Research Ethics and Ethical Oversight Policy

Antmind Review: Journal of Sharia and Legal Ethics, published by Antmind Youth Empower Foundation, is committed to upholding the highest standards of research ethics, academic integrity, human dignity, and responsible scholarly publishing.

The journal requires all submitted manuscripts to comply with applicable ethical principles, institutional requirements, and relevant national and international regulations.

This policy applies to research in Islamic law, legal ethics, socio-legal studies, comparative law, and related interdisciplinary fields. It recognizes the methodological differences between normative legal research, doctrinal analysis, qualitative research, and empirical investigations.

The journal follows the ethical oversight principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), with particular attention to research involving human participants, informed consent, vulnerable populations, confidential information, and responsible data management.

Ethical Approval and Research Compliance

Research involving human participants must comply with the ethical review requirements applicable to the study, its institution, and the jurisdiction in which the research was conducted.

Where approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Research Ethics Committee (REC), or equivalent authorized body is required, authors must obtain such approval before commencing the relevant research activities.

The manuscript must identify the approving institution or committee and provide the approval reference number and date, where applicable.

When ethical review is formally waived or determined to be unnecessary by an authorized body, authors should clearly explain the exemption or determination.

Normative legal research, doctrinal studies, and literature-based research using publicly available legal materials do not automatically require institutional ethical approval. However, authors remain responsible for complying with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

Where the need for ethical approval is unclear, the Editorial Office may request additional documentation or clarification.

The journal does not accept retrospective ethical approval as a substitute for prospective approval where prior authorization was required.

Informed Consent and Protection of Participants

Research involving interviews, surveys, focus groups, observations, or other forms of direct participation must respect the rights, dignity, autonomy, and welfare of research participants.

Authors must obtain informed consent where required by applicable ethical and legal standards.

Participants should receive appropriate information about the research purpose, participation procedures, potential risks, confidentiality arrangements, and intended use of their information.

Participation must be voluntary and free from coercion, intimidation, or inappropriate influence.

Consent to participate in research is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information. Authors must obtain appropriate permission before publishing identifiable personal details, photographs, interview excerpts, or sensitive case information where consent is required.

The identities of participants must be protected through anonymization or other appropriate confidentiality safeguards unless disclosure is lawful, ethically justified, and properly authorized.

Vulnerable Populations and Sensitive Legal Research

Antmind Review recognizes that research involving vulnerable individuals or sensitive legal and social issues requires particular ethical consideration.

Such research may include studies involving children, victims of domestic violence, survivors of sexual violence, displaced persons, individuals involved in criminal proceedings, and persons experiencing social or institutional vulnerability.

Authors must take appropriate measures to minimize potential harm, protect confidentiality, and prevent the unnecessary disclosure of personal or sensitive information.

Research involving minors or individuals with limited capacity to provide informed consent must follow applicable requirements for parental or guardian permission and participant assent, where appropriate.

Special care must be taken when reporting sensitive family disputes, religious conflicts, criminal cases, and other legal matters that may expose individuals to discrimination, retaliation, or reputational harm.

Confidentiality and Responsible Use of Research Data

Authors are responsible for ensuring that research data are collected, stored, analyzed, and reported in accordance with applicable legal and ethical requirements.

Personal information, confidential legal documents, unpublished court records, restricted institutional materials, and sensitive interview data must not be disclosed without an appropriate legal and ethical basis.

The use of publicly accessible judgments, legislation, legal documents, and scholarly materials must respect applicable copyright, privacy, confidentiality, and citation requirements.

Authors must ensure that published findings do not unnecessarily reveal identifiable information about research participants or individuals discussed in sensitive legal cases.

Research data should be made available where legally and ethically appropriate, in accordance with the journal's Research Data and Data Availability Policy.

Restrictions on data access must be clearly explained when confidentiality, privacy, or legal obligations prevent public disclosure.

Ethical Declarations and Editorial Oversight

Authors must provide an appropriate Research Ethics Statement in their manuscripts, explaining the ethical approval, exemption, informed consent, or other relevant ethical arrangements applicable to their research.

Where no formal ethical approval was required, authors must provide a brief and accurate explanation based on the study design and applicable institutional or legal requirements.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to request supporting documentation, including ethical approval letters, exemption determinations, or evidence of informed consent, when reasonably necessary.

All such documents will be treated confidentially and will not be published without appropriate authorization.

Suspected violations of research ethics, including the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, misrepresentation of ethical approval, or failure to protect research participants, will be handled under the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.

Depending on the circumstances, editorial action may include requests for clarification, manuscript revision, rejection, further investigation, correction, or retraction.

Editorial decisions will be based on the available evidence and relevant ethical standards, with authors given an appropriate opportunity to respond.

This policy is informed by: