Plagiarism Policy

Kajian Pendidikan, Seni, Budaya, Sosial dan Lingkungan (KPSBSL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical scholarly publishing. The journal considers plagiarism and other forms of research misconduct serious violations of academic ethics and does not tolerate practices that undermine the credibility, originality, and reliability of scholarly work.

KPSBSL requires all authors to ensure that their manuscripts represent original scholarly contributions and that all ideas, statements, data, findings, and materials derived from other sources are appropriately acknowledged and cited. This policy applies to all submissions in education, arts, culture, social sciences, environmental studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.

1. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to KPSBSL are subject to plagiarism and similarity screening before being considered for peer review. The editorial team may use appropriate plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin or Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate), depending on their availability.

These tools assist the editorial team in identifying textual similarities between submitted manuscripts and existing publications, online materials, and other accessible sources. Similarity reports are used as supporting evidence for editorial assessment and do not independently determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

KPSBSL generally expects manuscripts to have a similarity index of less than 20%. However, the similarity percentage is not the sole basis for determining plagiarism. Each report is evaluated contextually, taking into account the nature, location, source, and significance of the matching text.

Properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, methodological descriptions, and commonly used expressions may contribute to a similarity score without necessarily constituting plagiarism. Conversely, a manuscript with a low similarity score may still contain plagiarism if substantial ideas, arguments, data, or findings have been used without appropriate acknowledgment.

Manuscripts that exceed the journal's similarity threshold may be returned to authors for clarification or revision, subjected to further editorial assessment, or rejected if substantial plagiarism or other serious ethical violations are identified.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's words, ideas, arguments, data, findings, images, creative works, or other intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment, citation, or permission where required.

Plagiarism may occur intentionally or unintentionally. Regardless of intent, authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts accurately acknowledge the sources of information and intellectual contributions used in their work.

When authors obtain specific information, such as names, dates, locations, statistical figures, research findings, or specialized arguments, from identifiable sources, those sources must be cited appropriately unless the information is genuinely common knowledge.

KPSBSL recognizes several forms of plagiarism, including the following.

2.1 Direct Plagiarism

Direct plagiarism occurs when an author copies another person's words or passages verbatim without quotation marks or other appropriate identification and without proper citation.

This includes copying complete paragraphs, sentences, or substantial portions of published or unpublished works without appropriate acknowledgment.

2.2 Substantial Plagiarism

Substantial plagiarism occurs when an author reproduces a significant portion of another person's work without appropriate attribution. Substantiality may be assessed in terms of both quantity and intellectual significance.

A relatively short passage may constitute substantial plagiarism if it reproduces a central argument, original theoretical contribution, distinctive interpretation, or important research finding without acknowledgment.

2.3 Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism occurs when an author restates another person's ideas, arguments, or findings using different words or sentence structures without acknowledging the original source.

Changing individual words, rearranging sentences, translating passages, or modifying the structure of an argument does not eliminate the obligation to cite the original source.

Authors must provide appropriate citations whenever their writing relies on another person's intellectual contributions, even when the material has been substantially rephrased.

2.4 Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism occurs when an author combines phrases, sentences, or ideas taken from multiple sources without appropriate acknowledgment, creating a manuscript that appears original but substantially relies on the work of others.

Authors must ensure that synthesized discussions clearly distinguish their own analysis from ideas and evidence obtained from other sources.

2.5 Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without appropriate acknowledgment or without clearly identifying the reused material where disclosure is required.

Redundant publication occurs when substantially similar research findings are published more than once without appropriate justification, disclosure, or an explicitly permitted publication arrangement.

Authors must disclose relevant prior publications, avoid presenting previously published material as entirely new, and ensure that a submitted manuscript makes a genuine and clearly identifiable scholarly contribution.

The legitimate reuse of previously published material may be acceptable in certain circumstances, provided that the original source is acknowledged, any necessary permissions are obtained, and the reuse complies with the journal's policies.

2.6 Source-Based and Data Plagiarism

Plagiarism may also involve the unauthorized or unattributed use of another researcher's data, tables, figures, photographs, illustrations, maps, research instruments, interview materials, archival records, or other research outputs.

Authors must acknowledge the sources of such materials and obtain permission when required by copyright law, licensing terms, research ethics, or the conditions under which the materials were collected.

2.7 Translation Plagiarism

Translation plagiarism occurs when material from another language is translated and presented as original work without appropriate acknowledgment of the original source.

Authors must cite the original work when translating or adapting another author's ideas, arguments, findings, or written materials. Translation does not remove the obligation to provide proper attribution.

2.8 Misappropriation of Artistic and Cultural Works

Because KPSBSL covers arts, culture, and related humanities disciplines, plagiarism also includes the unattributed or unauthorized appropriation of artistic, literary, musical, visual, and cultural materials where acknowledgment or permission is required.

Examples may include copying artwork, reproducing photographs, appropriating literary passages, using traditional designs without appropriate acknowledgment, or presenting another person's cultural interpretation or creative work as one's own.

