Publication System and Process

ARISTHA: Ar-Risalah Journal of Islamic Tourism and Hospitality

Publisher: Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam (STAI) Ar-Risalah Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

1. Purpose and Scope

ARISTHA: Ar-Risalah Journal of Islamic Tourism and Hospitality is committed to maintaining a transparent, systematic, fair, and academically rigorous publication process.

This policy describes the journal's manuscript management system, editorial workflow, peer review procedures, manuscript decisions, production stages, and publication practices.

The publication process is designed to ensure that manuscripts are assessed according to their scholarly quality, relevance, originality, methodological rigor, and compliance with publication ethics.

2. Journal Management System

ARISTHA manages manuscript submissions and editorial workflows through Open Journal Systems (OJS), an online journal management and publishing platform.

The system supports the principal stages of scholarly publication, including:

Manuscript submission and author registration.
Initial editorial assessment.
Assignment of editors and reviewers.
Peer review and revision.
Editorial decisions.
Copyediting and production.
Online publication.
Publication metadata management.

Authors are expected to use the official journal platform for manuscript submission and communication unless the editorial office provides alternative instructions for a legitimate operational reason.

Official Journal Website: https://jurnal.staiarrisalah.ac.id/index.php/aristha/index

3. Publication Frequency

ARISTHA follows a biannual publication schedule, with issues planned for June and December.

The inaugural issue is planned as Volume 1, Number 1, December 2026.

The publication schedule does not guarantee that a particular manuscript will appear in a specific issue.

Issue assignment depends on successful completion of editorial assessment, peer review, required revisions, production preparation, and the journal's publication arrangements.

4. Manuscript Preparation

Before submission, authors must prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the journal's Author Guidelines and applicable manuscript template.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions:

Fall within the journal's focus and scope.
Present original scholarly work.
Follow the required manuscript structure and formatting.
Include appropriate citations and references.
Identify all legitimate authors and their affiliations.
Disclose relevant conflicts of interest and funding.
Comply with research ethics requirements.
Disclose substantive use of generative AI where required.
Do not violate copyright or intellectual property rights.
Are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Manuscripts that do not meet essential submission requirements may be returned for technical correction before further evaluation.

5. Online Manuscript Submission

Authors submit manuscripts through the official ARISTHA OJS submission system.

The corresponding author is responsible for completing the required submission information and uploading the appropriate files.

Submission information may include:

Manuscript title.
Abstract.
Keywords.
Author names and affiliations.
Contact information.
Manuscript file.
Supplementary materials, where applicable.
Required ethical or administrative declarations.

Authors must ensure that submission metadata is accurate and consistent with the manuscript.

Submitting a manuscript does not guarantee its acceptance or publication.

6. Initial Administrative Screening

Following submission, the editorial office conducts an initial administrative assessment.

This assessment may examine:

Completeness of submission files.
Compliance with formatting requirements.
Availability of essential manuscript metadata.
Consistency between author information and submission records.
Required declarations.
Compliance with basic submission instructions.

Where deficiencies are identified, the manuscript may be returned to the author for correction.

Administrative screening is not equivalent to scholarly acceptance.

7. Initial Editorial Assessment

Manuscripts that satisfy the basic administrative requirements undergo an initial editorial assessment.

The Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editor evaluates the manuscript's suitability for further consideration.

The assessment includes:

Relevance to the journal's focus and scope.
Originality and potential scholarly contribution.
Clarity of research objectives.
Appropriateness of research design.
Adequacy of the literature foundation.
Preliminary quality of analysis and discussion.
Compliance with research and publication ethics.
General suitability for independent peer review.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's minimum scholarly or ethical requirements may be rejected without external peer review.

This decision is commonly referred to as a desk rejection.

8. Originality and Research Integrity Screening

ARISTHA may conduct originality and similarity assessments as part of its editorial screening procedures.

Similarity reports, where available, are evaluated contextually rather than treated as automatic proof of plagiarism.

Editors may examine the originality of the research, citation practices, textual overlap, data integrity, and potential duplication of previously published work.

Manuscripts raising significant integrity concerns may be returned for clarification, rejected, or referred for further assessment under the journal's relevant ethical policies.

9. Double-Anonymous Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass initial editorial screening are evaluated through a double-anonymous peer review process.

