Article Withdrawal

1. Introduction

Al-Musthofa: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah is committed to maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and transparency of the scholarly record. This policy establishes the procedures for withdrawing, retracting, removing, or replacing articles when necessary to protect publication ethics and the reliability of published research.

The policy applies to all manuscripts processed or published by Al-Musthofa: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah, particularly research articles and theoretical studies related to Islamic economics, Islamic finance, Islamic banking, and related fields.

Decisions concerning withdrawal, retraction, removal, or replacement will be made by the editorial team in consultation with the publisher when appropriate. All decisions will be based on the seriousness of the issue, the available evidence, applicable legal requirements, and recognized publication ethics standards.

2. Article Withdrawal

Article withdrawal applies primarily to manuscripts that have been accepted or made available online but have not yet been formally published as part of a journal issue.

A manuscript may be withdrawn when there is sufficient evidence of serious problems, including but not limited to:

  • Submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals contrary to publication ethics requirements.

  • Duplicate or redundant submission or publication.

  • Significant errors identified before formal publication.

  • Plagiarism or other serious ethical violations.

  • False authorship claims or unauthorized changes in authorship.

  • Fabrication or falsification of research data.

  • Other circumstances that seriously compromise the integrity of the manuscript.

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript must submit a written request to the Editor-in-Chief, explaining the reasons for withdrawal. Withdrawal after acceptance will not automatically be approved and must be reviewed by the editorial team.

If a manuscript has already been published as part of a journal issue, the matter will be handled under the article retraction, removal, or correction procedures, as appropriate.

3. Article Retraction

Article retraction may be necessary when a published article contains serious ethical violations or fundamental errors that substantially undermine the reliability of its findings, interpretations, or conclusions.

Grounds for retraction may include:

  • Plagiarism or substantial unattributed copying.

  • Fabrication or falsification of research data or results.

  • Duplicate or redundant publication.

  • Serious authorship misconduct.

  • Unethical research practices or significant violations of research ethics.

  • Fundamental methodological or analytical errors that invalidate the article's main findings.

  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially compromise the integrity of the research.

  • Other serious circumstances that make retraction necessary to protect the scholarly record.

Retraction may be initiated by the author(s), the Editor-in-Chief, the editorial team, or the publisher. Concerns may also be raised by reviewers, readers, institutions, or other relevant parties.

Before making a decision, the journal will assess the available evidence and, where appropriate, give the authors and relevant parties an opportunity to respond. Retraction decisions will be made independently and fairly, without being influenced by personal, institutional, or commercial interests.

Retraction Procedures

When an article is retracted, Al-Musthofa: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah will:

  1. Publish a clearly identifiable retraction notice explaining the reason for retraction, to the extent that the information can be disclosed appropriately.

  2. Link the retraction notice to the original article and identify the affected publication.

  3. Clearly mark the article's online record as retracted.

  4. Preserve the original article and its bibliographic metadata where legally and technically possible, while clearly indicating its retracted status.

  5. Maintain a transparent record of the retraction to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

The retraction notice will be published as promptly as reasonably possible after the editorial decision. The journal will not remove a retracted article solely to conceal the publication history or the fact that the article was retracted.

4. Article Removal

In exceptional circumstances, an article may need to be removed from the journal's online platform when retaining its full text would create serious legal or safety concerns.

Removal may be considered when:

  • The article contains material that is clearly defamatory or unlawful.

  • Publication infringes the legal rights of others.

  • A valid court order or other applicable legal requirement necessitates removal.

  • The article contains information that presents a serious and credible risk to public health or safety.

  • Other exceptional circumstances justify removal under applicable legal requirements and publication ethics principles.

Article removal will be considered only after careful assessment by the editorial team and consultation with the publisher or relevant legal advisers when necessary.

Where removal is required, the journal will retain the article's bibliographic metadata to the extent legally permissible and replace the full text with a notice explaining that the article has been removed. The notice will provide an appropriate explanation without disclosing information that must remain confidential or legally protected.

5. Article Replacement

Article replacement may be considered in exceptional cases where a published article contains a serious error that can be corrected through a revised version, and the error creates a substantial risk of harm or seriously affects the interpretation or use of the research.

The decision to replace an article will be made by the editorial team based on the nature of the error, the reliability of the corrected findings, and the need to maintain a transparent publication record.

Where replacement is approved:

  • The original article's publication history will be preserved.

  • A notice will explain the reason for the replacement and link to the corrected version.

  • The corrected article will be clearly identified as a replacement or corrected version.

  • The relationship between the original and corrected versions will be documented in the journal's online records.

Replacement will not be used to conceal research misconduct, erase a retraction history, or avoid appropriate editorial action. Where the original findings are fundamentally unreliable, retraction may be more appropriate than replacement.

6. Corrections and Editorial Notices

Not every error requires withdrawal, retraction, removal, or replacement. When an error does not invalidate the main findings or compromise the integrity of the article, the journal may publish a correction or corrigendum.

The editorial team will determine the appropriate action according to the nature, significance, and consequences of the error.

Corrections and editorial notices will be linked to the original article whenever possible so that readers can identify the changes and understand their implications.

7. Transparency and Editorial Responsibility

All decisions under this policy will be documented and handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable.

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for ensuring that decisions are proportionate, evidence-based, and consistent with the journal's commitment to academic integrity.

This policy is intended to preserve the accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the scholarly record published by Al-Musthofa: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah.