UIN Chancellor Walisongo Semarang Stirs Allegations Of Plagiarism, Verification Team Gives Explanation

UIN Walisongo Semarang/ Photo: IST

SEMARANG Chancellor of the State Islamic University (UIN) Walisongo, Imam Taufiq, is accused of plagiarism of discussing the concept of hilal in the perspective of modern Quran interpretation and astronomy on Muh Arif Royyani's thesis entitled "Combining the Hilal Concept in the Interpretation of the Al-Qur'an and Modern Astronomy". Responding to the situation, the Chairman of the Verification Team, Moh. Erfan Soebahar, provided clarification through data and findings.

First, verification is carried out based on objective and comprehensive data, and upholds academic values. Then, the verification is carried out in chronological terms, the research conducted by Imam Taufiq and colleagues is supported by a team of assistant researchers, one of which is Muh. Arif Royyani.

"Brother Muh's involvement. Arif Royyani in the study was shown through the correspondence of the draft research proposal from brother Muh. Arif Royyani to the Research Team," reads the second point of verification signed by the Chairman of the Verification Team, Prof. Dr. Moh. Erfan Soebahar.

academically, added the third point, the two studies have different formal objects. Muh's thesis. Arif Royyani is purely normative, while Sdr research. Imam Taufiq et al are normative and empirical.

"In the aspect of content, there is no similarity and plagiarism between the Research Report of Imam Taufiq and Tesis Muh. Arif Royyani. Specifically, these inequalities include (a) the contextualization of the understanding of hilal in the Interpretation of Al-Qur'an and modern astronomy, (b) research methods, (c) source of interpreting referrals, (d) criterion of hilal visibility, (e) hilal lunar hilal data hijriyah, (f) observational locations, (g) observation time, as well as (h) results and research findings, "explained the fourth point of verification.

Furthermore, at the fifth point, quantitatively, the results of pair-to- pair similarity checks with the WeopyFind application 4.1.5 show a 14% - 16% resemblance; and with the Plagiarism Checker X application show a 16% - 17 % similarity which includes a similarity of the translation of the Qur'anic verse, the terms used, the references of the book, and the theoretical explanation.

"Based on the data above, the Verification Team stated that the research report of Imam Taufiq and his friends was free to plagiarize," concluded the official verification statement from UIN Walisongo Semarang, as received by the editors, Wednesday, August 16.