Jurnal Edukatif Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan Institut Agama Islam Sultan Muhammad Syafiuddin Samba is committed to maintaining research integrity, publication ethics, and an accurate scholarly record. Allegations concerning submitted manuscripts or published articles will be handled fairly, objectively, transparently, and on the basis of evidence, with reference to the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

An allegation does not, in itself, establish research or publication misconduct. All parties concerned will be given an appropriate opportunity to provide explanations and supporting evidence before an editorial decision is reached.

1. Scope

This policy applies to allegations of research and publication misconduct involving manuscripts submitted to or articles published in Jurnal Edukatif. Such allegations may include data or source fabrication, falsification of research data or findings, plagiarism, undisclosed duplicate publication, authorship manipulation, peer-review manipulation, and violations of ethical requirements concerning research participants.

The policy also covers undisclosed relevant conflicts of interest, unethical research practices, misuse of research materials, and other actions that may compromise the integrity, reliability, or credibility of scholarly publications.

Given the journal's focus on education, teacher training, Islamic education, and related academic disciplines, assessments will consider the methodological and disciplinary context of the research. Differences in educational theories, pedagogical approaches, Islamic scholarly interpretations, schools of thought, or research conclusions do not, in themselves, constitute misconduct. The assessment will focus on research honesty, the appropriate use and attribution of sources, methodological transparency, and compliance with relevant ethical standards.

2. Reporting Allegations

Authors, reviewers, readers, researchers, institutions, and other interested parties may report suspected research or publication misconduct through the official contact channels listed on the Jurnal Edukatif website.

Reports should identify the relevant manuscript or published article, describe the alleged problem clearly, indicate the passages or materials concerned, and provide available supporting evidence. Evidence may include comparative publications, research records, source documents, correspondence, or verifiable links.

Complainants are encouraged to provide contact information so that the editorial team can request clarification when necessary. Anonymous reports may also be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable information.

The journal may request additional information before deciding whether the allegation warrants further assessment. All reports will be considered objectively, regardless of the identity or institutional position of the complainant.

3. Initial Assessment

The editor or an authorized member of the editorial team will conduct an initial assessment to determine the relevance of the allegation, the adequacy of the available evidence, and its potential implications for the integrity or reliability of the manuscript or article.

The assessment may involve examining the manuscript, comparing relevant sources, reviewing submission and peer-review records, checking references, and consulting individuals with appropriate expertise.

Plagiarism detection and similarity-checking software, including Turnitin, may be used as supporting assessment tools. A similarity score alone does not establish plagiarism. The editor will consider the nature and context of the matching material, the accuracy of citations, the adequacy of attribution, and whether the material has been used appropriately.

If the allegation lacks sufficient supporting evidence or falls outside the scope of research and publication misconduct, the journal may close the case. Where credible concerns remain, the journal will proceed to clarification and further assessment.

4. Clarification and Opportunity to Respond

When sufficient grounds exist for further examination, the editor will contact the relevant authors or other parties and explain the concerns requiring clarification.

Authors may be asked to provide original research data, research instruments, interview transcripts, observation records, source documents, research materials, ethics approval documentation, evidence of informed consent where applicable, or other relevant supporting information.

For research involving educational institutions, teachers, students, or other human participants, the journal may request clarification concerning research permissions, participant protection, confidentiality, informed consent, and compliance with applicable ethical requirements.

The parties concerned will be given a reasonable period, specified by the editor, to submit explanations and supporting evidence. Additional clarification may be requested if the response is incomplete or raises further questions.

Failure to respond does not automatically establish misconduct. However, the journal may proceed with its assessment based on the evidence available and take appropriate editorial action when justified.

5. Confidentiality and Conflicts of Interest

Reports, evidence, correspondence, and assessment records will be handled confidentially and shared only with individuals whose involvement is necessary to assess or resolve the case.

The identity of the complainant will be protected as far as reasonably possible, subject to the requirements of a fair assessment, applicable institutional procedures, and relevant legal obligations.

Editors, reviewers, or other individuals who have a personal, professional, financial, or other conflict of interest must not participate in decisions concerning the case. If an allegation involves the editor responsible for the manuscript or another member of the editorial team, the matter will be transferred to an independent editor or an appropriately appointed representative of the publisher.

