Ethical Guidelines for Journal of Religious Studies

1. Ethical Behavior in Publishing

Journal of Religious Studies is a peer-reviewed journal. These guidelines outline the ethical responsibilities of authors, the Editor-in-Chief, the editorial board, peer reviewers, and the publisher. Our policies are aligned with the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and are committed to maintaining integrity in the academic study of religion.

2. Publication Ethics

Articles published reflect the quality of authors’ work and their institutions. Peer-reviewed scholarship is essential to the advancement of religious studies, theology, and interfaith dialogue. All parties—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—must uphold the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing.

3. Publisher’s Responsibility

The publisher of Journal of Religious Studies ensures the integrity of all publishing stages. Editorial decisions are independent and not influenced by advertising, sponsorship, or commercial considerations.

4. Alleged Research Misconduct

Misconduct includes falsification, citation manipulation, or plagiarism in producing, reviewing, or reporting research. Suspected violations will be investigated following COPE best practices. Published articles found to contain such misconduct may be retracted to preserve the accuracy of the academic record.

5. Investigating Allegations

Allegations are first assessed against definitions of research misconduct. Authors will be asked for clarification, and expert reviewers may be consulted if needed. Institutions are expected to conduct formal investigations. Corrections, retractions, or clarifications will be issued when necessary.

6. Publication Decisions

Editors decide which articles to publish based on relevance, originality, and contribution to religious studies, guided by peer review and legal considerations. Consultation with other editors or reviewers may support decision-making.

7. Complaints and Appeals

The journal has a clear process for handling complaints related to editorial practices, citation ethics, or peer review fairness. All complaints are addressed respectfully and in line with COPE guidelines.

8. Post-Publication Discussions

Post-publication dialogue is encouraged and may appear as letters to the editor or moderated discussions. This reflects the evolving nature of religious scholarship and debate.

9. Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on intellectual merit, without discrimination based on race, gender, religious belief, nationality, or political philosophy.

10. Confidentiality

Editors and staff must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript beyond those directly involved in the editorial process.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished material from submitted manuscripts may not be used in editors’ or reviewers’ own research without the author’s written consent. All parties must disclose potential conflicts of interest that could influence editorial or review decisions.

Data Sharing Policy

The journal encourages authors to share relevant research data, such as field notes, textual sources, methodologies, or digital archives. This practice supports transparency, reproducibility, and the verification of findings in religious studies.

Duties of Reviewers

• Contribute to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers provide constructive feedback to help editors make publication decisions and authors improve their work.
• Appropriateness: Reviewers must decline if unqualified or unable to complete reviews on time.
• Confidentiality: Manuscripts under review are confidential documents.
• Objectivity: Reviews must be impartial and avoid personal criticism.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviewers should identify uncited relevant work and notify the editor of overlap with other publications.
• Conflicts of Interest: Reviewers must avoid using privileged information for personal gain and decline reviews where conflicts exist.

Duties of Authors

• Reporting Standards: Authors must present accurate, objective, and replicable accounts of their research.
• Originality and Plagiarism: Submissions must be original. Sources must be properly cited.
• Multiple Publications: Manuscripts should not be submitted simultaneously to multiple journals.
• Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper credit must be given to prior scholarship.
• Authorship: Only significant contributors should be listed as authors; others should be acknowledged as contributors.
• Conflicts of Interest: All funding and potential influences must be disclosed.
• Corrections: Authors must promptly report errors in published work.
• Ethical Oversight: Research involving human subjects, sacred texts, or sensitive communities must comply with ethical standards and receive necessary approvals.