Authors must respect intellectual property rights, cultural protocols, community rights, and applicable ethical requirements when documenting or interpreting cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and indigenous knowledge.

3. Similarity Threshold and Editorial Assessment

KPSBSL generally applies a similarity threshold of less than 20% for submitted manuscripts. This threshold serves as an initial screening guideline rather than an automatic guarantee of originality or a definitive measure of plagiarism.

The editorial team evaluates similarity reports by considering:

The overall similarity percentage.
The sources contributing to the similarity score.
The presence of unattributed or improperly paraphrased passages.
The extent of overlap with previously published work by the same authors.
The use of quotations, references, standard terminology, and methodological descriptions.
The originality of the manuscript's arguments, analysis, findings, and conclusions.

Where appropriate, references and properly identified quotations may be considered separately during the assessment, provided that the screening tool and editorial procedures allow such exclusions.

Manuscripts with substantial unattributed overlap may be rejected regardless of their overall similarity percentage. Authors may be asked to revise their manuscripts or provide explanations when the similarity report identifies potentially problematic passages.

The final determination rests with the editorial team based on the available evidence, the nature of the overlap, and the journal's publication ethics standards.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to KPSBSL are responsible for ensuring that their work complies with accepted standards of academic integrity.

Authors must:

Submit original work that makes a genuine scholarly contribution.
Cite all sources used in developing their arguments, theoretical frameworks, methods, and interpretations.
Use quotation marks or appropriate formatting when reproducing exact wording from other sources.
Paraphrase and synthesize existing literature responsibly while acknowledging the original sources.
Obtain permission for copyrighted materials when required.
Disclose relevant prior publications and overlapping manuscripts.
Avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, and other forms of research misconduct.
Verify the accuracy and completeness of references and citations.
Ensure that all co-authors understand and comply with the journal's plagiarism policy.
Correct any identified citation or attribution problems promptly when requested by the editorial team.

Authors must also ensure that any use of artificial intelligence tools does not introduce unattributed material, fabricated references, misleading claims of originality, or other forms of academic misconduct.

5. Editorial Actions in Cases of Suspected Plagiarism

KPSBSL takes suspected plagiarism seriously and reserves the right to investigate potential violations at any stage of the publication process, including after acceptance or publication.

Depending on the nature and severity of the suspected violation, the editorial team may take one or more of the following actions:

Request an explanation from the corresponding author.
Request a revised manuscript with appropriate citations or corrections.
Return the manuscript for substantial revision.
Suspend the editorial process while the matter is investigated.
Reject the manuscript before publication.
Withdraw a provisional acceptance decision.
Retract a published article or issue a correction when warranted.
Notify the relevant affiliated institution or research integrity authority where appropriate and consistent with applicable policies and procedures.

Editorial decisions will take into account the available evidence, the seriousness of the violation, the extent of the unattributed material, and any explanation provided by the authors.

KPSBSL reserves the right to take appropriate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record and the rights of authors, researchers, research participants, and other relevant parties.

6. Plagiarism Discovered After Publication

If plagiarism is identified after an article has been published, KPSBSL will assess the allegation in accordance with its publication ethics and correction and retraction policies.

The journal may request an explanation from the authors, examine the relevant evidence, and consult appropriate experts or institutions where necessary.

Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, issue an expression of concern, retract the article, or take other appropriate action.

Any corrective action will be handled transparently and documented in accordance with the journal's policies and applicable publication ethics standards.

The journal aims to ensure that concerns regarding published research are addressed fairly and that the scholarly record remains reliable and trustworthy.

7. Use of Plagiarism Detection Tools

KPSBSL may use plagiarism detection software and other appropriate screening methods to support its assessment of manuscript originality.

Similarity reports are treated as confidential editorial materials and are evaluated by authorized members of the editorial team. Access to these reports is managed in accordance with the journal's confidentiality and data protection practices.

The use of plagiarism detection tools does not replace editorial judgment. Editors must evaluate the context of matching passages and distinguish legitimate textual overlap from potential plagiarism or other forms of inappropriate reuse.

Authors may be asked to clarify specific similarities or provide additional information concerning the originality and provenance of their work.

8. Commitment to Academic Integrity

KPSBSL is committed to fostering a culture of honesty, originality, transparency, and responsible scholarly communication.

The journal encourages authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold ethical standards in the creation, evaluation, and dissemination of research across education, arts, culture, social sciences, environmental studies, and related interdisciplinary fields.

By submitting a manuscript to KPSBSL, authors acknowledge their responsibility to respect intellectual property rights, provide appropriate attribution, and comply with the journal's plagiarism and publication ethics policies.

Through this policy, KPSBSL seeks to prevent plagiarism, protect the intellectual contributions of researchers and communities, maintain the credibility of published scholarship, and promote trust in academic publishing.

For questions concerning plagiarism, similarity screening, or the appropriate acknowledgment of sources, authors are encouraged to contact the KPSBSL editorial office through the official contact channels provided on the journal's website.