Plagiarism Screening Policy
Commitment to Academic Integrity
Universitas: Journal of Global Research and Innovation (UJGRI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing. The journal upholds a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, duplicate publication, data misrepresentation, and other forms of scholarly misconduct.
To preserve the credibility of the scholarly record, every manuscript submitted to the journal undergoes a comprehensive plagiarism screening prior to peer review. The editorial office follows internationally recognized ethical publishing standards, including the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1. Definition of Plagiarism
The journal defines plagiarism as the use of another person's ideas, words, data, images, methods, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Direct Plagiarism
The verbatim reproduction of text, figures, tables, or other published material without proper quotation, citation, or permission where required.
Mosaic (Patchwork) Plagiarism
The incorporation of ideas or paraphrased content from one or more sources without sufficient attribution, creating the impression that the work is original.
Self-Plagiarism
The substantial reuse of an author's own previously published work without appropriate citation, disclosure, or editorial approval. This includes duplicate publication, redundant publication, and salami publication.
Data and Image Misappropriation
The unauthorized use, manipulation, fabrication, falsification, or selective presentation of research data, images, figures, or graphical materials that misrepresent the originality or integrity of the research.
Undisclosed AI-Generated Content
The inappropriate presentation of content substantially generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools or large language models (LLMs) as entirely original scholarly work without appropriate disclosure. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, interpretation, and integrity of all submitted manuscripts regardless of the technologies used during manuscript preparation.
2. Plagiarism Screening Process
Every manuscript submitted to Universitas undergoes plagiarism screening before entering the peer-review process.
The editorial office utilizes recognized plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent similarity detection systems, to identify textual overlap with previously published literature and publicly available sources.
Similarity reports are not evaluated solely on the basis of percentage scores. Editorial decisions are based on a qualitative assessment that considers:
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the source and context of matched text;
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properly cited quotations and references;
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commonly used scientific terminology;
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standard methodological descriptions;
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legally required statements; and
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the originality of the manuscript's intellectual contribution.
The Editor-in-Chief and handling editors reserve the right to request clarification, revision, or additional documentation whenever concerns regarding originality arise.
3. Similarity Thresholds
Similarity percentages serve as editorial guidelines rather than automatic grounds for acceptance or rejection.
| Overall Similarity Index | Editorial Action |
|---|---|
| Below 15% | Normally acceptable, subject to editorial evaluation. |
| 15%–25% | Manuscript may be returned to the authors for revision and reduction of textual similarity before peer review. |
| Above 25% | Manuscript may be rejected or returned for substantial revision depending on the nature and source of the similarity. |
| Evidence of intentional plagiarism or duplicate publication | Immediate rejection and possible further investigation regardless of similarity percentage. |
High similarity arising from properly cited references, legally required statements, standardized research methods, or commonly accepted terminology may not constitute plagiarism.
4. Author Responsibilities
Authors submitting manuscripts to Universitas affirm that:
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the submitted work is original and has not been plagiarized from any source;
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all ideas, quotations, figures, datasets, and previously published materials are properly acknowledged and cited;
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any prior publication, conference presentation, preprint, or related dissemination of the research has been fully disclosed to the editorial office;
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the manuscript has not been submitted simultaneously to another journal unless permitted under applicable publishing agreements; and
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all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
Authors remain solely responsible for the originality and ethical integrity of their work throughout the editorial and publication process.
5. Editorial Actions and Investigation
When potential plagiarism or other originality concerns are identified, the editorial office conducts a preliminary investigation in accordance with the COPE Core Practices and COPE Flowcharts.
Depending on the severity of the findings, the journal may:
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request clarification or explanation from the authors;
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require manuscript revision before peer review;
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reject the manuscript;
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suspend editorial processing while an investigation is conducted;
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publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction if misconduct is confirmed after publication; and
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notify the authors' affiliated institutions or funding agencies when warranted by serious ethical violations.
Editorial decisions are made fairly, confidentially, and based on the available evidence.
6. Appeals
Authors who disagree with an editorial decision related to plagiarism or originality may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of notification.
Appeals must provide clear supporting evidence demonstrating that the similarity findings resulted from legitimate scholarly practices, technical limitations of plagiarism detection software, or other verifiable circumstances.
The appeal will be reviewed independently by the editorial board, whose decision shall be considered final.
7. Ethical Standards
Universitas adheres to internationally accepted publication ethics and follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling allegations of plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct.
The journal is committed to promoting originality, transparency, responsible authorship, and ethical research practices while safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.
This version is more consistent with the policies used by internationally indexed journals. It avoids overly prescriptive technical requirements (such as mandating a specific plagiarism software or requiring DOIs for every citation), removes legally questionable provisions like maintaining a permanent blacklist, and aligns with COPE's principle that similarity percentages are editorial indicators—not automatic measures of misconduct.
