Plagiarism Policy

Qaulan: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. Plagiarism, in any form, is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and is not tolerated.

All submitted manuscripts must be original works and must properly acknowledge the ideas, words, data, findings, images, and other materials derived from previous publications or sources.

1. DEFINITION OF PLAGIARISM

For the purposes of this policy, plagiarism includes presenting another person's work, ideas, words, data, or intellectual contribution as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment.

Plagiarism may include:

  • Directly copying text without proper citation.
  • Copying substantial portions of another publication.
  • Presenting another person's ideas or arguments without attribution.
  • Improper paraphrasing that does not adequately acknowledge the original source.
  • Using another researcher's data, tables, figures, or images without appropriate permission or citation.
  • Translating another person's work and presenting it as original without attribution.
  • Reusing one's own previously published material without appropriate acknowledgment (self-plagiarism).
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Manipulating references or citations to conceal the original source.

2. ORIGINALITY REQUIREMENT

Authors submitting manuscripts to Qaulan must confirm that:

  • The manuscript is their original work.
  • The manuscript has not been published elsewhere.
  • The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
  • All sources have been properly cited.
  • All borrowed material has been appropriately acknowledged.
  • Permission has been obtained where required for copyrighted material.
  • The manuscript does not contain fabricated or falsified material.

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality and integrity of their submissions.

3. PLAGIARISM SCREENING

All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism or similarity screening as part of the editorial process.

The screening may be conducted:

  • During initial editorial screening.
  • Before peer review.
  • During revision.
  • Before final acceptance.
  • When concerns arise after publication.

The Editorial Team may use appropriate plagiarism-detection or similarity-checking software to assist in identifying potentially problematic text.

A similarity score is not automatically equivalent to plagiarism. The Editorial Team will consider the context, source of similarity, quotation practices, references, methodology, commonly used terminology, and other relevant factors before making a decision.

4. SIMILARITY AND EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT

There is no single similarity percentage that automatically determines whether a manuscript is acceptable or constitutes plagiarism.

The Editorial Team may assess:

  • Overall similarity.
  • Individual matching sources.
  • Whether matching text is properly cited.
  • Whether quotations are appropriately identified.
  • Whether similarity occurs in references or standard terminology.
  • Whether substantial sections are copied.
  • Whether the similarity affects the originality of the manuscript.

Authors may be required to revise portions of a manuscript where inappropriate similarity is identified.

5. TYPES OF PLAGIARISM

A. Direct Plagiarism

Copying words, sentences, paragraphs, or substantial portions of another source without appropriate quotation and citation.

B. Mosaic Plagiarism

Combining phrases or passages from multiple sources without adequate attribution while presenting the resulting text as original.

C. Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Changing only a few words or sentence structures from an original source without adequately acknowledging the source.

D. Idea Plagiarism

Using another researcher's original ideas, arguments, theories, or concepts without proper attribution.

E. Data Plagiarism

Using another researcher's data, research results, tables, figures, or research materials without appropriate acknowledgment or permission.

F. Translation Plagiarism

Translating material from another language and presenting it as original without citing the original source.

G. Self-Plagiarism

Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without appropriate disclosure or citation.

H. Duplicate Publication

Publishing substantially the same research or manuscript in more than one publication without appropriate disclosure.

6. AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITY

Authors are primarily responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are free from plagiarism.

Before submission, authors should:

  • Review all citations carefully.
  • Cite the original source of ideas and information.
  • Use quotation marks for directly quoted material.
  • Paraphrase sources appropriately.
  • Cite translated material.
  • Check tables, figures, and images for proper attribution.
  • Review their manuscript for accidental similarities.
  • Ensure that previously published material is appropriately disclosed.

Authors should not rely solely on plagiarism-detection software to determine the originality of their work.

7. PLAGIARISM DETECTED BEFORE PEER REVIEW

If potential plagiarism is identified during initial screening, the Editorial Team may:

  • Request clarification from the authors.
  • Ask the authors to revise the manuscript.
  • Request appropriate citations or attribution.
  • Reject the manuscript when substantial plagiarism is identified.
  • Refer the matter for further investigation when necessary.

