Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism and Similarity Screening Policy

Jurnal Sosial Humaniora (JSH) is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal published by CV. Surya Buana through Surya Buana Consulting and managed by an Editorial Team officially appointed by the leadership of CV. Surya Buana.

JSH is committed to maintaining originality, academic honesty, research integrity, transparency, and ethical scholarly publishing in the social sciences and humanities.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, the misappropriation of intellectual contributions, misleading text recycling, or duplicate publication. All manuscripts must represent original scholarly work and appropriately acknowledge the ideas, words, data, findings, and other intellectual contributions of previous researchers.

This policy establishes standards for preventing, identifying, evaluating, and responding to plagiarism and inappropriate textual overlap. It is informed by the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and applies to manuscripts written in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to presenting another person's words, ideas, data, research findings, images, analyses, or intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment. It may occur intentionally or unintentionally and involve published or unpublished materials.

Potential forms of plagiarism include:

  1. Direct Plagiarism: Reproducing text or other scholarly material without appropriate quotation, citation, or acknowledgment.
  2. Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting another author's ideas or arguments without acknowledging the original source.
  3. Mosaic Plagiarism: Combining copied or closely paraphrased material from several sources and presenting it as original.
  4. Idea or Conceptual Plagiarism: Using another researcher's original concepts, theories, or interpretations without attribution.
  5. Data and Research Plagiarism: Using another researcher's data, observations, findings, analyses, or unpublished materials without acknowledgment or authorization.
  6. Translation Plagiarism: Translating another author's work into a different language and presenting it as original without acknowledging the source.
  7. Visual and Media Plagiarism: Reusing figures, tables, photographs, diagrams, or other protected materials without proper acknowledgment or required permission.

The seriousness of a violation is determined by the nature, extent, context, and significance of the material involved rather than the number of matching words alone.

2. Originality and Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to JSH must ensure that their work is original, accurately presented, and appropriately referenced.

Authors are responsible for:

  1. Submitting manuscripts not previously published in substantially the same form or simultaneously submitted to another journal.
  2. Distinguishing original intellectual contributions from previously published scholarship.
  3. Citing all borrowed ideas, statements, data, methods, arguments, and findings.
  4. Applying APA 7th Edition consistently for citations and references.
  5. Properly identifying verbatim quotations with source attribution.
  6. Obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted content where required.
  7. Disclosing overlapping preprints, theses, conference papers, reports, or related works.
  8. Ensuring that all co-authors approve the manuscript and accept responsibility for its integrity.
  9. Verifying references, including those suggested by artificial intelligence tools.
  10. Cooperating with originality assessments and requests for clarification.

Authors remain responsible for originality regardless of the use of editorial assistance, language-editing services, or generative AI.

3. Self-Plagiarism, Text Recycling, and Redundant Publication

JSH distinguishes legitimate reuse of previously disseminated material from inappropriate self-reuse and redundant publication.

Text recycling occurs when authors reuse portions of their previously published or disseminated work. Such reuse may require attribution, disclosure, revision, or permission, depending on its nature, extent, and context.

Limited reuse of standard methodological descriptions may be evaluated differently from substantial repetition of findings, analyses, discussions, or conclusions.

Redundant or duplicate publication occurs when substantially the same scholarly findings or content are published more than once without adequate disclosure, justification, or reference to the earlier work.

Authors must disclose related publications and explain substantial overlap. Disclosed preprints, theses, or conference presentations are not automatically regarded as duplicate publication; eligibility is assessed according to prior dissemination, originality, copyright, and editorial requirements.

Dividing a single study into several minimally differentiated publications without a clear scholarly justification may also raise publication integrity concerns.

4. Similarity Screening Procedures

All submitted manuscripts are subject to an editorial originality assessment. The Editorial Team may use appropriate text-matching or similarity-detection software to identify overlap with published literature, online sources, repositories, theses, reports, and other available documents.

Similarity screening may be conducted:

  • During initial editorial screening.
  • Before or during peer review when concerns arise.
  • After substantial manuscript revisions.
  • Before final acceptance or publication, where necessary.
  • After publication when credible concerns arise.

Similarity-detection tools identify textual overlap but do not independently establish plagiarism. Significant matches must be evaluated by the responsible editor.

The Editorial Team may request clarification or revisions when manuscript originality cannot be adequately established.

5. Interpretation of Similarity Reports

JSH does not consider a similarity percentage alone sufficient evidence of plagiarism.

A similarity score indicates textual overlap with sources available to a detection system, subject to the software's comparison databases and screening settings.

Editorial interpretation considers:

  1. The location and extent of matched passages.
  2. Whether quotations are properly cited.
  3. Overlap in reference lists, standard terminology, institutional names, and routine methodological text.
  4. Whether original ideas, results, or analyses have been reproduced.
  5. The accuracy and completeness of attribution.
  6. Previously published work by the same authors.
  7. Copyright or redundant publication concerns.
  8. False positives, incomplete matches, and other technical limitations.

A low similarity score does not necessarily establish originality, and a high similarity score does not automatically establish misconduct.

