Plagiarism Policy

JCISS (Discourse: Journal of Critical Inquiry and Social Studies) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and scholarly ethics. All submitted manuscripts must be original works and must not contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, or any other form of academic misconduct.

To ensure the originality of submissions, all manuscripts are screened using Turnitin Similarity Check before entering the peer-review process. Additional similarity screening may also be conducted during the editorial review, revision, or pre-publication stages when necessary.

Similarity Screening

Manuscripts submitted to JCISS are evaluated based on both the overall similarity index and the nature of the matched content. Editorial decisions are not based solely on a numerical similarity score; context and source attribution are also taken into consideration.

As a general guideline:

  • Manuscripts should normally have an overall similarity index of 20% or less.
  • Similarity originating from properly cited quotations, references, methodological descriptions, institutional names, or commonly used academic expressions may be excluded from consideration.
  • Excessive similarity from a single source, even when the overall similarity score is acceptable, may require further editorial investigation.

Forms of Plagiarism

The journal considers the following practices to be unacceptable:

  • Direct copying of text without proper attribution;
  • Inadequate paraphrasing or close imitation of previously published work;
  • Self-plagiarism or redundant publication of previously published material without appropriate disclosure;
  • Unattributed use of ideas, data, figures, tables, images, or other intellectual content;
  • Submission of substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals simultaneously.

Editorial Actions

If plagiarism or excessive similarity is identified, the Editorial Team may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request clarification or revision from the author(s);
  • Return the manuscript for correction before peer review;
  • Reject the manuscript;
  • Withdraw a manuscript from the review process;
  • Retract a published article where plagiarism is discovered after publication.

Serious cases of academic misconduct may be reported to the author’s institution or other relevant authorities where appropriate.

Authors’ Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and for obtaining permission to reproduce copyrighted materials when required.

By submitting a manuscript to JCISS, authors confirm that:

  • The manuscript is their original work;
  • The manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal;
  • All sources have been properly cited and acknowledged;
  • The manuscript complies with the ethical standards and publication policies of the journal.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

JCISS promotes responsible scholarship, intellectual honesty, and ethical research practices. The journal regards originality as a fundamental requirement of scholarly communication and is committed to preventing plagiarism in all forms throughout the publication process.