Corrections And Retractions Policy

1. General Principles

Khazanah: Journal of Islamic Education and Science is committed to maintaining the accuracy, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly publication record. The journal recognizes that errors may be identified after an article has been published and that such errors or suspected violations must be addressed objectively, proportionately, and on the basis of verifiable evidence.

Corrections and retractions are intended to preserve the reliability of the scholarly literature, protect readers from misleading information, and ensure that the publication record accurately reflects the status of an article.

This policy applies to all articles published in Khazanah: Journal of Islamic Education and Science, including articles found to contain substantive errors, data integrity concerns, research ethics violations, or other breaches of publication ethics.

2. Types of Editorial Action

2.1 Article Correction

A correction is issued when an error is identified in a published article and the error needs to be rectified to maintain the accuracy of the information, but does not require the entire article to be retracted.

Corrections may address:

  1. Errors in author names or institutional affiliations.

  2. Errors in tables, figures, numerical data, or factual information that can be corrected.

  3. Errors in citations, references, or article metadata.

  4. Other errors that may affect readers' understanding and require formal correction.

Substantive errors that affect the interpretation of findings must be carefully evaluated by the editor. If an error undermines the reliability of the main findings, retraction may be considered.

Every correction notice must identify the corrected information, explain the reason for the correction, and clarify its relationship to the original article.

2.2 Expression of Concern

An expression of concern is an editorial notice issued when a serious question arises regarding the reliability or integrity of an article, but the available evidence is insufficient to reach a final decision.

An expression of concern may be considered when:

  1. Suspected research misconduct is being investigated by a relevant institution.

  2. Potential problems with data or findings have been identified but cannot yet be verified.

  3. An investigation requires a substantial amount of time.

  4. Readers need to be informed of an unresolved issue that may affect their interpretation of the article.

An expression of concern does not constitute a finding that an author has committed misconduct. The notice must explain the reasons for its publication to the extent that disclosure is appropriate and responsible.

Once the matter has been resolved, the journal will assess whether the notice should be updated, withdrawn, or followed by a correction or retraction.

2.3 Article Retraction

Retraction is an editorial action that formally identifies a published article as unreliable in whole or in substantial part, or as having serious problems that require its publication status to be formally reconsidered.

Retraction may be considered when sufficient evidence indicates:

  1. Fabrication or falsification of research data.

  2. Serious plagiarism.

  3. Methodological or analytical errors that render the main findings unreliable.

  4. Unjustified duplicate publication.

  5. Research ethics violations that materially affect the validity or ethical acceptability of the article.

  6. Peer review manipulation or other publication misconduct that seriously compromises the integrity of the article.

  7. Other circumstances that make the article unsuitable for retention as a reliable scholarly record.

Retraction is not intended as a personal punishment for authors. Its primary purpose is to protect the integrity of the scholarly literature.

A retraction decision must be based on an adequate assessment of the evidence and appropriate editorial consideration. Retraction must not be undertaken solely because of scholarly disagreement or criticism that has not been substantiated.

3. Parties Eligible to Request a Correction or Report a Concern

Requests for corrections or reports concerning potential problems with a published article may be submitted by:

  1. The article's authors.

  2. Readers or researchers.

  3. Reviewers or editors.

  4. The institution where the research was conducted or an institution affiliated with the authors.

  5. Other parties possessing relevant information and evidence.

Requests or reports should be submitted through the journal's official email address or the editorial communication channel available on the OJS website.

Where possible, the submission should include the article title, bibliographic information or DOI, a description of the issue, supporting evidence, and contact information for clarification.

Reports submitted anonymously may be considered when the supporting evidence is sufficiently specific and warrants further examination.

4. Procedures for Submission and Assessment

Stage 1. Receipt of a Report

The editor receives and records each correction request or report concerning a potential problem with a published article. The record should include the date of receipt, article identification, a summary of the issue, and the available supporting documentation.

Stage 2. Preliminary Assessment

The editor assesses whether the report is relevant, provides reasonable grounds for examination, and may affect the accuracy or integrity of the article.

For straightforward technical errors, the editor may request clarification or supporting documentation without initiating a broader investigation.

Stage 3. Clarification from the Authors

Where necessary, the editor contacts the corresponding author to request a written explanation. The authors are given a reasonable opportunity to respond and provide relevant evidence.

If the authors do not respond, the editor may proceed on the basis of the available evidence and, where appropriate, seek information from the relevant institution.

Stage 4. Evaluation of Evidence

The editor evaluates the report, the authors' responses, supporting documentation, and independent expert advice where necessary.

