Plagiarism Screening Policy
At a Glance
| Aspect | Policy |
|---|---|
| Screening | Every submission, before review and before acceptance |
| Tool | Plagiarism (similarity-detection) software |
| Overall similarity | Below 20% |
| Single source | Below 5% |
| Excluded | Reference list & properly quoted material |
| Framework | COPE flowcharts |
| Sanctions | Revision / rejection / institutional notification |
Sriwijaya Journal of Environment (SJE) is committed to publishing only original scholarly work and treats plagiarism, in any form, as a serious breach of publication ethics. This policy applies to all submissions and follows the Core Practices and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Similarity Screening
Every manuscript is screened for textual similarity using recognised plagiarism (similarity-detection) software at submission, before peer review, and again before final acceptance. SJE does not apply a single rigid percentage threshold; the editor interprets each similarity report in context, examining the source, location, and nature of the overlap.
- Standard methodological descriptions, properly quoted and cited material, and reference lists are not treated as plagiarism.
- Substantial unattributed overlap with other works, or with the authors’ own previously published work (self-plagiarism / redundant publication), is not acceptable.
- As a general guide, overlap from any single source should be minimal, and every borrowed idea or phrase must be properly attributed.
Acceptance Threshold
As a guide, the overall similarity index of a manuscript should be below 20%, with no single source exceeding 5%, excluding the reference list and any properly quoted and correctly cited material. The index is always interpreted with editorial judgement, because a high score may arise from legitimate matches such as standard methods, common terminology, or correctly attributed quotations. Manuscripts that exceed these limits are returned to the authors for revision or are rejected.
| Level | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | A short passage reproduced without significant data or ideas. | Authors are advised to revise the text and cite the sources correctly. |
| Intermediate | Significant text, data, or ideas used without proper attribution. | The manuscript is rejected. |
| Severe | A large portion reproducing the data, ideas, or methods of others. | Rejected; the authors’ institution may be notified and the authors may be barred from future submission. |
Forms of Misconduct Covered
- Verbatim (direct) plagiarism — copying text without quotation and citation.
- Paraphrasing / mosaic plagiarism — rewording sources without attribution.
- Self-plagiarism and duplicate or redundant publication — reusing one’s own work, or submitting the same study to more than one journal.
- Data, image, or figure duplication or manipulation.
- Plagiarism of ideas — presenting others’ concepts or results as one’s own.
Handling of Suspected Plagiarism
Where plagiarism is suspected, the editor follows the relevant COPE flowchart:
- Before publication: minor, well-attributed overlap may be resolved through revision; substantial plagiarism leads to rejection and may be reported to the authors’ institution.
- After publication: confirmed plagiarism leads to a correction or retraction with a published, DOI-linked notice and, where warranted, notification of the authors’ institution.
- Authors are given the opportunity to respond to any allegation before a final decision is made.
Author Responsibilities
By submitting to SJE, authors confirm that the manuscript is original, properly cites all sources, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal. All co-authors share responsibility for the integrity of the work. Any use of generative AI must be disclosed and does not relieve the authors of full responsibility for the originality and integrity of the manuscript.
