Plagiarism Check

PLAGIARISM CHECKING POLICY

EJI | The Education Journal of Indonesia

1. Policy Statement

EJI | The Education Journal of Indonesia is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism that misrepresents the originality of a manuscript, or other forms of unattributed use of intellectual work.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent the authors’ original scholarly contributions. Ideas, words, data, findings, and other materials obtained from external sources must be properly acknowledged and cited.

The journal follows recognized publication ethics principles, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), when assessing suspected plagiarism and related publication misconduct.

2. Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts may be screened for similarity using plagiarism detection software or other appropriate text-comparison tools as part of the initial editorial assessment.

Screening may be conducted before peer review, during the review process, or after acceptance if additional concerns arise. The editorial team may also conduct further checks when reviewers, editors, or readers identify potential overlap with existing publications.

The screening process is intended to identify passages that may require closer examination. A similarity report does not, by itself, establish whether plagiarism has occurred.

3. Similarity Threshold and Editorial Assessment

As a general screening guideline, EJI | The Education Journal of Indonesia uses a maximum similarity index of 20% as an initial reference for editorial assessment, excluding or interpreting appropriately identifiable matches such as references, standard terminology, common phrases, and properly quoted or cited material where the screening system allows.

The similarity percentage is not the sole basis for accepting or rejecting a manuscript. Editors must examine the similarity report to determine the nature, location, extent, and context of the matched material.

A manuscript with a similarity index below 20% may still contain plagiarism if substantial material has been copied without appropriate attribution. Conversely, a manuscript exceeding 20% may contain legitimate matches, such as references, standard methodological descriptions, or properly cited quotations, that require contextual assessment.

The editorial team reserves the right to reject a manuscript or request revisions regardless of its similarity percentage when the assessment identifies substantial unattributed overlap or other ethical concerns.

4. Forms of Plagiarism and Related Misconduct

The journal considers the following practices potential forms of plagiarism or publication misconduct:

  • Direct plagiarism: Copying words, sentences, paragraphs, or other material from another source without proper quotation or attribution.

  • Mosaic plagiarism: Combining copied phrases or passages from one or more sources without adequate acknowledgment.

  • Paraphrasing plagiarism: Rewriting another person's ideas or arguments without appropriate citation, even when the wording has been changed.

  • Idea plagiarism: Presenting another person's original ideas, interpretations, frameworks, or intellectual contributions as one's own.

  • Source and data plagiarism: Using another person's data, tables, figures, instruments, or other research materials without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.

  • Self-plagiarism and redundant publication: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without adequate disclosure, citation, or justification, or presenting substantially overlapping work as new and original.

  • Translated plagiarism: Translating material from another language and presenting it as original work without appropriate attribution.

  • Unattributed use of AI-generated material: Presenting AI-generated text or other material as original scholarly work in a manner that misrepresents its source or violates the journal's applicable AI-use requirements.

Properly cited quotations, appropriately acknowledged paraphrases, and legitimate reuse permitted by applicable copyright and licensing terms are not automatically considered plagiarism.

5. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to EJI | The Education Journal of Indonesia are responsible for ensuring that their work complies with the journal's originality and citation requirements. Authors must:

  1. Submit original work that is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

  2. Properly cite all sources used in developing the manuscript.

  3. Use quotation marks and appropriate citations when reproducing exact wording from other sources.

  4. Obtain permission for copyrighted material when required.

  5. Disclose relevant overlap with their own previously published work and explain any legitimate reuse.

  6. Ensure that references are accurate and that cited sources support the claims attributed to them.

  7. Respond promptly and honestly to editorial requests concerning similarity reports or suspected plagiarism.

  8. Disclose the use of AI tools in accordance with the journal's AI policy and remain responsible for the accuracy, attribution, and integrity of the submitted work.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes the authors' acknowledgment that the work may be screened for similarity and examined for possible publication ethics violations.

6. Editorial Procedures for Similarity Reports

Following the screening process, the editorial team may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and severity of the findings:

  • No substantial concern: Continue the editorial process when matches are legitimate, appropriately cited, or otherwise acceptable.

  • Minor concerns: Request clarification, improved citation, quotation formatting, or revision of overlapping passages.

  • Substantial overlap: Return the manuscript for major revision or reject it when the overlap undermines its originality.

  • Suspected serious misconduct: Suspend the editorial process while the concern is assessed and request an explanation or supporting documentation from the authors.

  • Confirmed misconduct after publication: Consider appropriate action, including correction, an expression of concern, or retraction, in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policy.

The editorial team will consider the evidence and context before reaching a decision. Authors will ordinarily be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to significant concerns.

7. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If suspected plagiarism is reported after an article has been published, the journal will assess the allegation and review the relevant evidence. Where necessary, the editorial team may contact the authors, the original copyright holders, or the authors' affiliated institutions.

If plagiarism or other serious publication misconduct is established, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the seriousness of the issue and its effect on the reliability and originality of the published work.

Actions will be taken in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions policies.

8. Confidentiality and Fair Treatment

Similarity reports, correspondence, and supporting documents will be handled confidentially and shared only with individuals who need the information for editorial assessment or investigation.

The journal will assess suspected plagiarism fairly and consistently, distinguish honest mistakes from deliberate misconduct where the evidence permits, and avoid reaching conclusions solely on the basis of automated similarity scores.

9. Policy Review

EJI | The Education Journal of Indonesia may review and update this policy periodically to reflect developments in plagiarism detection technology, publication ethics, copyright practices, and scholarly publishing standards.