Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Education and Pedagogy (JEP) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and does not tolerate plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of inappropriate appropriation of intellectual work.

Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person's ideas, words, data, images, methods, or other intellectual work without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution. Plagiarism also includes presenting one's own previously published work as new without appropriate disclosure or citation (self-plagiarism).

Plagiarism Screening Process

JEP conducts plagiarism screening as part of the initial editorial assessment. The screening process consists of both manual checking and similarity checking using plagiarism-detection software.

1. Manual Checking

The Editorial Team manually checks submitted manuscripts against relevant online and offline sources, databases, and previously published materials. This checking focuses particularly on:

  • proper citation and attribution of sources;
  • appropriate use of direct quotations;
  • paraphrasing and appropriate acknowledgment of sources;
  • similarity with previously published articles, books, proceedings, theses, dissertations, and other academic works; and
  • potential reuse of the authors' own previously published material (self-plagiarism).

Manual checking is conducted to complement similarity checking software because similarity scores alone cannot determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

2. Similarity Checking Using Turnitin

The Editorial Team checks submitted manuscripts using Turnitin as a plagiarism and text-similarity detection tool.

As a general screening threshold, a similarity score of more than 20% is considered an indication of potentially excessive similarity and will require further editorial examination.

The Editorial Team will review the similarity report to determine the source and nature of the detected similarities. Properly cited quotations, references, commonly used terminology, standard methodological expressions, and other legitimate similarities may contribute to the similarity score and will be considered during the assessment.

A similarity score of more than 20% does not automatically establish plagiarism; however, if the editorial assessment confirms substantial unattributed copying or other forms of plagiarism, the manuscript may be rejected immediately.

Manuscripts with a similarity score of 20% or below may proceed to the next stage of the editorial process, subject to the results of the manual assessment and compliance with all other journal requirements.

Classification of Similarity and Plagiarism

Potential cases are assessed according to the nature and extent of the similarity:

1. Acceptable Similarity

Similarity arising from properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, methodological expressions, or other legitimate sources may be considered acceptable. The manuscript may proceed in the editorial process.

2. Similarity Requiring Revision

If the similarity is caused by inadequate paraphrasing, incomplete citation, excessive quotation, or inappropriate reuse of text, the authors may be required to revise the manuscript and provide appropriate attribution.

3. Confirmed Serious Plagiarism

If substantial unattributed copying or other serious plagiarism is identified, the manuscript will be rejected. Where serious plagiarism is discovered after publication, JEP may initiate an investigation and take appropriate corrective action, including publication of a Correction, Expression of Concern, or Retraction, depending on the circumstances.

Handling of Suspected Plagiarism

When potential plagiarism is identified, JEP may take the following steps:

  1. The Editorial Team reviews the Turnitin similarity report and the results of the manual checking.
  2. The source and nature of the detected similarity are assessed.
  3. Where appropriate, the authors may be asked to provide clarification or explanation.
  4. Minor issues may be addressed through revision and proper citation.
  5. Substantial or confirmed plagiarism may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript.
  6. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the Editor-in-Chief will assess the case and determine appropriate corrective action.
  7. In serious cases, JEP may notify the author's affiliated institution or other relevant authorities.

Authors' Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring that all sources, ideas, data, quotations, figures, tables, and other materials originating from other sources are properly acknowledged and cited.

The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating communication with the Editorial Office regarding any plagiarism-related concerns involving the submitted manuscript.

Editorial Discretion

JEP does not rely solely on a similarity percentage to determine whether plagiarism has occurred. The 20% threshold is used as an initial screening criterion, while the final determination is based on the Editorial Team's assessment of the source, context, extent, and nature of the similarity.

JEP handles plagiarism allegations fairly, objectively, and confidentially and may refer to the guidelines and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when dealing with plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct.