Post-Publication Discussion Policy

Core Principles

IJTIMAIYA believes that scientific discourse does not end upon publication. The journal actively encourages open, robust, and constructive post-publication debate to foster scientific integrity, advance academic knowledge, and address legitimate concerns or errors identified in published literature.

All post-publication discussions must adhere to standards of academic rigor, objectivity, and mutual respect. Personal attacks, unscientific assertions, or commercial promotions are strictly prohibited.

Channels for Post-Publication Debate

Post-publication discussion on IJTIMAIYA is facilitated through the following official channels:

  1. Letters to the Editor / Commentary Articles: Formal, citable submissions that offer critical commentary, alternative interpretations, or methodological critiques regarding a specific article published in the journal.
  2. Author Responses (Rebuttals): Original authors are invited to respond officially to accept Letters to the Editor to ensure a balanced scientific dialogue.

Guidelines for Submitting a Letter to the Editor

To ensure meaningful scientific debate, formal critiques must meet the following criteria:

  1. Letters commenting on a specific article should ideally be submitted within 6 to 12 months of the original article’s publication date.
  2. Contributions must focus on the scientific, methodological, or analytical aspects of the published work, supported by empirical evidence or literature citations.
  3. Format & Length:
  • Maximum 1,000–1,500 words (excluding references)
  • Maximum 10 to 15 references.
  • Must clearly reference the original paper (e.g., "Comment on: [Original Article Title]").

Editorial Review Process and Right of Reply

  1. The Editor-in-Chief and handling editors evaluate the submitted commentary for scientific relevance, civility, and validity.
  2. If the commentary is deemed valid for further consideration, a copy is sent to the corresponding author of the original article, inviting them to submit an Author Response within 21 calendar days.
  3. Both the commentary and the author's response may be subjected to independent peer review at the discretion of the Editorial Board.
  4. Upon acceptance, the Letter to the Editor and the Author Response are published simultaneously in the same issue, explicitly linked to the original article via DOI.

Post-Publication Correction and Retractions

When post-publication discussions reveal material errors, data discrepancies, or ethical violations in a published article, IJTIMAIYA takes action according to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines:

  1. Issued if the discussion reveals minor, non-fraudulent errors (e.g., mathematical errors, mislabeled figures) that do not alter the main scientific conclusions.
  2. Published if the post-publication debate raises substantial, unresolved doubts about the integrity or data validity of the paper while an investigation is ongoing.
  3. Executed if post-publication scrutiny proves that the article's findings are fundamentally unreliable, falsified, or plagiarized.