Where necessary, independent experts may be consulted to support an impartial assessment.

6. Coordination with Institutions

Jurnal Edukatif is responsible for editorial decisions and for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of its publication record. However, formal investigations into research conduct or individual behaviour may require the authority and procedures of the relevant institutions.

When a concern cannot be resolved through editorial clarification, or when a formal investigation is necessary, the journal may contact the institution where the research was conducted, the authors' affiliated institutions, the relevant research ethics committee, or another competent body.

The journal may request findings or documentation relevant to the manuscript or article. Editorial decisions will consider the available evidence, responses from the parties concerned, expert assessments where applicable, and institutional findings.

The journal retains responsibility for taking appropriate editorial action to protect readers and maintain the reliability of the scholarly record. It may act when sufficient evidence establishes a publication-related problem, even if a separate institutional process has not been completed.

7. Measures During Assessment

For unpublished manuscripts, the journal may temporarily suspend editorial processing, peer review, or publication while a serious concern is being assessed.

For published articles, the journal may consider publishing an Expression of Concern when serious questions about the integrity or reliability of an article remain unresolved, available evidence is inconclusive, or a relevant investigation is ongoing.

An Expression of Concern alerts readers to unresolved issues and does not, by itself, constitute a final finding of misconduct. The journal will review the notice when further evidence or investigation findings become available and take appropriate follow-up action.

Any interim measure will be proportionate to the seriousness of the concern and the potential risk to the scholarly record.

8. Decisions and Follow-Up Actions

The journal's response will be proportionate to the nature of the allegation, the strength of the evidence, the explanations provided, and the implications for the reliability of the publication.

Possible outcomes include:

• Case closure: Closing the case when the allegation lacks sufficient supporting evidence or has been satisfactorily explained.

• Revision or rejection: Requesting corrections or revisions to an unpublished manuscript, or rejecting it when serious concerns remain unresolved or misconduct is established.

• Correction: Publishing a correction when an error can be addressed without undermining the overall reliability of the article.

• Expression of Concern: Issuing or updating an Expression of Concern when serious issues remain unresolved or further investigation is required.

• Retraction: Retracting a published article when sufficient grounds exist under applicable publication ethics principles and relevant COPE guidance.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and does not necessarily imply intentional misconduct by the authors. Honest errors that render findings unreliable may also justify retraction.

Correction and retraction notices will explain the reasons for the editorial action and will be linked to the affected article. Retracted articles will generally remain accessible with a clear and prominent indication of their retracted status to preserve the publication record, except in exceptional circumstances where removal of content is necessary.

The journal will ensure that editorial actions are communicated clearly and documented appropriately.

9. Communication, Documentation, and Appeals

Jurnal Edukatif will maintain appropriate records of allegations, supporting evidence, correspondence, assessments, and editorial decisions. Access to these records will be restricted to authorized individuals, subject to applicable confidentiality and record-retention requirements.

Relevant parties will be informed of the progress and outcome of the assessment to the extent possible without compromising confidentiality, the fairness of the process, or any ongoing institutional investigation.

The time required to resolve a case will depend on its complexity, the availability of evidence, and the need to consult external experts or institutions.

A party wishing to challenge an editorial decision may submit an appeal through the journal's official contact channels. The appeal must explain the grounds for reconsideration and provide relevant additional evidence where available.

Appeals will be considered by an individual who has no conflict of interest and, wherever possible, who was not involved in the original decision. The journal may reopen a case when material new evidence becomes available or when there are substantive grounds to reconsider the original assessment.

All appeals will be handled fairly and objectively, with the aim of ensuring due process, research integrity, and the accuracy of the scholarly record.

10. Commitment to Publication Ethics

Jurnal Edukatif is committed to promoting responsible research practices, ethical scholarly communication, and public trust in academic publications.

All authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in the publication process are expected to uphold standards of honesty, transparency, accountability, and respect for research ethics.

Suspected research or publication misconduct will be addressed in accordance with this policy, the journal's publication ethics procedures, and relevant COPE guidance. The journal will take appropriate action to safeguard the integrity of the research process and maintain an accurate and reliable scholarly record.