Expression of concern: Halal B2B marketing in the metaverse: crafting a conceptual framework to pinpoint opportunities and challenges, outlining the agenda for future research

The publisher of Journal of Islamic Marketing is issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article Hindolia, A., Arya, J., Pathak, R. and Kazmi, A. (2024), “Halal B2B marketing in the metaverse: crafting a conceptual framework to pinpoint opportunities and challenges, outlining the agenda for future research”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. Link to the cited article., which was submitted to the guest–edited special issue “Islam and the metaverse”. An investigation by the publisher found that the reviews for this article featured multiple similarities indicative of the use of generative AI, which raises concerns as to the integrity of the review process. As a result of these concerns and as trust in the content is central to the publication process, the journal and publisher have taken the decision to publish an Expression of Concern. Emerald’s publishing ethics policies emphasise that peer reviewers are responsible for the reviews they provide and accountable for their accuracy, rigour, and validity, and that this cannot be replicated by a non–human generative AI. The journal has not been able to confirm whether the authors were aware of these concerns. An investigation is ongoing and is currently unresolved. Further information will be provided by Journal of Islamic Marketing as it becomes available. The publisher of the journal sincerely apologizes to the readers and authors of this article, who were not found to be involved in any malpractice.