure the integrity and quality of the publication process.

8. Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process must disclose potential conflicts of interest.

Editors and reviewers should not participate in the evaluation of manuscripts when they have personal, professional, financial, institutional, or collaborative relationships that could compromise their impartiality.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest and funding sources.

Failure to disclose a significant conflict of interest may constitute a publication ethics concern.

9. Research Misconduct

IJIM considers the following practices serious forms of research or publication misconduct:

  • plagiarism;
  • fabrication of data or research findings;
  • falsification or manipulation of data;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • inappropriate image or data manipulation;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • false or misleading authorship claims;
  • unauthorized changes to authorship;
  • citation manipulation;
  • peer-review manipulation;
  • misrepresentation of research methods or findings;
  • unethical research involving human participants; and
  • inappropriate or undisclosed use of AI-generated content.

When allegations of misconduct arise, the journal may request explanations, supporting documentation, or clarification from the authors and relevant institutions.

Where appropriate, the journal may follow established scholarly publishing procedures for investigating and responding to allegations of misconduct.

10. Citation and Reference Ethics

Authors must cite sources accurately and appropriately.

Authors should not:

  • manipulate citations to increase citation counts;
  • include irrelevant references merely to influence citation metrics;
  • engage in excessive self-citation;
  • fabricate or misrepresent references; or
  • cite sources that have not actually been consulted or used.

Editors and reviewers should also avoid requesting citations solely for the purpose of increasing citations to themselves, their journals, or their colleagues.

11. Corrections and Retractions

IJIM recognizes its responsibility to maintain the integrity of the published scholarly record.

If a published article contains a significant error, the journal may publish a correction or other appropriate notice.

If substantial evidence indicates that an article contains serious errors, fabricated or falsified data, plagiarism, unethical research, or other forms of major misconduct, the journal may retract the article.

Corrections and retractions will be handled transparently, with appropriate notices linked to the original publication where possible.

The purpose of corrections and retractions is to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record rather than to punish authors.

12. Post-Publication Concerns

Readers, authors, reviewers, and other members of the academic community may report concerns regarding published articles or possible violations of publication ethics.

Reports should provide sufficient information and evidence to allow the editorial team to assess the concern appropriately.

IJIM will consider credible concerns objectively and may request additional information from the authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties when necessary.

13. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that the decision was based on a significant factual error, misunderstanding, procedural irregularity, or other substantial concern.

Appeals should provide a clear explanation and supporting evidence where applicable.

Complaints concerning editorial procedures, peer review, publication ethics, or other journal practices should be submitted to the editorial team through the official journal communication channel.

Complaints and appeals will be handled fairly, confidentially, and independently from the original decision whenever reasonably possible.

14. Transparency and Accountability

IJIM is committed to transparency throughout the publication process.

The journal seeks to provide clear information regarding:

  • its focus and scope;
  • manuscript submission requirements;
  • peer-review procedures;
  • publication ethics;
  • authorship requirements;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • use of artificial intelligence;
  • corrections and retractions; and
  • editorial policies.

The journal may revise its publication ethics policies when necessary to respond to developments in scholarly communication, research practices, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and international standards of publication ethics.

15. Commitment to Academic Integrity

IJIM is committed to fostering a scholarly environment that promotes integrity, accountability, transparency, originality, intellectual responsibility, and respect for ethical values.

As a journal dedicated to Islamic educational management, IJIM also recognizes the importance of ethical responsibility, trustworthiness (amanah), honesty (sidq), justice ('adl), and professional responsibility in the conduct and dissemination of scholarly research.

All authors, editors, reviewers, and other contributors are expected to uphold these principles throughout the research and publication process.