Under this model:

The identities of authors are concealed from reviewers during the review process.
The identities of reviewers are concealed from authors.
Manuscripts are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant scholarly expertise.

Authors should prepare anonymized manuscript files in accordance with the journal's instructions.

Reviewers are expected to provide impartial, constructive, confidential, and evidence-based assessments.

Although reasonable measures are taken to protect anonymity, complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed, particularly when research has previously been disseminated as a preprint.

10. Reviewer Selection

Reviewers are selected according to their expertise, relevance to the manuscript's subject matter, professional suitability, and potential conflicts of interest.

The handling editor should avoid assigning reviewers whose relationships or interests could compromise the independence of the evaluation.

Reviewers should decline invitations when they lack sufficient expertise, cannot provide a timely assessment, or have an unresolved conflict of interest.

The journal may seek additional reviews when the initial reports are insufficient, contradictory, or require specialized assessment.

11. Peer Review Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are expected to evaluate manuscripts according to appropriate scholarly criteria, including:

Originality and contribution to knowledge.
Relevance to Islamic tourism, halal tourism, hospitality, or related fields.
Clarity of research questions and objectives.
Quality and relevance of the literature review.
Appropriateness of research methodology.
Reliability and transparency of data analysis.
Logical consistency of findings and conclusions.
Quality of academic writing.
Adequacy and accuracy of citations.
Compliance with ethical requirements.

Reviewer recommendations are advisory and do not independently constitute final editorial decisions.

12. Editorial Decisions

After considering the reviewers' reports and the manuscript's overall quality, the authorized editor may issue one of the following decisions:

12.1. Accept Submission

The manuscript is accepted for publication, subject to any remaining editorial or production requirements.

12.2. Revisions Required

The manuscript requires revisions before further consideration.

12.3. Resubmit for Review

Substantial revisions are necessary, and the revised manuscript may undergo another round of peer review.

12.4. Decline Submission

The manuscript is rejected because it does not meet the journal's scholarly, methodological, ethical, or editorial requirements.

Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript's merits and applicable policies, not on author identity, financial contributions, or institutional influence.

13. Manuscript Revision

When revisions are requested, authors should address the reviewers' and editors' comments carefully.

Authors may be required to submit:

A revised manuscript.
A point-by-point response to reviewer comments.
A clear explanation of substantive changes.
Supporting information where clarification is required.

Authors should respond professionally to all comments, including those with which they disagree.

A reasoned academic explanation may be provided when a suggested revision is not adopted.

The submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance.

14. Additional Review Rounds

Revised manuscripts may undergo further editorial assessment or additional peer review.

The handling editor determines whether additional reviewer evaluation is necessary.

Further review may be appropriate when:

Major methodological changes have been introduced.
Significant concerns remain unresolved.
Additional expertise is required.
Reviewers have provided substantially conflicting assessments.
New research integrity concerns arise.

The number of review rounds depends on the manuscript's scholarly and editorial needs.

15. Final Acceptance

A manuscript is accepted only after the authorized editor determines that it satisfies the journal's publication requirements.

Final acceptance may depend on:

Satisfactory responses to reviewer comments.
Adequate methodological and analytical quality.
Resolution of significant editorial concerns.
Compliance with ethical requirements.
Completion of required declarations and publication documentation.

The final acceptance decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or another editor acting within delegated editorial authority.

16. Copyediting

Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting.

Copyediting may address:

Grammar and language clarity.
Terminological consistency.
Citation and reference formatting.
Article structure and presentation.
Compliance with the journal's editorial style.
Minor textual inconsistencies.

Copyediting should preserve the authors' intended scholarly meaning.

Substantive changes affecting research findings or interpretations should be referred to the authors or responsible editor for clarification.

17. Production and Layout

Following copyediting, the manuscript enters the production stage.

Production activities may include:

Typesetting and article layout.
Preparation of publication-ready PDF files.
Verification of author names and affiliations.
Preparation of article metadata.
Placement of tables, figures, and supplementary materials.
Verification of copyright and licensing information.
Final formatting checks.

Publication identifiers, including DOIs, should be displayed only when officially assigned.

18. Author Proofreading

Where author proofs are provided, the corresponding author is responsible for reviewing them carefully.

