Retraction and Corrections Policies

Correction, Retraction, and Withdrawal Policy

JSQ: Jurnal Studi Al-Qur'an

JSQ is committed to keeping the scholarly record accurate, reliable, and permanent. Published articles are not altered or removed except through the formal procedures below, which follow the COPE Retraction Guidelines. In every case, the final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief, on the advice of the editorial board and, where necessary, independent experts.

Guiding Principles

  • The published version of record is never altered silently.
  • Corrections and retractions aim to correct the literature, not to punish authors.
  • Honest error is clearly distinguished from misconduct.
  • Authors are always consulted, but the final decision rests with the editors.
  • Every notice is public, has its own DOI, and is permanently linked to the original article.

1. Withdrawal Before Publication

  • Before Acceptance: Authors may withdraw a manuscript by writing to the editor, stating the reason, with the agreement of all co-authors. Withdrawal after peer review has begun is discouraged, as it uses the time of reviewers and editors.
  • After Acceptance: Withdrawal is allowed only for compelling reasons, such as a serious error or an ethical problem, and requires the editor's approval.
  • By the Editorial Board: A manuscript may be withdrawn if it involves misconduct, such as plagiarism, fabricated data, duplicate submission, or false claims of authorship.
  • Confirmation: A manuscript is withdrawn only after the editor confirms it in writing. Until then, it must not be submitted elsewhere. No withdrawal fee is charged.
  • Published Articles: Once an article is published online, it can no longer be withdrawn. It can only be corrected or retracted.

2. Corrections

A correction is issued when a significant error affects part of an article but does not undermine its main findings or conclusions.

  • Erratum: Corrects an error introduced by the journal during editing, layout, or production, such as wrong author names, affiliations, tables, figures, or metadata.
  • Corrigendum: Corrects an error made by the authors, such as an incorrect reference, Qur'anic citation, transliteration, data value, table, or figure; an omitted funding source or conflict of interest; or an approved change to the author list (see Changes to Authorship).

The correction notice is published with its own DOI and linked to the original article. A corrected version of the article may be uploaded, with a note on its first page giving the date and nature of the correction. Minor errors that do not affect understanding or citation, such as spelling or formatting, are normally not corrected.

3. Expression of Concern

When there are serious doubts about an article but the evidence is inconclusive, or an institutional investigation is ongoing, the editors may publish an Expression of Concern. The notice explains the concern without drawing premature conclusions. It is later followed by a correction, a retraction, or an update stating that the concern has been resolved.

4. Retraction

When an article is retracted:

  • Its findings are unreliable because of fabrication, falsification, or a major error that invalidates the conclusions.
  • It contains plagiarism or is a duplicate publication.
  • It reports unethical research, such as research without informed consent or without meeting the Ethical Clearance requirements.
  • The peer review process was compromised.
  • A major undisclosed conflict of interest would have affected the editorial decision.

Who decides:

A retraction may be requested by the authors or initiated by the editors. All authors are informed and invited to respond within 30 days. Where possible, the wording of the notice is agreed with them, but the editors may retract without the authors' agreement.

How a retraction appears:

  • A notice titled "Retraction: [article title]" is published with its own DOI. It states who requested the retraction, the reason (distinguishing honest error from misconduct), and whether the authors agree.
  • The retracted article remains available, with a "RETRACTED" watermark on every page of the PDF and a clear label on the article page.
  • The DOI metadata and indexing databases are updated, and the notice is listed in the next issue.

5. Removal

Full text is removed only in exceptional cases. These include an article that is defamatory, infringes legal rights, is subject to a court order, or poses a serious risk to the safety of participants, for example by exposing identifiable personal data. The title, authors, DOI, and a notice explaining the reason remain online.

6. Choosing the Right Action

Situation Action
Minor error that does not affect meaning or citation No notice
Significant error introduced by the journal Erratum
Significant error by the authors; conclusions remain valid Corrigendum
Serious concerns, but evidence is inconclusive or an investigation is ongoing Expression of Concern
Unreliable findings, plagiarism, duplicate publication, unethical research, or compromised peer review Retraction
Defamation, legal infringement, a court order, or a serious safety risk Removal

7. How to Submit a Request

Send requests to the Editor-in-Chief at jurnalstudialquran@unj.ac.id. Author requests must come from the corresponding author with the written agreement of all co-authors. Reports of errors in published articles may come from anyone.

Request Email Subject Line
Withdrawal of a submitted manuscript Withdrawal request – [Submission ID]
Correction of a published article Correction request – [DOI]
Retraction requested by the authors Retraction request – [DOI]
Report of an error or concern by a reader Error/concern report – [DOI]

For corrections, please state the exact location of the error (page, paragraph, table, or figure), the incorrect text, the corrected text, and whether the error affects the findings.

Acknowledgement: 7 working daysDecision on corrections: 30 daysRetraction published: within 30 days of decision

8. Disputes and Appeals

Authors or other parties who disagree with a correction, retraction, or withdrawal decision may write to the Editor-in-Chief with their reasons and supporting evidence. Appeals are handled as described in the Research Misconduct policy. Disputes among co-authors are referred to their institutions, in line with COPE guidance.

Commitment to the Scholarly Record

There is no fee for withdrawals, corrections, or retractions. Promptly correcting an honest error is good scholarly practice. A retracted article remains visible, and anyone citing it should state that it has been retracted.