Online First Policy

Definition and Philosophy of Dissemination
All journals under the CITA CENDEKIA umbrella adopt an “Online First” policy as a tangible expression of our commitment to Open Science and the democratization of knowledge. This policy allows articles that have been declared “Accepted”—after undergoing a rigorous double-blind peer review process and final revisions—to be published online immediately before being assigned an official volume and issue number. This strategic move is designed to break down bureaucratic time barriers that often distort and hinder the flow of innovation dissemination across various academic disciplines.

Rationale and Urgency Across Academic Disciplines
In contemporary scholarly discourse, updates to empirical findings, theoretical developments, and applied innovations demand rapid dissemination to address the needs of academics, practitioners, and policymakers. Delaying publication until the official release schedule risks diminishing the timeliness and practical applicability of findings in the field. Through this policy, researchers immediately receive absolute recognition of the Priority of Discovery through the assignment of an active and permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This ensures that every scientific work can be cited and replicated immediately, thereby making a substantive impact on the global academic ecosystem without having to wait for the publication of a journal.

Technical Procedures and Metadata Integrity
Manuscripts published in Online First status are final versions (Version of Record) that have completed the copyediting and layout stages.

  1. Digital Identity: Each article will be immediately assigned a DOI registered with Crossref.
  2. Article Status: Manuscripts will be displayed in the “Online First” navigation menu with the label “Article in Press”.
  3. Transition to Periodical Issue: When the regular publication date (June or December) arrives, the manuscript will be moved to the appropriate issue with final page numbering without changing the substance or existing DOI.

Citation Requirements
Authors and readers can cite articles in Online First status using the following format:
"Author Name. (Year). Article Title. CITANO ISLAMICUS: Journal of Islamic Education. Online First. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/cijied.xxxx"

Commitment to Scientific Integrity
Although we prioritize speed, CITANO ISLAMICUS emphasizes that this policy does not compromise the evaluation process. We recognize the assumption that rapid publication is often associated with a decline in quality. Therefore, manuscripts in Online First status remain subject to our publication ethics policy. If fatal errors or ethical violations are found after online publication, the journal will follow the Crossmark protocol to make corrections or retractions in order to maintain the integrity of the digital archive.