Proofreading should focus on identifying:

Typographical errors.
Incorrect author information.
Formatting problems.
Missing or misplaced figures and tables.
Errors introduced during production.
Incorrect bibliographic or publication information.

Substantial changes to accepted research content may require additional editorial approval.

19. Online Publication

After completion of the required editorial and production stages, the article may be published through the official ARISTHA journal website.

The published article should include accurate bibliographic metadata and applicable copyright and licensing information.

The version of record is the authoritative published version of the article.

Publication dates, volume and issue information, and identifiers must accurately reflect the article's actual publication record.

20. Open Access and Licensing

ARISTHA supports open access to scholarly research.

Under the journal's proposed copyright and licensing arrangement, authors retain copyright and grant the journal the non-exclusive right of first publication.

Published articles are intended to be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), subject to formal adoption and consistent implementation of the journal's Copyright and License Policy.

Readers and users must comply with the applicable license and any separately identified third-party rights.

21. Publication Ethics and Conflicts of Interest

All participants in the publication process must comply with the journal's ethical requirements.

Authors must submit original work and disclose relevant competing interests.

Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and provide impartial assessments.

Editors must avoid inappropriate influence and manage conflicts of interest.

The journal may investigate credible concerns regarding plagiarism, fabricated data, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, peer-review manipulation, or other forms of misconduct.

22. Confidentiality and Data Protection

The editorial office must handle unpublished manuscripts and related communications responsibly.

Confidential manuscript information should be accessible only to individuals with legitimate editorial responsibilities.

Reviewers must not disclose unpublished research or use confidential information for personal advantage.

Personal information collected through the submission system must be processed in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection requirements.

23. Withdrawal of Manuscripts

Authors may request withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript in accordance with the journal's Withdrawal of Manuscript Policy.

Withdrawal requests should be submitted through the official editorial communication channels.

The journal may request confirmation from the corresponding author and, where appropriate, the co-authors.

Withdrawal does not automatically terminate an ongoing investigation into credible research integrity concerns.

24. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

ARISTHA recognizes that scholarly publishing responsibilities continue after publication.

Where significant errors or ethical concerns are identified, the journal may issue:

Corrections.
Expressions of concern.
Retraction notices.
Other appropriate editorial statements.

Such actions are governed by the journal's Retraction and Correction Policy.

The journal aims to maintain a transparent and reliable scholarly record.

25. Publication Timeline

The duration of manuscript processing depends on several factors, including:

Administrative completeness.
Availability of qualified reviewers.
Complexity of the manuscript.
Quality and extent of required revisions.
Responsiveness of authors and reviewers.
Editorial and production requirements.

ARISTHA does not guarantee acceptance or publication within a fixed period.

Any processing-time estimates published by the journal should be based on reliable operational information and communicated transparently.

26. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to:

Follow the journal's submission requirements.
Provide accurate manuscript metadata.
Submit original and ethically conducted research.
Respond appropriately to editorial communications.
Complete requested revisions.
Disclose relevant conflicts of interest.
Respect copyright and confidentiality requirements.
Verify final publication information where author approval is requested.

Authors remain responsible for the integrity of their published work.

27. Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors are responsible for coordinating fair, timely, and independent manuscript evaluation.

Reviewers are responsible for providing constructive and confidential scholarly assessments.

Editors and reviewers should act professionally, disclose relevant conflicts of interest, and avoid discriminatory or financially motivated decisions.

The Editor-in-Chief retains responsibility for final editorial oversight, subject to the journal's governance arrangements.

28. Publication Workflow Summary

The standard ARISTHA publication workflow consists of the following stages:

Stage 1 — Online Submission

The author submits the manuscript through the official OJS platform.

Stage 2 — Administrative Screening

The editorial office checks submission completeness and basic compliance.

Stage 3 — Initial Editorial Assessment

The editor evaluates the manuscript's suitability, relevance, and preliminary scholarly quality.

Stage 4 — Double-Anonymous Peer Review

At least two independent reviewers assess manuscripts that pass initial editorial screening.

Stage 5 — Editorial Decision

The editor issues an appropriate decision based on the manuscript and reviewer reports.

Stage 6 — Author Revision

The author revises the manuscript and responds to relevant