Plagiarism Policy

 
ORIGINALITY & RESEARCH INTEGRITY

Plagiarism Policy

TITAH: Journal of Law

TITAH: Journal of Law is committed to maintaining originality, academic honesty, and research integrity. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to similarity screening and editorial evaluation before publication.

≤20%
Maximum Similarity Index
Manuscripts submitted to TITAH: Journal of Law are expected to have an overall Turnitin Similarity Index of no more than 20%.

A similarity score above 20% may result in the manuscript being returned to the author for revision, further investigation, or rejection depending on the nature and extent of the detected overlap.
Similarity Is Not Automatically Plagiarism
A Turnitin similarity percentage indicates textual similarity with materials contained in its comparison database. It does not automatically establish whether plagiarism has occurred.

The Editorial Team therefore evaluates the source, location, context, extent, citation practice, quotation, and pattern of similarity before making an editorial decision.

SCREENING TOOL
Turnitin
Used to generate a Similarity Report for editorial evaluation.
MAXIMUM SIMILARITY
20%
Overall similarity should normally not exceed this threshold.
ASSESSMENT
Editorial Review
The report is assessed contextually rather than by percentage alone.
ETHICAL BASIS
COPE Principles
Suspected plagiarism is handled according to publication-ethics procedures.

Scope of Similarity Screening

Similarity screening may be conducted during the preliminary editorial assessment and may be repeated when necessary during revision or before final publication.

The Editorial Team may examine similarities found in the manuscript title, abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results and discussion, conclusion, tables, figures, footnotes, legal arguments, and other substantive portions of the manuscript.

The presence of properly attributed quotations, standard legal terminology, official titles of legislation, statutory provisions, case names, or bibliographic information does not automatically constitute plagiarism. Each similarity is considered according to its context.

SCREENING WORKFLOW

Plagiarism Screening Process

Manuscript
Submitted		 → Turnitin
Screening		 → Similarity
Report		 → Editorial
Assessment
↓
≤ 20%
May proceed, subject to editorial examination of the matched content.		 > 20%
Returned for revision, investigated further, or rejected depending on the findings.

Forms of Plagiarism

Direct Plagiarism
Copying words, sentences, arguments, or other content from another source without appropriate quotation and attribution.		 Self-Plagiarism
Reusing substantial parts of the author's previously published work without appropriate disclosure or citation.		 Mosaic Plagiarism
Combining copied phrases or lightly modified material from another source without adequate acknowledgment.		 Accidental Plagiarism
Improper attribution caused by inaccurate citation, missing references, or unintentional reuse remains an academic-integrity concern.
IMPORTANT

Similarity Below 20% Does Not Guarantee Acceptance

A manuscript may still be considered problematic even when its total Similarity Index is below 20%.

Extensive consecutive matching from a particular source, copied sentences or paragraphs, unattributed ideas, duplicated data, reused figures, or substantial self-overlap may constitute plagiarism or redundant publication regardless of the overall similarity percentage.

The 20% threshold is therefore a screening benchmark and not a substitute for academic and editorial judgment.

Author Responsibility for Originality

Authors are responsible for ensuring that the submitted manuscript represents original scholarly work.
✓ All quotations must be clearly identified and properly cited.
✓ Ideas, legal arguments, data, tables, and figures derived from other sources must be appropriately acknowledged.
✓ Authors must accurately cite primary and secondary legal sources.
✓ Authors should disclose relevant reuse of their own previously published material.
✓ Authors must ensure that the manuscript is not a duplicate or redundant publication.
Particular Consideration for Legal Manuscripts
Legal research may necessarily reproduce or refer to official terminology, statutory titles, names of judicial decisions, treaty provisions, regulatory language, or limited quotations from authoritative legal texts.

These similarities are evaluated in context. Authors must nevertheless clearly distinguish their own analysis from quoted or paraphrased legal materials and provide accurate citations to the authoritative source.

Editorial Action Based on Similarity Screening

Finding Assessment Possible Editorial Action
≤ 20% Similarity within journal threshold Manuscript may proceed when the matched material is properly attributed and no plagiarism is identified.
> 20% Similarity exceeds journal threshold Manuscript may be returned to the author for substantial revision and may require a new Turnitin screening.
Substantial Unattributed Match Possible plagiarism The Editor may request clarification, investigate the matter, or reject the manuscript.
Serious or Deliberate Plagiarism Publication misconduct Rejection and further action in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and applicable COPE procedures.
Revision and Re-Screening
When a manuscript is returned because its similarity exceeds the journal's threshold, authors may be required to revise the manuscript before further editorial processing.

Revised manuscripts may be screened again using Turnitin. Authors should not merely replace individual words or use superficial paraphrasing to reduce the numerical Similarity Index.

Revisions must improve genuine originality, citation accuracy, attribution, scholarly analysis, and responsible use of source material.

Role of Peer Reviewers
Peer Reviewers are encouraged to notify the Editor when they identify possible plagiarism, inappropriate duplication, unattributed ideas, duplicated data, reused figures, suspicious citation practices, or substantial overlap with another publication.

Reviewers should provide sufficient information to enable the Editor to investigate the concern while maintaining the confidentiality of the peer-review process.

BEFORE PUBLICATION

Final Integrity Check

The Editorial Team may conduct an additional originality or similarity assessment before final acceptance or publication when necessary.

Acceptance or successful peer review does not prevent the journal from taking action if plagiarism or significant improper overlap is discovered at a later stage.

Plagiarism Discovered After Publication

Allegations of plagiarism concerning an already published article will be assessed according to the journal's Publication Ethics policy.

The journal may examine the published article, relevant source materials, editorial records, similarity reports, and explanations from the authors or other involved parties.

Correction Corrigendum Expression of Concern Retraction

The action taken will depend on the seriousness of the problem and its effect on the integrity of the published scholarly record.

Publication Ethics and COPE
Suspected plagiarism and related publication misconduct are handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics policy and relevant principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
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TITAH Similarity Requirement
The maximum Turnitin Similarity Index accepted by TITAH: Journal of Law is 20%. However, compliance with this percentage does not automatically establish originality or guarantee acceptance. Final assessment remains based on editorial examination of the manuscript and the underlying matched sources.
TITAH: Journal of Law
Plagiarism Policy · Turnitin Screening · Maximum Similarity 20% · Research Integrity