Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan is committed to upholding the integrity, reliability, and credibility of scholarly research and academic publishing. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and addresses them fairly, objectively, and confidentially, in accordance with internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, particularly the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Research misconduct may include, but is not limited to, the following practices:
- Fabrication: Inventing data, research findings, observations, or other information and presenting them as authentic research results.
- Falsification: Manipulating research materials, equipment, procedures, data, images, or findings in ways that misrepresent the research process or its outcomes.
- Plagiarism: Using another person's ideas, methods, findings, words, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment or attribution.
- Inappropriate manipulation, alteration, or duplication of images, figures, tables, or research data.
- Duplicate, redundant, or overlapping publication without appropriate disclosure or justification.
- Improper authorship practices, including ghost authorship, guest authorship, gift authorship, or fraudulent attribution of authorship.
- Failure to disclose conflicts of interest that may significantly affect the integrity, interpretation, or credibility of the research.
- Manipulation of citations, peer review procedures, or editorial processes.
- Misuse, manipulation, or misrepresentation of research data or supporting evidence.
- Failure to obtain the necessary research ethics approval or informed consent when required.
- Other practices that seriously undermine the integrity, accuracy, transparency, or reliability of the scholarly record.
Reporting an Allegation
Any individual or institution, including authors, reviewers, editors, readers, academic institutions, or other relevant parties, may report suspected research misconduct involving a manuscript submitted to or an article published in Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan.
Allegations must be submitted in good faith and should include sufficient information and, whenever possible, supporting evidence to enable the journal to conduct an appropriate preliminary assessment.
The identity of the complainant and all information related to the allegation will be treated confidentially to the extent reasonably possible. Such information will only be disclosed when necessary for a proper investigation or when required by applicable laws and regulations.
Anonymous allegations may also be considered, provided that they contain sufficient and credible evidence to justify further examination.
Initial Assessment
Upon receiving an allegation, the Editor in Chief or a designated editor without any relevant conflict of interest will conduct an initial assessment to determine whether:
- The allegation falls within the journal's responsibilities and authority.
- Sufficient information or evidence is available to justify further investigation.
- Immediate editorial action is necessary to protect the integrity of the review or publication process.
The journal will not conclude that misconduct has occurred solely on the basis of an allegation. Individuals involved in the case will generally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the concerns, provide clarification, and submit relevant supporting evidence before further decisions are made.
Investigation and Cooperation
When further investigation is necessary, Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan will follow appropriate procedures in accordance with recognized publication ethics standards. The journal may request additional explanations, original research data, supporting documentation, research ethics approvals, or other relevant materials from the authors.
When an allegation requires a formal investigation beyond the journal's authority, the journal may refer the matter to or cooperate with the following parties:
- The institution affiliated with the author.
- Relevant research ethics committees.
- Research funding organizations.
- Appropriate regulatory or professional bodies.
- Other journals or publishers involved in the case.
The journal recognizes that academic and research institutions are generally responsible for investigating the conduct of their researchers. Meanwhile, the journal remains responsible for safeguarding the integrity of its editorial procedures and published scholarly record.
Editorial Actions
If an allegation concerns a manuscript that is still undergoing editorial assessment or peer review, the journal may temporarily suspend the editorial process until the concerns have been adequately examined.
Depending on the nature and severity of the alleged misconduct and the findings of the investigation, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:
- Request clarification, additional information, or corrections from the authors.
- Reject the manuscript when serious misconduct is established.
- Terminate the review or publication process when necessary.
- Publish a correction to address errors in an already published article.
- Issue an expression of concern when serious questions regarding the integrity of an article remain unresolved or an investigation is ongoing.
- Retract a published article when its findings are considered unreliable or when serious misconduct justifies retraction.
- Notify the author's affiliated institution, employer, or research funding organization when appropriate.
- Inform other relevant journals or publishers when the misconduct may affect their publications.
- Implement other appropriate measures necessary to protect the integrity and credibility of the scholarly record.
Any correction, expression of concern, or retraction will be clearly identified and appropriately linked to the original article to ensure transparency and maintain the accuracy of the publication record.
Fairness and Confidentiality
All allegations of research misconduct will be handled fairly, objectively, and without prejudice, with due consideration for confidentiality, procedural fairness, and the rights of all parties involved.
Editors or editorial board members who have a conflict of interest related to a particular allegation must not participate in the investigation or any decisions concerning the case.
The journal will distinguish between honest errors and deliberate or serious research misconduct. Unintentional errors that do not substantially affect the validity or reliability of an article's main findings may be addressed through appropriate corrections rather than being classified as research misconduct.
Allegations Made in Good Faith
Individuals who report suspected research misconduct in good faith will not be subjected to retaliation, discrimination, or unfair treatment by Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan as a consequence of raising legitimate concerns.
However, allegations that are knowingly false, malicious, or deliberately misleading may themselves constitute unethical conduct and may be referred to the relevant institution or authority for appropriate consideration.
Postpublication Concerns
Concerns regarding the integrity, validity, or reliability of published articles may be raised at any time after publication. The publication of an article does not prevent the journal from examining credible allegations or investigating ethical concerns that subsequently emerge.
When research misconduct is confirmed or when the reliability of the published scholarly record is significantly compromised, Fikrah: Jurnal Ilmu Aqidah dan Studi Keagamaan will take appropriate corrective measures in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.
The primary purpose of these procedures is not to impose punishment but to protect the integrity of scholarly research, ensure the accuracy of the academic record, promote responsible publishing practices, and maintain public trust in scholarly communication.