Publication Ethics

Al-Azhar Islamic Law Review (AILREV) is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. AILREV is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Program Studi Hukum Keluarga Islam, Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam (STAI) Al-Azhar Gowa.

The journal publishes original research articles and review articles covering Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), private law, criminal law (fiqh jinayah), Islamic philosophy, Islamic legal policy, administrative law, constitutional law, and related contemporary issues.

AILREV is committed to responsible scholarly publishing and follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including the core principles promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

AILREV is published bi-annually in June and December and provides immediate open access to its published content.

1. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the academic quality, integrity, and editorial independence of AILREV.

Editors shall:

  1. assess submitted manuscripts based on academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field;
  2. ensure that editorial decisions are based on academic considerations and are not influenced by the author's race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, political views, or other personal characteristics;
  3. maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts during the editorial process;
  4. appoint reviewers whose expertise is relevant to the subject of the submitted manuscript;
  5. identify and appropriately manage potential conflicts of interest;
  6. ensure that peer review is conducted fairly and objectively;
  7. investigate allegations of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship misconduct, citation manipulation, and other forms of publication misconduct;
  8. take appropriate editorial action when significant errors or ethical violations are identified after publication; and
  9. maintain the integrity of the journal's published academic record.

Editorial decisions shall be based on the scholarly merit of the manuscript and not on the author's institutional position, reputation, or other non-academic considerations.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to AILREV are expected to:

  1. submit original scholarly work;
  2. ensure that the manuscript has not been previously published;
  3. ensure that the manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal;
  4. accurately report the research process, legal analysis, arguments, evidence, and sources used;
  5. properly cite ideas, arguments, quotations, data, and other materials obtained from other sources;
  6. ensure that all individuals listed as authors have made substantial contributions to the manuscript;
  7. obtain approval from all co-authors before submission;
  8. disclose relevant financial, institutional, personal, or professional conflicts of interest;
  9. disclose relevant sources of financial or institutional support, where applicable;
  10. comply with applicable research-ethics requirements;
  11. protect confidential or personally identifiable information obtained during research; and
  12. promptly notify the editor if a significant error is identified in a submitted or published article.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the content submitted to AILREV.

3. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should reflect substantial scholarly contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, interpretation, or substantive development of the manuscript.

Individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions should be appropriately recognized as authors.

Individuals whose contributions do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged where appropriate.

The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that:

  1. all legitimate authors are included;
  2. no individual who has not made a substantial contribution is listed as an author;
  3. all authors have approved the submitted manuscript; and
  4. all authors agree with its submission to AILREV.

Any change to authorship after submission should be supported by a legitimate reason and agreed upon by all affected authors.

4. Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

AILREV does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, redundant publication, citation manipulation, authorship misconduct, or other forms of academic misconduct.

Submitted manuscripts may undergo similarity screening as part of the editorial process.

A similarity report is not used as the sole basis for determining plagiarism. The editors assess the nature, source, context, and extent of the similarity identified in the manuscript.

When suspected misconduct is identified, the journal may:

  1. request clarification from the authors;
  2. request supporting documentation;
  3. suspend the editorial process;
  4. reject the manuscript;
  5. conduct further investigation;
  6. contact the relevant institution when necessary; or
  7. issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction for a published article when appropriate.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to editorial decisions and assist authors in improving the quality of their manuscripts.

Reviewers should:

  1. evaluate manuscripts objectively and constructively;
  2. assess the scholarly quality, methodology, argumentation, evidence, and relevance of the manuscript;
  3. provide clear and academically justified comments;
  4. maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscript and review process;
  5. identify relevant published works that have not been appropriately cited;
  6. inform the editor of suspected plagiarism or substantial similarity;
  7. disclose potential conflicts of interest;
  8. decline a review when they do not have sufficient expertise or cannot complete the review within the required period; and
  9. refrain from using unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Reviewers should focus their comments on the academic content of the manuscript. Personal criticism of authors is not appropriate.

6. Conflicts of Interest

AILREV requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any relationship or circumstance that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the editorial process or interpretation of research.

Potential conflicts of interest may include:

  • financial interests;
  • employment or institutional relationships;
  • close personal relationships;
  • academic or professional competition;
  • research collaboration;
  • supervisory relationships; or
  • other circumstances that may affect editorial impartiality.

Editors and reviewers should not participate in the evaluation or decision-making process concerning manuscripts where they have a relevant conflict of interest.

7. Research Integrity and Ethical Oversight

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Where research involves human participants, interviews, identifiable personal information, confidential records, or other ethically sensitive materials, authors should provide information concerning ethical approval or informed consent where applicable.

Authors must not disclose confidential or personally identifiable information without an appropriate legal and ethical basis.

8. Complaints and Appeals

AILREV provides an opportunity for authors and other relevant stakeholders to raise legitimate complaints concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, or journal administration.

Complaints should be submitted through the official journal contact.

The journal will:

  1. acknowledge the complaint;
  2. assess the issue objectively;
  3. examine relevant evidence;
  4. consult appropriate editorial or independent experts where necessary; and
  5. communicate the outcome to the complainant when the investigation has been completed.

An appeal against an editorial decision should provide substantive academic justification.

9. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Issues

AILREV considers published articles to be part of the permanent scholarly record.

When a published article contains a significant error or ethical issue affecting its reliability, the journal may publish an appropriate editorial notice, including:

  • Correction;
  • Expression of Concern; or
  • Retraction.

A correction may be issued when an error does not invalidate the principal findings of the article.

An Expression of Concern may be issued when substantial concerns exist but further investigation is required.

A retraction may be issued when the reliability or integrity of a published article is seriously compromised.

Authors are expected to cooperate with the journal when significant post-publication errors or ethical concerns are identified.

10. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions at AILREV are based on academic and scholarly considerations.

Commercial, financial, institutional, or other external interests must not improperly influence decisions concerning manuscript evaluation, peer review, acceptance, revision, or publication.