Correction and Retraction

Jurnal Mediasas: Media Ilmu Syariah dan Ahwal Al-Syakhsiyyah is committed to maintaining the accuracy, reliability, transparency, and traceability of published articles. When errors or concerns affecting publication integrity are identified, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, with reference to scholarly publication ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

These actions aim to correct the scholarly record and provide clear information to readers. Corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions do not necessarily indicate intentional misconduct, as unintentional errors may also require editorial action.

1. Reporting Errors or Concerns

Authors who discover a significant error in a published article must promptly notify the editor. Readers, reviewers, institutions, and other parties may also report errors or concerns through the journal’s official contact channels, providing the article title or DOI, where available, a description of the issue, and relevant supporting evidence.

The editor will assess the nature of the concern, the strength of the evidence, and its implications for the article’s interpretation, accuracy, and reliability. Concerns may involve research data, analysis, quotations, references, research methods, or the accuracy and attribution of legislation, judicial decisions, fatwas, Islamic legal sources, historical documents, and other authoritative materials.

For legal and Islamic law studies, the editor will consider whether the issue constitutes a factual or referencing error in the article or merely reflects a difference in interpretation or scholarly opinion. Allegations of research or publication misconduct will be handled under the journal’s Allegations of Research Misconduct and Publication Integrity Policy.

2. Corrections

A correction will be issued when an error affects understanding, factual accuracy, or attribution but does not undermine the overall reliability of the article.

Such errors may concern specific data, tables, figures, calculations, quotations, references, author information, author contribution statements, funding disclosures, or conflict-of-interest declarations.

In legal, Islamic law, and related studies, corrections may also address inaccurate references to legislation, judicial decisions, fatwas, jurisprudential sources, historical documents, or other authoritative legal materials, provided that the amendment does not invalidate the article’s central analysis.

The correction notice must identify the error, explain the amendment, and be linked to the affected article. If the article file is updated, substantive changes must be clearly documented so that the revision history remains traceable.

Minor typographical or formatting errors that do not affect meaning may be corrected administratively without a separate correction notice.

3. Expressions of Concern

The journal may issue an expression of concern when serious questions arise about an article’s reliability or integrity and readers should be informed, but the available evidence is inconclusive, an investigation is ongoing, or resolution is expected to take considerable time.

The notice will describe the concern proportionately and be linked to the relevant article. An expression of concern does not constitute a final finding that the authors have committed misconduct.

Once sufficient information becomes available, the journal will publish a follow-up explaining the outcome. This may include a correction, a retraction, or a statement that the concern has been resolved without further action.

4. Retractions

Retraction will be considered when sufficient evidence demonstrates that an article is unreliable or contains serious problems that cannot be adequately addressed through correction.

Grounds for retraction may include:

1. Major errors in data, analysis, or argumentation that render the article’s principal conclusions unreliable.
2. Fabrication or falsification of research data or evidence.
3. Plagiarism or the use of others’ work without appropriate attribution.
4. Unjustified duplicate publication.
5. Research ethics violations that seriously affect the integrity of the article.
6. Manipulation of the peer-review process that compromises publication integrity.
7. Fabricated or materially misrepresented documentary sources that undermine the article’s principal findings or arguments.

Within the scope of Jurnal Mediasas, such problems may include fabricated legal documents or materially inaccurate representations of legislation, judicial decisions, fatwas, jurisprudential sources, or historical documents where these undermine the article’s central analysis or conclusions.

An undisclosed conflict of interest may warrant editorial action if it is shown to have seriously affected the article’s interpretation or the editorial decision. An authorship dispute alone does not automatically justify retraction if the article’s content remains reliable and the attribution issue can be resolved through a correction.

Differences in legal interpretation, schools of Islamic jurisprudence, theories, methodologies, or scholarly conclusions do not, by themselves, justify retraction. Subsequent changes in legislation, regulatory policies, fatwas, or social conditions also do not automatically invalidate an article that accurately represented the context and evidence available at the time the research was conducted.

Retraction decisions will be based on evidence and editorial assessment, taking into account the authors’ explanations and relevant institutional findings where available. Authors will be given an opportunity to respond, but their agreement is not required when sufficient grounds for retraction have been established.

5. Retraction Notices and Article Status

A retraction notice must clearly identify the affected article, state who is retracting it, and explain the reasons factually and proportionately.

The notice must be accessible to readers and linked to the affected article. Conversely, the article webpage or publication file must provide a link to the retraction notice.

Retracted articles will generally remain available as part of the scholarly record, with their retracted status clearly marked on the article webpage and publication file. Relevant metadata will be updated, and indexing services or other relevant providers will be notified where feasible.

Articles will not be removed merely to conceal errors or erase the publication history.

6. Content Removal in Exceptional Circumstances

Partial or complete content removal will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as when necessary to protect an individual’s confidentiality or safety, address a rights infringement that cannot be resolved through correction, or comply with legal obligations.

Where removal is necessary, the journal will retain bibliographic information and a notice of removal to the extent permitted by law. An explanation will be provided subject to applicable legal and confidentiality requirements.

7. Decision-Making and Appeals

Editors handling a case must be free from relevant conflicts of interest. Where necessary, the journal may consult independent experts in law, Islamic law, family law, Sharia economics, or another field relevant to the article. The journal may also seek clarification from the relevant institutions where appropriate.

The journal’s management or publisher supports the implementation of editorial decisions and updates to the publication record in accordance with applicable procedures.

Authors may appeal a decision through the journal’s official contact channels, providing clear reasons and additional evidence where available. Appeals will be assessed by a person without a conflict of interest and, wherever possible, by someone not involved in the original decision.

An appeal does not automatically suspend action necessary to inform readers of serious concerns affecting an article’s reliability or integrity.

8. Implementation of This Policy

Jurnal Mediasas: Media Ilmu Syariah dan Ahwal Al-Syakhsiyyah will implement this policy objectively, proportionately, and on the basis of evidence. Editorial actions will take into account the nature and severity of the error, its impact on the scholarly record, explanations from relevant parties, and the need to maintain transparency and readers’ trust.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the journal’s policies on publication ethics, allegations of research misconduct and publication integrity, conflicts of interest, and post-publication discussion.