Plagiarism Policy

Journal of Religious, Social and Cultural is committed to upholding academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all published articles. The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism in any form and requires all authors to comply with ethical standards in scholarly writing and publication.

Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism screening before proceeding to the peer-review process. The editorial team may use plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin or other appropriate similarity-checking tools, to identify potential instances of plagiarism.

The journal uses a similarity index of 20% as a preliminary screening guideline. However, the similarity score is not the sole criterion for determining plagiarism. Each manuscript is evaluated carefully by the editorial team, taking into account the sources of similarity, the context of overlapping text, the accuracy of citations, and the originality of the research.

Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

1. Direct Plagiarism: Copying text from another source without quotation marks or proper acknowledgment.

2. Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure.

3. Mosaic Plagiarism: Combining words or phrases from multiple sources without proper attribution.

4. Paraphrasing without Citation: Presenting another author's ideas in different words without acknowledging the original source.

5. Unauthorized Use of Materials: Using tables, figures, images, data, or other intellectual materials without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.

Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submitted manuscripts are original and free from plagiarism. All ideas, quotations, data, and materials derived from other sources must be properly cited and referenced. Authors must also disclose any substantial overlap between the submitted manuscript and their previously published or submitted works.

Actions Against Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected before publication, the journal may request revisions, reject the manuscript, or take other appropriate action depending on the severity of the case.

If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate the allegation and may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the findings. The journal may also notify the author's affiliated institution when warranted.

Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to allegations before a final decision is made.

Editorial Responsibility

The editor-in-chief and editorial team are responsible for evaluating suspected plagiarism fairly and consistently. All allegations will be assessed based on available evidence and applicable publication ethics standards.

The journal seeks to follow the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable.

Final Statement

By submitting a manuscript to Journal of Religious, Social and Cultural, authors agree to comply with this Plagiarism Policy. Any violation may result in manuscript rejection or appropriate post-publication action to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.