Allegation of Research Misconduct

UNUBA: Journal of Islamic Education and Technology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. The journal takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously and investigates them fairly, transparently, and confidentially. UJIET follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and the COPE Guidelines for Responding to Suspected Ethical Misconduct in handling all cases of alleged misconduct.

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate or redundant publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, citation manipulation, authorship disputes, undeclared conflicts of interest, peer-review manipulation, paper mill submissions, inappropriate use of artificial intelligence, ethical approval violations, and any action that intentionally compromises the integrity or reliability of scholarly research.

Allegations of misconduct may be submitted by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, or third parties at any stage of the publication process, including after publication. All allegations must be supported by sufficient evidence to enable an objective assessment. The Editor-in-Chief will conduct an initial evaluation to determine whether the allegation falls within the journal's scope and whether further investigation is warranted.

If an investigation is initiated, the editorial office will maintain strict confidentiality throughout the process and provide the corresponding author with an opportunity to respond to the allegation. Where necessary, the journal may consult members of the Editorial Board, external experts, reviewers, or the authors' affiliated institutions to ensure a fair and impartial evaluation. Editorial decisions will be based solely on the available evidence and internationally accepted ethical standards.

During an investigation, the journal may suspend the editorial or publication process until the matter has been resolved. If the allegation is substantiated before publication, the manuscript may be rejected. If misconduct is confirmed after publication, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and severity of the misconduct. In serious cases, the journal may notify the authors' institutions, funding agencies, or other relevant authorities.

If an allegation is found to be unfounded or made in bad faith, the journal will close the investigation without prejudice to the authors and will take appropriate steps to protect their academic reputation. Individuals submitting allegations are expected to act responsibly and provide accurate information in good faith.

UNUBA: Journal of Islamic Education and Technology is committed to ensuring that all allegations of research misconduct are handled promptly, fairly, transparently, and consistently in order to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record and maintain public trust in academic publishing.