The appropriate response will depend on the seriousness and nature of the suspected plagiarism.

8. PLAGIARISM DETECTED DURING PEER REVIEW

If a reviewer identifies possible plagiarism, the reviewer should inform the editor confidentially through the journal's review system.

Reviewers should not directly accuse or confront authors regarding suspected plagiarism.

The Editorial Team will independently assess the concern and determine the appropriate action.

9. PLAGIARISM DETECTED AFTER ACCEPTANCE

If substantial plagiarism is identified after a manuscript has been accepted but before publication, the Editorial Team may:

  • Suspend the publication process.
  • Request an explanation from the authors.
  • Require substantial revision.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Refer the matter to the relevant institution when appropriate.

Acceptance does not prevent the journal from taking action if new evidence of misconduct emerges.

10. PLAGIARISM DETECTED AFTER PUBLICATION

If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate the matter.

Depending on the seriousness of the case, the journal may:

  • Publish a correction.
  • Publish an expression of concern.
  • Retract the article.
  • Notify the authors' institution.
  • Notify relevant academic or research authorities.
  • Take other appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

A retracted article will remain part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as RETRACTED.

11. SELF-PLAGIARISM

Authors may reuse limited portions of their previous work when such reuse is academically justified and properly acknowledged.

However, substantial reuse of previously published material without citation or disclosure may constitute self-plagiarism or redundant publication.

Authors should clearly identify and cite their previous publications when they overlap significantly with the submitted manuscript.

12. CITATION AND ATTRIBUTION

Proper citation is essential to avoiding plagiarism.

Authors must provide appropriate attribution for:

  • Direct quotations
  • Paraphrased ideas
  • Research findings
  • Theoretical concepts
  • Data
  • Tables
  • Figures
  • Images
  • Previously published materials

Citations should refer to the original and relevant source whenever reasonably possible.

13. AI-GENERATED CONTENT AND PLAGIARISM

The use of artificial intelligence does not remove the author's responsibility for originality.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted content:

  • Does not reproduce copyrighted material improperly.
  • Does not contain unattributed passages.
  • Does not fabricate sources.
  • Does not generate false citations.
  • Does not misrepresent another person's work as original.
  • Complies with the journal's authorship and disclosure requirements.

AI-generated or AI-assisted text should be carefully verified and appropriately disclosed when required by the journal.

14. CONSEQUENCES OF PLAGIARISM

Depending on the severity of the violation, the journal may apply one or more of the following actions:

  1. Request correction of the manuscript.
  2. Request additional citations or attribution.
  3. Require substantial revision.
  4. Reject the manuscript.
  5. Withdraw the manuscript from consideration.
  6. Reject future submissions for an appropriate period.
  7. Publish a correction or editorial notice.
  8. Issue an Expression of Concern.
  9. Retract a published article.
  10. Notify the author's institution or relevant authority.

The Editorial Team will determine the appropriate action based on the evidence and seriousness of the case.

15. FALSE PLAGIARISM ACCUSATIONS

Allegations of plagiarism must be made responsibly and supported by reasonable evidence.

The journal does not tolerate malicious or knowingly false allegations intended to damage an author's academic reputation.

All allegations will be assessed objectively and confidentially.

16. APPEALS

Authors who believe that a plagiarism decision was based on an error or misunderstanding may submit an appeal to the Editorial Team.

The appeal should:

  • Clearly explain the grounds for the appeal.
  • Identify the disputed passages or sources.
  • Provide relevant evidence.
  • Explain the authors' citation or attribution practices.

The Editorial Team will review the appeal objectively and may seek additional academic advice when necessary.

17. CONFIDENTIALITY

All plagiarism investigations will be handled confidentially.

Information concerning an allegation will only be shared with individuals who have a legitimate role in the investigation, including editors, editorial board members, authors, institutions, or relevant authorities where necessary.

18. COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Qaulan: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam is committed to protecting the originality, credibility, and integrity of the scholarly record.

All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff are expected to uphold high standards of academic honesty and responsible scholarly communication.

The journal may refer to recognized publication-ethics principles, including relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance, when assessing plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct.