1.  Manuscript Type

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies accepts Research Articles that present original research within the journal’s focus and scope.

Manuscripts should identify a clear research question, engage critically with relevant scholarship, explain the research methods and sources, and present a well-supported analysis. Research may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches, including documentary and library-based research. Each article should demonstrate how its findings contribute to existing knowledge in Middle East studies.

All submissions undergo initial editorial assessment and peer review and must comply with the journal’s Author Guidelines and publication ethics policies.

2.  Plagiarism and AI Policy

All manuscripts submitted to Jurnal ICMES are screened using Turnitin, with a maximum acceptable similarity score of 20%. However, the similarity score is not the sole basis for assessing plagiarism. Editors examine the matched passages in context, distinguishing legitimate overlap, such as properly cited direct quotations and reference entries, from unattributed copying or inadequately paraphrased material. Manuscripts containing plagiarised passages, including entire paragraphs copied without appropriate quotation and attribution, will be rejected even if the overall similarity score is below 20%.

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies permits the responsible use of AI tools to support manuscript preparation. Authors must disclose any use of generative AI that affects the manuscript’s content, identifying the tool and its purpose. Routine spelling and grammar checks do not require disclosure. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work, including all data, interpretations, and references. Fabricated data, sources, or citations are unacceptable.

Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or review materials to AI services that do not guarantee confidentiality. AI must not replace independent scholarly assessment or editorial judgment.

3.  Authorship Criteria

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies requires authorship to reflect meaningful scholarly contributions and a willingness to take responsibility for the published work. These requirements apply to all article types published by the journal, including empirical research, conceptual studies, and literature reviews.

3.1. Requirements for Authorship

Everyone listed as an author must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Substantive contribution: Make a substantial scholarly contribution to the conception or design of the study, data collection, analysis, or interpretation. In conceptual studies and literature reviews, this may include developing a conceptual framework, interpreting sources, or constructing scholarly arguments.
2. Manuscript preparation and revision: Participate in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it in ways that substantively improve its intellectual content.
3. Final approval: Read and approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
4. Accountability: Agree to take responsibility for their contribution and cooperate in ensuring that questions concerning the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Those who have made substantive contributions must be given an opportunity to participate in drafting or revising the manuscript, approve the final version, and fulfil the responsibilities of authorship.

3.2. Contributions That Do Not Qualify for Authorship

Securing funding, providing facilities, offering administrative assistance, editing language, providing technical support, or exercising general supervision alone does not qualify an individual for authorship. Position, seniority, institutional relationships, or supervisory status do not automatically confer authorship.

Individuals who have provided assistance but do not meet all authorship criteria may be recognised in the Acknowledgements section. Their contributions should be described, and their permission must be obtained before they are named.

3.3. Transparency of Contributions and Author Order

All individuals who meet the authorship criteria must be included as authors. The journal does not permit the inclusion of individuals who do not qualify for authorship (gift or guest authorship) or the omission of individuals who do (ghost authorship).

Author order must be agreed upon collectively, taking into account each author’s contribution and the scholarly conventions of the relevant discipline. This agreement must be reached before the manuscript is submitted.

Authors must provide a clear statement of their individual contributions. This statement may use the CRediT taxonomy or an equivalent description of contributions. Assigning a contributor role does not, in itself, establish eligibility for authorship or replace the authorship criteria.

3.4. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Managing communication with the editorial office throughout submission, peer review, publication, and after publication.
• Ensuring that all authors have approved the manuscript’s submission, author order, contribution statement, and final published version.
• Ensuring that author details, affiliations, funding information, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and supporting documents are accurate and complete.
• Coordinating responses to editorial enquiries, including questions about the accuracy or integrity of the article after publication.

Designation as the corresponding author does not remove the responsibilities of other authors or automatically indicate the extent of an individual’s scholarly contribution.

3.5. Changes to Authorship

Requests to add or remove an author, or to change author order after submission, must be submitted to the editor by the corresponding author. Requests must include a clear explanation and written agreement from all authors, including any individual being added or removed.

The editor will assess the request and may suspend the editorial process until the authorship issue has been resolved. Changes approved after publication will be documented through a transparent correction notice.

3.6. Authorship Disputes

Authors should first attempt to resolve authorship disputes among themselves. If no agreement can be reached, the journal may refer the matter to the relevant institution for resolution and suspend the processing or publication of the manuscript.

Editors do not determine an individual’s contribution solely on the basis of one party’s claim. Suspected authorship misconduct is addressed through examination of evidence, requests for clarification, and communication with the relevant institution where necessary.

3.7. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot provide consent, manage conflicts of interest, or take responsibility for scholarly work.

Any use of generative AI that affects the content of a manuscript must be disclosed, identifying the tool and the purpose of its use. All authors remain responsible for the originality of the work, the accuracy of its content, the validity of its references, and the integrity of the manuscript.

4. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies takes all allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, whether they concern a manuscript under consideration or an article already published. Allegations are assessed fairly, impartially, and with due regard for confidentiality, drawing on relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Research and publication misconduct may include fabrication or falsification of data, sources, or findings; plagiarism; undisclosed duplicate or redundant publication; manipulation of authorship or peer review; and serious breaches of research ethics. These examples are not exhaustive.

Reporting a concern

Authors, reviewers, readers, and other parties may report suspected misconduct to icmes.indonesia@gmail.com. Reports should identify the manuscript or article concerned, describe the suspected misconduct, and provide supporting evidence where available. Reports submitted anonymously will be considered when they contain sufficiently specific and verifiable information.

The journal treats reports confidentially as far as practicable. Information may be shared with those involved in assessing or investigating the concern when necessary.

Assessment and investigation

1. The editor will assess whether the report provides sufficient grounds for further examination. The individuals concerned will be informed of the relevant allegations and given an opportunity to explain or respond.
2. Where necessary, the journal may seek independent expert advice or refer the matter to the relevant institution for investigation. The editorial process may be suspended while the concern is being examined. Any editor with a conflict of interest will take no part in handling the case.
3. An allegation does not, by itself, establish misconduct. Decisions are based on the available evidence, the responses received, and any relevant institutional findings.

Outcomes

1. Depending on the findings and their implications, the journal may request clarification or revision, reject a manuscript, publish a correction or an expression of concern, or retract an article. If the concern is not substantiated, the case will be closed.
2. Relevant parties will be informed of the outcome as appropriate, subject to confidentiality requirements. Authors who wish to challenge a decision may submit a reasoned appeal with supporting evidence to the editorial office. Appeals will be assessed by an editor or other qualified party who was not involved in the original decision.

5.Conflict of Interests

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose relationships or interests that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, their research, assessment, or editorial judgment.

Conflicts of interest may be financial or non-financial. They may arise from employment, research funding, consultancy, personal relationships, academic collaboration, professional competition, institutional affiliations, or organisational commitments relevant to the work being considered.

Having a conflict of interest does not necessarily imply misconduct or prevent publication. Disclosure enables the journal to assess the circumstances and manage them transparently.

Authors

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest when submitting their manuscript. They must also identify funding sources and explain any role the funder played in designing the study, collecting or analysing data, preparing the manuscript, or deciding to submit it for publication.

A conflict-of-interest statement must be included in the manuscript. If no relevant conflicts exist, authors should state:

“The authors declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.”

Reviewers

Reviewers must inform the editor of any relationship or interest that could compromise their impartiality. They should decline a review assignment when a conflict prevents an independent assessment. When uncertain, reviewers should disclose the circumstances and seek the editor’s advice before proceeding.

Editors

Editors must not handle manuscripts where personal, professional, financial, or institutional relationships could compromise their independence. Responsibility for such manuscripts will be assigned to an independent editor.

Submissions by editors or members of the journal’s management team are subject to independent editorial handling and peer review. The submitting authors will not participate in decisions concerning their own manuscripts.

Undisclosed Conflicts

If a relevant conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, the journal will seek clarification and assess its implications. Appropriate action may include reassignment of editorial or review responsibilities, further review, or publication of a correction. Retraction may be considered where an undisclosed conflict seriously undermines the reliability or integrity of the article.

6. Post-Publication Discussion

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies welcomes constructive scholarly discussion of published articles. Critical engagement helps clarify arguments, identify errors, and advance research in Middle East studies.

Readers may submit comments, questions, or evidence-based critiques to icmes.indonesia@gmail.com, using the subject line “Post-Publication Discussion” followed by the article title.

Requirements for Submissions

Contributions should:

• Clearly identify the article being discussed.
• Address its arguments, methods, sources, findings, or interpretation.
• Present a clear scholarly argument supported by relevant evidence or references.
• Use respectful language and avoid personal attacks or unsupported allegations.
• Include the contributor’s name, affiliation where applicable, contact details, and any relevant conflicts of interest.

The journal also considers concerns about the accuracy or integrity of published work, regardless of the time elapsed since publication.

Editorial Assessment and Author Response

The editor will assess each submission for relevance, scholarly merit, and clarity. Contributions may be returned for revision or referred for expert review where appropriate.

Authors of the original article will normally be invited to respond. The editor will decide whether and how to publish the contribution and any response, including as a letter, commentary, or another suitable format. Published discussions will identify and, where possible, link to the original article.

Submission of a comment does not guarantee publication. Editorial decisions will be based on the contribution’s value to scholarly discussion rather than whether it supports or challenges the original article.

Concerns Requiring Further Action

Disagreement over interpretation does not, by itself, constitute misconduct or justify retraction. However, discussion that raises credible concerns about research integrity will be handled under the journal’s Allegations of Research Misconduct policy. Errors requiring a formal amendment will be addressed under the Corrections and Retractions policy.

7. Corrections and retractions

Jurnal ICMES: The Journal of Middle East Studies is committed to maintaining an accurate and trustworthy scholarly record. When errors or concerns arise after publication, the journal assesses their nature and significance and takes appropriate action, drawing on relevant COPE guidance.

Authors and readers may report concerns to icmes.indonesia@gmail.com identifying the article and providing an explanation and supporting evidence.

Corrections

A correction is issued when an error affects the accuracy or understanding of an article but does not invalidate its central findings or conclusions. Examples may include errors in author details, references, tables, factual statements, or funding and conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Corrections may address errors introduced by either the authors or the journal. A correction notice will describe the change and link to the original article. Where the article itself is updated, the amendment will be clearly identified rather than made silently.

Expressions of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when there are serious questions about an article’s reliability or integrity but the available evidence does not yet support a final decision. This may occur while an investigation is ongoing or when a timely or conclusive investigation is not possible.

The notice will explain the concern and link to the article. Once sufficient information becomes available, the journal will publish an update stating whether the matter has been resolved or requires further action.

Retractions

An article may be retracted when there is clear evidence that its findings or conclusions cannot be relied upon, whether because of serious error or misconduct. Other grounds may include substantial plagiarism, unjustified redundant publication, unethical research, or a compromised peer-review process that undermines confidence in the article.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record. It does not necessarily imply deliberate misconduct.

Decision-Making Process

The editor will examine the evidence, seek clarification from the authors, and, where necessary, consult independent experts or the relevant institution. Authors will be given an opportunity to respond. An editor with a conflict of interest will not participate in the decision.

The journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction without the authors’ agreement when the evidence warrants action. The notice will indicate any relevant disagreement.

Notices and Article Availability

Correction and retraction notices will be publicly accessible, clearly labelled, and linked to the original article. Retraction notices will identify the article, explain the reasons for retraction, and state who is retracting it.

Retracted articles will ordinarily remain available to preserve the scholarly record, with their retracted status clearly marked on the article webpage and PDF. Removal of article content will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as a legal requirement or a serious risk to an individual’s safety. Where possible, the bibliographic record and an explanatory notice will remain accessible.

Withdrawal Before Publication

Withdrawal applies to manuscripts that have not yet been published and is distinct from retraction. Requests must be submitted in writing to the editorial office, with an explanation and confirmation that all authors agree. Withdrawal is subject to the specific terms set out in the separately signed Author Statement. The journal will confirm the manuscript’s withdrawal in writing.