Post-Publication Discussion

Jurnal Mediasas: Media Ilmu Syariah dan Ahwal Al-Syakhsiyyah welcomes scholarly comments, academic critiques, and responses concerning published articles from readers, authors, researchers, and the academic community. Post-publication discussion aims to deepen scholarly understanding, examine arguments and research findings, encourage constructive academic dialogue, and help maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

This policy forms part of the journal’s commitment to publication ethics and is implemented with reference to scholarly publication ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Scope of Discussion

Post-publication discussion may address research approaches, methodologies, empirical findings, legal analysis, legal reasoning, interpretations of Islamic legal sources, jurisprudential opinions and perspectives, Islamic family law, customary law, Sharia economic law, Islamic criminal law, Islamic constitutional law, marriage and gender issues, as well as the conclusions and implications of published articles.

Comments may also identify factual errors, unclear arguments, missing references, or information requiring clarification.

Differences in legal interpretation, schools of Islamic jurisprudence, theories, methodological approaches, and academic perspectives are part of scholarly dialogue. Comments and responses must engage with the substance of the article through reasoned arguments and relevant evidence or references while respecting differing viewpoints.

Where comments concern changes in legislation, judicial decisions, fatwas, institutional policies, or social developments occurring after the research or publication, contributors should distinguish those developments from potential errors in the article as originally published.

2. Submission of Scholarly Comments

Comments or responses concerning published articles may be submitted through the journal’s official contact details provided on the Contact page of the Jurnal Mediasas website.

Contributors are expected to provide:

1. Their name and contact information.
2. The title of the article being discussed and its DOI or article link, if available.
3. The passages, statements, arguments, or findings being addressed.
4. Supporting arguments, evidence, data, or scholarly references.
5. A disclosure of any relevant conflicts of interest or relationships with the article, its authors, institutions, or parties discussed, where applicable.

Comments must be clear, proportionate, and focused on scholarly issues. Personal attacks, discriminatory language, unsupported accusations, and promotional material are not acceptable.

Contributors must respect research participant confidentiality and legitimate restrictions concerning sensitive personal, legal, institutional, or commercial information.

Anonymous reports concerning article integrity may be considered under the journal’s Allegations of Research Misconduct and Publication Integrity Policy when the information provided is sufficiently specific, relevant, and verifiable.

3. Editorial Assessment

Editors will assess comments based on their relevance to the article, clarity, quality of argumentation, supporting evidence or references, and contribution to readers’ understanding and scholarly discussion.

Where necessary, editors may request revisions, additional clarification, or an assessment by an appropriately qualified expert. Editors who have a conflict of interest must recuse themselves from assessing and deciding on the comment.

Not all comments will be published. Editorial decisions are based on scholarly value, relevance, and compliance with publication ethics, rather than whether contributors’ views align with those of the article’s authors or the journal’s editors.

Criticism supported by adequate reasoning and evidence will not be rejected merely because it questions, corrects, or challenges the conclusions of a published article.

4. Opportunity for Authors to Respond

Where a comment requires clarification or a response from the article’s authors, the editor will forward the comment to the authors and provide an opportunity to respond within a timeframe determined by the editor.

Authors’ responses should directly address the substantive issues raised and provide relevant evidence, arguments, or references.

Comments and responses may be edited for clarity, structure, and readability without changing the substance of their arguments. An author’s failure to respond within the specified timeframe does not, in itself, prevent the publication of a comment that the editor has assessed as suitable.

5. Publication and Traceability of Discussion

Accepted comments may be published as scholarly correspondence, academic commentary, or another publication format determined by the editor. Where available, the authors’ response may be published alongside the comment or as a related publication.

Comments and responses will be linked to the article under discussion, where supported by the journal’s publishing system, so that readers can follow the exchange in its proper context.

Publication of a comment does not imply that the journal endorses every view expressed. Contributors remain responsible for the accuracy of their information, arguments, and references.

The original article will not be amended solely because alternative interpretations or academic viewpoints have been presented. Legal, regulatory, policy, or social developments occurring after publication may warrant further discussion without necessarily requiring a correction to the original article.

6. Follow-Up on Errors and Allegations of Misconduct

If post-publication discussion identifies an error that may affect the accuracy or integrity of an article, the editor will assess whether a correction, retraction, or other editorial action is warranted under the journal’s Correction and Retraction Policy.

Substantive changes to the scholarly record will not be made silently. Relevant corrections or editorial actions must be documented and linked to the affected article in accordance with the journal’s procedures.

Comments containing allegations of research or publication misconduct will be handled under the journal’s Allegations of Research Misconduct and Publication Integrity Policy. Scholarly discussion does not replace the investigation of suspected ethical misconduct, and criticism of an article does not, in itself, establish an ethical violation.

The journal will handle such matters objectively, proportionately, and on the basis of information that can be assessed or verified, while maintaining the confidentiality of relevant parties during an assessment where necessary.