Journal Policy

Journal Policy

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to the Global Islamic Research Journal (GIRJ) undergo an initial editorial screening to ensure compliance with the journal’s submission guidelines, formatting requirements, ethical standards, and thematic relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. Manuscripts that fail to meet these preliminary criteria are returned to the authors without external review.

GIRJ employs a double-blind peer-review system, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers are kept anonymous throughout the evaluation process to ensure objectivity, fairness, and academic integrity. Each manuscript that passes the initial screening is assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers selected based on their subject specialization, academic qualifications, and reviewing experience.

To ensure consistency and transparency, reviewers evaluate manuscripts using a standardized review form. The evaluation criteria include:

  • Originality and scholarly contribution

  • Theoretical soundness and methodological rigor

  • Engagement with Islamic studies and relevant disciplines

  • Clarity, coherence, and academic writing quality

  • Ethical compliance and proper use of sources

  • Relevance to the journal’s focus and scope

Based on the reviewers’ reports, the Editorial Board makes a decision according to the following categories:

  • Accepted (no revisions required)

  • Accepted with Minor Revisions (revisions to be completed within a specified timeframe)

  • Accepted with Major Revisions (substantial revisions required within a specified timeframe)

  • Rejected (due to scope mismatch, insufficient scholarly contribution, or serious methodological or ethical concerns)

The final decision regarding acceptance or rejection rests with the Editor-in-Chief, whose judgment is guided by reviewer recommendations and editorial standards.

Section Policies

Editorial

  • Open Submissions: No

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: No

Editorial Commentary

  • Open Submissions: No

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: No

Research Articles

  • Open Submissions: Yes

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: Yes

Review Articles

  • Open Submissions: Yes

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: Yes

Book Reviews

  • Open Submissions: Yes

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: Yes

Case Studies / Case Notes

  • Open Submissions: Yes

  • Indexed: Yes

  • Peer Reviewed: Yes

Plagiarism Policy

The Global Islamic Research Journal (GIRJ) strictly prohibits plagiarism and self-plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin or equivalent plagiarism-detection software prior to entering the peer-review stage.

  • Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding references) are automatically rejected.

  • Authors must ensure that all submissions are original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere.

  • All sources must be properly cited and acknowledged.

  • Written permission must be obtained for any reproduced figures, tables, images, or extended quotations.

Before publication, authors are required to sign an Originality and Ethical Compliance Statement confirming adherence to the journal’s ethical standards.

Retraction Policy

GIRJ is committed to preserving academic integrity in all published content. Retraction or removal of an article may occur under exceptional circumstances, including but not limited to:

  • Proven plagiarism or duplicate publication

  • Fabrication or falsification of data

  • Unauthorized, false, or fraudulent authorship claims

  • Serious ethical violations affecting research credibility

  • Legal issues such as defamation, copyright infringement, or security risks

All retraction decisions are made in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Article Withdrawal (Pre-Publication)

A submitted manuscript may be withdrawn prior to publication if:

  • It has been submitted simultaneously to multiple journals

  • Serious ethical concerns arise (e.g., plagiarism, false authorship)

  • The author submits a formal written request for withdrawal

Article Retraction (Post-Publication)

An article may be retracted after publication if:

  • Significant ethical violations are discovered

  • Data manipulation or falsification is confirmed

  • Duplicate publication is identified

Retraction measures may include:

  • Publication of a formal notice titled “Retraction: [Article Title]”

  • Watermarking the PDF as “Retracted”

  • Removal of the HTML version with a retraction notice

  • Retention of bibliographic metadata for transparency

Article Removal (Legal Purposes)

In rare cases involving legal obligations—such as court orders, defamation claims, or severe copyright violations—the full text of an article may be removed and replaced with a notice stating that the article has been removed for legal reasons.

Article Replacement

If a published article contains errors that could cause harm—such as misleading legal, ethical, or policy implications—authors may submit a corrected version. In such cases:

  • A replacement notice will be published

  • A link to the corrected version will be provided

  • The process will follow COPE recommendations

Commitment to Ethical and Scholarly Excellence

The Global Islamic Research Journal (GIRJ) adheres to international ethical standards to ensure that its publication process remains transparent, fair, and academically rigorous. These policies are designed to promote research integrity, responsible authorship, and the advancement of high-quality Islamic scholarship at the global level.