Allegations of Research Misconduct

Al-Muhafidz: Jurnal Ilmu Al-Qur'an dan Tafsir considers well-founded concerns about research or publication integrity, whether raised before or after publication. A report starts an assessment; it does not by itself establish that misconduct occurred. Cases are handled in line with the COPE Core Practices and COPE flowcharts. Relevant misconduct includes plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplicate publication, and manipulation of authorship.

1. How to Report
Concerns should be sent to [ethics complaints email] with the subject line "Integrity Concern – [manuscript or article ID]". A report should include:

• the manuscript or article details, including its title and DOI or submission number where available;
• a specific description of the problem, identifying the passages, data, figures, or actions in question;
• evidence or source links that allow the concern to be assessed;
• any conflict of interest that could affect how the report is handled, and any confidentiality concern.

A report may concern an author, reviewer, editor, or member of the publishing team. Reporters should not send sensitive personal data through insecure channels.

2. Initial Assessment
The editorial office logs each report and acknowledges receipt where contact details are available. An editor with no conflict of interest decides whether the report falls within the journal's remit, whether it contains enough detail, and whether clarification or further examination is needed.

Reports are judged on their substance, not on the reporter's seniority, affiliation, or relationship with the journal. Anonymous reports may be assessed if they are specific enough. Unsupported allegations may be returned for more detail. A report that is closed for lack of evidence can be reopened if material new evidence emerges.

3. Fairness and Referral
The parties concerned are normally given a chance to respond to the specific allegations, subject to necessary safeguards. Limited preliminary checks may take place before notification where needed to preserve evidence or protect participants.

Where a fuller examination is warranted, the case is referred under the Integrity Investigations policy. Institutions or other competent bodies may be asked to investigate matters beyond the journal's authority.

Editorial processing may be paused while a credible concern is being assessed. A pause is a precaution and is not a finding of misconduct.

4. Related Policies
The whistleblowing policy covers the protection and confidentiality of reporters. The Integrity Investigations policy governs examination and outcomes. The Corrections and Retractions policies, together with expressions of concern, govern changes to the published record. Sanctions, depending on the findings, may include rejection of a manuscript, retraction, and a temporary or permanent ban on submitting to the journal.