Any numerical screening threshold adopted by the journal must be publicly communicated and consistently applied as an initial editorial indicator rather than an automatic determination of plagiarism.

6. Editorial Assessment of Suspected Plagiarism

When plagiarism or inappropriate textual overlap is suspected, the responsible editor conducts an evidence-based preliminary assessment.

The procedure may include:

  1. Identifying relevant passages, data, figures, or intellectual contributions.
  2. Comparing the manuscript with relevant sources.
  3. Evaluating the nature, extent, and significance of overlap.
  4. Reviewing citations, quotations, permissions, and prior disclosures.
  5. Requesting clarification or documentation from the corresponding author.
  6. Consulting independent experts when necessary.
  7. Determining appropriate editorial action.

Authors will normally receive a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final determination is made.

JSH distinguishes correctable attribution errors from serious plagiarism or deliberate research misconduct. An allegation must not be treated as proof without examination.

7. Editorial Actions Before Publication

Depending on the evidence and seriousness of the concern, possible actions include:

a. No Further Action

Evaluation may continue when the overlap is legitimate, properly acknowledged, or satisfactorily explained.

b. Request for Correction or Revision

Authors may be required to correct citations, revise improper paraphrasing, provide adequate attribution, disclose earlier work, or obtain necessary permissions.

c. Additional Originality Assessment

Revised manuscripts may undergo further similarity screening, source verification, or independent editorial assessment.

d. Suspension of Manuscript Processing

Editorial processing may be suspended temporarily while significant concerns are examined.

e. Manuscript Rejection

Manuscripts may be declined when substantial plagiarism, serious misappropriation, unjustified duplicate publication, or other significant violations are supported by the evidence.

f. Institutional Referral

Serious suspected research misconduct may be referred to an appropriate research institution or competent authority.

All actions must be proportionate and consistent with the journal's Publication Ethics and Allegations of Misconduct policies.

8. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

JSH evaluates credible concerns about plagiarism or inappropriate reuse discovered after publication.

The Editorial Team examines relevant documentary evidence, contacts the individuals concerned where appropriate, and assesses the need for corrective action.

a. Correction

A correction may be issued for limited attribution errors or other problems that can be remedied without compromising the article's principal findings.

b. Expression of Concern

An expression of concern may be issued when significant questions remain unresolved and readers should be informed during further assessment.

c. Retraction

Retraction may be necessary when substantial plagiarism, misappropriated material, or other serious integrity concerns undermine the published work's reliability or legitimacy.

d. Institutional Notification

Relevant institutions or authorities may be contacted when additional investigation is required.

Corrective notices must comply with the journal's Publication Ethics policy and relevant COPE guidance.

Retracted articles will ordinarily remain accessible with clear retraction labeling, except where compelling legal, privacy, or safety considerations require otherwise.

9. Responsibilities of Editors and Peer Reviewers

The Editor-in-Chief and authorized Handling Editors coordinate originality assessment, evaluate plagiarism concerns, and make independent editorial decisions.

Editors must apply this policy fairly, evaluate the substance of similarity reports, protect manuscript confidentiality, manage conflicts of interest, allow reasonable author responses, and document significant decisions.

Peer reviewers must inform the responsible editor when they identify suspected plagiarism, substantial overlap, insufficient attribution, or potentially redundant publication.

Reviewers must provide relevant evidence where possible and maintain confidentiality. They must not upload unpublished manuscripts to unauthorized similarity-checking or external AI services.

10. Confidentiality, Fairness, and Appeals

JSH handles plagiarism concerns fairly, confidentially, and independently of inappropriate financial, institutional, personal, or commercial influence.

Authors may appeal decisions based on substantive misunderstandings, procedural errors, or significant factual mistakes. Appeals must identify the manuscript or article and include supporting reasons.

The Editor-in-Chief or an independent qualified editor, where appropriate, will evaluate the appeal. An appeal does not automatically reverse a decision or guarantee acceptance.

Article Processing Charge (APC) payments do not influence plagiarism assessments, peer-review outcomes, or editorial decisions.

11. Generative AI and Plagiarism Prevention

Generative AI use does not exempt authors from responsibilities concerning originality, source attribution, and academic integrity.

Authors must verify that AI-assisted content does not contain unattributed material, fabricated references, misleading quotations, or unauthorized reproductions.

AI must not be used to conceal plagiarism, disguise copied material through automated paraphrasing or translation, or misrepresent others' contributions as original scholarship.

Substantive AI assistance must be disclosed under the journal's Generative AI Policy. AI-detection scores alone are not sufficient evidence of plagiarism.

12. Policy Implementation and Editorial Contact

This policy applies to all manuscripts and publications of JSH, regardless of language, author affiliation, research design, or manuscript type.

The Editorial Team is responsible for its implementation and for maintaining relevant originality assessment and editorial documentation.

CV. Surya Buana provides institutional and operational support while respecting editorial independence.

Authors, reviewers, and readers may report suspected plagiarism or request clarification through the journal's official contact page:

Contact the JSH Editorial Office

JSH periodically reviews this policy to maintain consistency with recognized principles of research integrity and ethical scholarly publishing.

Ethical References