Plagiarism Policy

Screening for Plagiarism Policy
International Journal of Integrated Legal Systems (IJILS)

1. Purpose
To uphold academic integrity, ensure originality, and prevent unethical publication practices, IJILS employs plagiarism screening using Turnitin software for all submitted manuscripts.

2. Scope
This policy applies to all submissions, including research articles, reviews, essays, and other scholarly works.

3. Plagiarism Screening Tools

  • Primary Tool: Turnitin (or equivalent plagiarism detection software).
  • Alternative Tools: Other reputable software may be used if Turnitin is unavailable.

4. Maximum Similarity Threshold

  • Overall Similarity Index: Manuscripts must not exceed 20% similarity (excluding references, methodology sections, and commonly used terms).
  • Single-Source Match: No individual source should contribute more than 5% similarity (excluding properly cited quotes).

5. Exclusions
The following sections are excluded from similarity checks:

  • Title page, abstract, keywords, and acknowledgments.
  • Reference lists, bibliographies, and citations.
  • Methodology sections (if standard protocols are used).
  • Common phrases, definitions, or religious texts (e.g., Quranic verses, Hadith, Bible passages) when properly cited.

6. Screening Process

  • Initial Check: Conducted at submission. Authors may be required to submit a Turnitin report.
  • Post-Revisions Check: Applied after major revisions.
  • Editorial Review:
    • If similarity exceeds 20% or violates single-source limits, the editor will:
      a) Notify authors to revise and resubmit.
      b) Reject the manuscript if revisions fail to meet standards.
    • Suspected plagiarism (e.g., uncited verbatim text, data manipulation) will be escalated per COPE guidelines.

7. Ethical Responsibilities

  • Authors:
    • Ensure originality and proper citation of sources.
    • Disclose prior publications or preprints.
     
  • Editors:
    • Uphold confidentiality of plagiarism reports.
    • Investigate disputes transparently.

8. Policy Review
This policy is reviewed annually by the IJILS Editorial Board to align with evolving ethical standards.

Contact: For queries, email: rasail.media@gmail.com.