Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism and Academic Ethics Policy

Journal of Emerging Educational Studies (JEES) maintains the highest standards of academic honesty and research integrity. In accordance with the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), JEES enforces a strict policy against all forms of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, text-recycling, and redundant publication.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s ideas, words, data, methodologies, or graphics as one’s own without explicit acknowledgment and proper citation. This includes:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim copying of text from another source without quotation marks or attribution.
  • Mosaic/Patchwork Plagiarism: Interweaving phrases or sentences from various sources without proper citations.
  • Self-Plagiarism / Text-Recycling: Reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without disclosing the prior publication or providing appropriate cross-referencing.

2. Similarity Screening Guidelines

All manuscripts submitted to JEES must undergo rigorous screening for originality before being assigned to the peer-review process.

  • Mandatory Submission Report: Authors are required to submit an official, full similarity report obtained from a recognized and reliable plagiarism detection database (such as iThenticate or Turnitin) during the initial submission process.
  • Similarity Threshold: As a general benchmark, the overall similarity index of a manuscript should not exceed 20%, and the similarity from a single external source must not exceed 3% (excluding the references/bibliography and standardized repository phrases).

3. Qualitative Editorial Review

JEES emphasizes that a similarity index below 20% does not automatically guarantee that a manuscript is free of plagiarism. Conversely, a higher percentage due to universally accepted technical methodologies or extensive quotations may not necessarily constitute plagiarism.

The Editorial Board performs a qualitative, line-by-line review of the similarity report. If any instance of uncredited verbatim copying is detected in critical conceptual sections (such as the Introduction, Discussion, Findings, or Conclusion), the manuscript will be flagged for ethical violation regardless of the overall percentage.

4. Actions Against Misconduct

If plagiarism or academic misconduct is identified at any stage of the publication process, JEES will take the following actions based on COPE flowcharts:

  • Pre-Review/Review Stage: If a high similarity index or uncredited borrowing is detected prior to publication, the manuscript will be immediately desk-rejected. The authors will be requested to provide a formal explanation. The editorial board reserves the right to notify the authors' home institutions if gross academic dishonesty is suspected.
  • Post-Publication Stage: If plagiarism is proven after the article has been published online, the journal will issue a formal Retraction Note in compliance with COPE Retraction Guidelines. The retracted article will be watermarked as "RETRACTED," and the indexing databases will be notified immediately.