Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism and Similarity Screening Policy
The Jurisocial Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. Plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated or improperly attributed material, and other forms of unethical use of scholarly work are not acceptable.
All manuscripts submitted to the journal may be subject to plagiarism and similarity screening using appropriate similarity-detection software or other reliable tools. The purpose of screening is to identify potentially unattributed or improperly reproduced material and to assist the editorial team in assessing the originality of a submission.
A similarity report is an editorial screening tool and does not, by itself, establish that plagiarism has occurred. The editorial team will consider the nature, location, extent, and source of the identified similarities, including legitimate quotations, references, commonly used academic terminology, methodological descriptions, definitions, theoretical formulations, and other material that may appropriately appear in scholarly writing.
What Constitutes Plagiarism?
Plagiarism occurs when an author presents another person's words, ideas, arguments, data, findings, or other intellectual contributions as their own without appropriate acknowledgment.
Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to:
- Direct copying of text without quotation and proper citation;
- Substantial unattributed paraphrasing of another person's work;
- Presenting another person's ideas, arguments, data, or findings without appropriate attribution;
- Reproducing tables, figures, images, datasets, or other copyrighted material without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required;
- Submitting another person's work under one's own authorship; and
- Other forms of appropriation that misrepresent the source or authorship of scholarly material.
Duplicate Publication and Self-Plagiarism
Authors must not submit substantially the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal or publish substantially overlapping work without appropriate disclosure and justification.
Self-plagiarism may occur where authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without appropriate citation, disclosure, or explanation. This may include duplicate publication, substantial text recycling, and inappropriate fragmentation of research into multiple publications (“salami slicing”).
Limited reuse of an author's own previously published material may be acceptable in certain circumstances where it is properly disclosed, appropriately cited, and does not constitute redundant publication. The editorial team will assess such cases individually.
Editorial Screening Procedure
Manuscripts may undergo similarity screening at the initial editorial stage and, where appropriate, at later stages of the editorial and publication process.
Where potentially problematic similarity is identified, the editorial team may:
- Review the similarity report and identify the sources and nature of the overlapping material;
- Determine whether the similarity represents legitimate citation, quotation, common terminology, or potentially inappropriate copying;
- Request clarification, revision, additional citation, or supporting information from the author where appropriate;
- Reject the manuscript where substantial plagiarism or other serious ethical concerns are established; or
- Proceed with peer review where the identified similarity is considered legitimate or adequately addressed.
The journal does not use a single numerical similarity percentage as an automatic basis for accepting or rejecting a manuscript. Each case is assessed in context and in accordance with scholarly and publication-ethics principles.
Suspected Plagiarism in a Published Article
Where plagiarism or substantial unattributed material is suspected in an article that has already been published, the Jurisocial Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice will investigate the matter in accordance with its Complaints and Misconduct Policy, relevant publication-ethics standards, and applicable COPE guidance.
The process may include:
- Reviewing and documenting the allegation and supporting evidence;
- Comparing the published article with the alleged original source or sources;
- Seeking clarification or a response from the corresponding author and, where appropriate, other authors;
- Consulting members of the editorial team or independent experts where necessary;
- Contacting the relevant institution, publisher, or original author where the circumstances warrant such action; and
- Determining an appropriate response based on the evidence and seriousness of the matter.
Where substantial plagiarism or other serious publication misconduct is established, the journal may issue a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction, depending on the circumstances.
A retracted article will ordinarily remain part of the journal's scholarly record but will be clearly identified as “Retracted,” with a retraction notice explaining the reason for the action. The journal will seek to preserve the transparency and integrity of the scholarly record rather than silently removing the publication.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism and inappropriate duplication. Authors must acknowledge all sources of ideas, language, data, evidence, and other scholarly contributions.
Authors should also disclose any substantial overlap between the submitted manuscript and their own previously published or concurrently submitted work.
The Jurisocial Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice reserves the right to take appropriate editorial or publication-ethics action where plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of research or publication misconduct are identified.
This policy may be updated periodically in accordance with developments in academic integrity, plagiarism-detection practices, research ethics, and recognized international publication standards.
