PUBLICATION ETHICS

The Journal of Religious, Literature and Cultural Studies (JORLCS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and ensuring the integrity of academic research. We follow the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and expect all parties involved in the publication process—authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers—to adhere to these ethical principles.

Duties of Authors

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit original work. Plagiarism, data fabrication, or unethical research practices are strictly prohibited.

  • Authorship and Acknowledgment: All listed authors must have significantly contributed to the research. Contributors should be properly acknowledged.

  • Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of their work.

  • Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide raw data and must retain it for a reasonable time after publication.

  • Multiple Submissions: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is unethical and unacceptable.

Duties of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: All review materials must be treated as confidential.

  • Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively, providing constructive feedback without personal bias.

  • Disclosure: Reviewers should declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from reviewing if necessary.

  • Timeliness: Reviewers should complete reviews within the agreed-upon timeframe.

Duties of Editors

  • Fair Evaluation: Manuscripts are evaluated solely on scholarly merit without regard to authors' race, gender, religious belief, or institutional affiliation.

  • Confidentiality: The editorial team maintains confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and does not disclose any information to unauthorized parties.

  • Editorial Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which manuscripts are published, guided by the quality of the content and peer review reports.

  • Ethical Oversight: Editors will take appropriate action when ethical concerns are raised, including investigations or retractions if necessary.

Handling Misconduct

JORLCS takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. Cases of ethical breaches (e.g., plagiarism, data manipulation, duplicate submission) will be investigated in accordance with COPE’s procedures, and appropriate actions—such as correction, retraction, or banning the author—will be taken.