Plagiarism Policy

1. Policy Statement

J-EBI (Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis Islam), published by Institut Agama Islam Sufyan Tsauri Majenang (INSIMA), is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all published works. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and is treated as a serious violation of publication ethics.

All manuscripts submitted to J-EBI must represent original scholarly work. Authors are required to acknowledge all sources appropriately and provide accurate citations for ideas, statements, data, images, and other materials derived from existing works. Submitting a manuscript to J-EBI indicates that the authors agree to comply with this policy.

2. Definition and Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when authors present another person's words, ideas, data, findings, or other intellectual contributions as their own without appropriate acknowledgment. It may occur in both textual and non-textual materials.

Forms of plagiarism include, but are not limited to:

  1. Direct Plagiarism: Copying text or material from another source without proper quotation, attribution, or citation.

  2. Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism: Combining phrases, sentences, or ideas from one or more sources without adequate acknowledgment.

  3. Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting another author's ideas with different wording without providing appropriate citation.

  4. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without proper disclosure, citation, or justification, particularly when the reuse misrepresents the originality of the submission.

  5. Data and Figure Plagiarism: Using tables, figures, images, diagrams, datasets, or other research materials without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.

  6. Idea Plagiarism: Presenting another researcher's original concepts, arguments, theoretical contributions, or findings as one's own.

  7. Translated Plagiarism: Translating material from another language and presenting it as original work without proper acknowledgment.

  8. Unattributed Use of AI-Generated Material: Presenting AI-generated text, references, data, or other content in ways that misrepresent its origin or violate the journal's AI-use policy.

Proper citation is required even when material has been paraphrased. Listing a source in the references alone does not necessarily correct unattributed copying in the manuscript.

3. Originality Requirements

Authors submitting manuscripts to J-EBI must ensure that:

  • The manuscript is original and has not been published previously, except where prior dissemination is explicitly permitted and fully disclosed under the journal's policies.

  • The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal at the same time.

  • All sources, quotations, paraphrased ideas, data, and borrowed materials are appropriately cited.

  • Permissions have been obtained for copyrighted materials when necessary.

  • Any substantial reuse of the authors' previously published material is transparently disclosed and appropriately referenced.

  • All authors take responsibility for the originality and integrity of the submitted manuscript.

Authors must not attempt to conceal plagiarism through superficial word substitution, machine translation, automated paraphrasing, or other techniques intended to disguise the origin of copied material.

4. Similarity Screening

J-EBI may screen submitted manuscripts using plagiarism-detection or text-similarity software as part of its initial editorial assessment. Screening may be conducted before peer review, during the review process, or when concerns arise after publication.

Similarity reports are used to identify passages that require editorial examination. A similarity score alone does not establish plagiarism, because legitimate quotations, references, standard terminology, and commonly used expressions may also produce matches. Conversely, a low similarity score does not guarantee that a manuscript is free from plagiarism.

The editorial team will therefore assess similarity reports in context, considering the nature, location, extent, and attribution of matching text, as well as the originality of the manuscript's ideas and findings.

5. Similarity Threshold and Editorial Assessment

J-EBI will assess each manuscript individually rather than relying exclusively on a numerical similarity score. Any similarity threshold adopted by the journal should be applied consistently and interpreted alongside a qualitative review of the report.

Where a specific percentage threshold is established, it should be stated transparently in the journal's author guidelines and applied in accordance with the journal's screening procedures. No manuscript should be accepted or rejected solely on the basis of a similarity percentage without appropriate editorial assessment.

The editorial team may consider the following factors:

  • The proportion and distribution of matching text.

  • Whether matching passages are properly quoted and cited.

  • Whether substantial overlap occurs in the introduction, literature review, methodology, results, or discussion.

  • Whether overlap involves the authors' own previous publications.

  • Whether tables, figures, data, or ideas have been reproduced without acknowledgment.

  • Whether the overlap affects the originality or scholarly contribution of the manuscript.

6. Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

When potential plagiarism is identified, J-EBI will assess the available evidence and determine an appropriate response according to the seriousness of the case and the stage of publication.

Possible actions include:

  1. Minor or Correctable Citation Problems: The authors may be asked to correct citations, add missing acknowledgments, or revise improperly paraphrased passages before the manuscript proceeds.

  2. Substantial Textual Overlap: The manuscript may be returned for major revision or rejected, depending on the extent and nature of the overlap.

  3. Serious or Deliberate Plagiarism: The manuscript may be rejected, and the matter may be referred to the authors' affiliated institution or another appropriate authority when warranted.

  4. Plagiarism Identified After Publication: The journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the severity of the problem and its impact on the reliability and integrity of the published article.

The journal may also take proportionate action in cases of repeated or serious misconduct, consistent with its Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and Allegation of Research Misconduct Policy.

7. Procedure for Handling Suspected Plagiarism

When suspected plagiarism is identified, the editorial team will generally follow these steps:

  1. Review the similarity report or other evidence and identify the passages or materials of concern.

  2. Assess the evidence in context, including the source, attribution, and significance of the overlap.

  3. Where appropriate, request an explanation or clarification from the corresponding author.

  4. Consider the authors' response and any additional evidence before making a decision.

  5. Determine and document an appropriate editorial action.

  6. If the concern involves a published article or requires investigation beyond the journal's authority, take further action under the relevant ethics policy and, where justified, contact the appropriate institution or authority.

The journal will handle allegations fairly and confidentially, provide relevant parties with an appropriate opportunity to respond, and avoid treating similarity alone as conclusive evidence of misconduct.

8. Responsibilities of Authors, Editors, and Reviewers

Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their manuscripts, citing sources accurately, obtaining permissions where necessary, and responding honestly to editorial inquiries concerning similarity or plagiarism.

Editors

Editors are responsible for assessing similarity reports fairly, applying this policy consistently, and taking appropriate action when credible evidence of plagiarism is identified.

Reviewers

Reviewers should inform the editorial team if they identify possible plagiarism, unattributed material, duplicate publication, or other concerns about originality. They must handle such concerns confidentially and avoid using unpublished material for personal or professional advantage.

9. Plagiarism and Previously Published Work

J-EBI distinguishes legitimate scholarly reuse from plagiarism and redundant publication. Authors may refer to and build upon their previous research, provided that the sources are appropriately cited and the new manuscript makes a sufficiently distinct scholarly contribution.

Reusing substantial portions of previously published text, data, or figures without disclosure may constitute self-plagiarism, text recycling, or redundant publication, depending on the circumstances. Such cases will be assessed individually, taking into account the amount and purpose of the reuse, the publication context, copyright requirements, and the originality of the new contribution.

10. Policy Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to J-EBI, authors acknowledge their responsibility to comply with this Plagiarism Policy and the journal's related publication ethics requirements.

J-EBI reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not meet its originality standards and to take appropriate action if plagiarism is discovered after publication. The journal may review and update this policy to maintain responsible and transparent scholarly publishing practices.