If the allegation concerns research integrity and requires a formal investigation, the journal may seek guidance from or contact the relevant institution. The journal does not replace the institution's formal investigative function.

Stage 5. Determination of Editorial Action

Based on the assessment, the editor or Editor-in-Chief may decide to:

  1. Take no action if the evidence does not support the allegation or no correction is necessary.

  2. Issue a correction for an error that can be appropriately rectified.

  3. Issue an expression of concern when a serious unresolved issue requires notification to readers.

  4. Retract the article when sufficient grounds exist.

  5. Request further examination by the relevant institution before making a final decision.

The decision and its supporting rationale must be documented.

Stage 6. Notification of Relevant Parties

The journal communicates the decision to the corresponding author and other relevant parties as appropriate. When an action concerns a published article, the journal prepares the relevant public notice.

Stage 7. Publication and Maintenance of the Scholarly Record

Published corrections, expressions of concern, and retraction notices must be linked to the relevant article. Article metadata and status information must be updated so that readers can identify any change to the publication record.

5. Requirements for Correction Notices

A correction notice must:

  1. Have a clear title identifying the document as a correction.

  2. Identify the original article, including its title, authors, publication information, and DOI where available.

  3. Explain the error and identify the information being corrected.

  4. Provide a concise and transparent explanation of the reason for the correction.

  5. Include a link to the original article.

  6. Be published as a separate, discoverable document with its own metadata where the publishing system permits.

Changes to a published article must not be made silently without informing readers. Minor editorial changes that do not affect the substance of an article must still follow the journal's applicable version-control and metadata procedures.

6. Requirements for Retraction Notices

A retraction notice must be clear, objective, and non-punitive. At a minimum, it should include:

  1. A title explicitly identifying the notice as a retraction.

  2. The full identification of the retracted article, including its authors, title, publication information, and DOI where available.

  3. Specific and substantiated reasons for the retraction.

  4. Identification of the party responsible for the retraction decision, in accordance with the journal's policies.

  5. The publication date of the retraction notice.

  6. Direct links to the original article and the retraction notice.

The notice must distinguish confirmed facts from allegations that have not been substantiated. Confidential or protected information must not be disclosed without a legitimate basis.

7. Status and Accessibility of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles will remain part of the scholarly publication record to preserve transparency and traceability, unless legal obligations or exceptional circumstances require otherwise.

The online version of a retracted article must be clearly marked as retracted. The retraction notice must be available as a separate document and directly linked to the original article.

Article metadata should be updated so that the retracted status can be identified by readers and relevant indexing systems.

A retracted article must not be presented as an entirely reliable publication without a clear explanation of its status.

8. Editorial Authority and Independence

Decisions concerning corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions rest with the Editor-in-Chief or a designated editor in accordance with the journal's governance structure.

Any person with a conflict of interest in a case must disclose it and must not control the principal decision concerning that case.

If a case involves the Editor-in-Chief or an editorial team member with a direct conflict of interest, responsibility must be transferred to an independent editor or another appropriate party without a relevant conflict.

Editorial decisions must be based on evidence, scholarly integrity, and the need to preserve the reliability of the publication record.

9. Documentation and Confidentiality

All correction and retraction procedures must be documented adequately. Records may include the initial report, supporting evidence, requests for clarification, author responses, institutional communications, editorial deliberations, and the final decision.

Records must be stored securely and accessed only by authorized individuals. Confidential information must be protected in accordance with applicable legal obligations, data protection requirements, and legitimate investigative needs.

Confidentiality must not be used to conceal changes to an article's status that readers need to know in order to assess the integrity of the publication record.

10. Appeals and Review of Decisions

Authors or other relevant parties may appeal a correction or retraction decision through the journal's official communication channel, providing reasons and supporting evidence.

An appeal will be reviewed by an editor or independent person without a relevant conflict of interest. The review will be based on the evidence and reasons presented, rather than disagreement with the editorial decision alone.

Submitting an appeal does not automatically cancel or suspend a published correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice.

If new evidence materially changes the basis for a previous decision, the journal may reconsider the action and update the publication record where appropriate.

11. Ethical Guidance

This policy follows the principles of scholarly publication integrity and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly its guidance concerning corrections, retractions, and the maintenance of the scholarly record.

Khazanah: Journal of Islamic Education and Science is committed to ensuring that all corrections and retractions are handled transparently, proportionately, and responsibly to preserve publication credibility and public trust in scholarly knowledge.