Screening for Plagiarism

 

Screening for Plagiarism

(Policy Framework for Journal of Childhood Education – Scopus-Ready Standard)

1. Purpose and Scope

The Journal of Childhood Education is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. All submitted manuscripts undergo systematic plagiarism screening to ensure originality, proper attribution, and scholarly transparency. This policy applies to research articles, review papers, and all other manuscript types submitted to the journal. The screening process supports the journal’s mission to publish rigorous and ethically responsible research in early childhood education and related pedagogical fields.

2. Initial Similarity Check Procedure

Every manuscript is screened prior to peer review using internationally recognized similarity detection software such as Turnitin or iThenticate. The editorial office conducts the first screening immediately after submission and before editorial assignment. Manuscripts that fail to meet originality standards will be returned to the authors without proceeding to the peer-review stage.

Similarity Thresholds

To align with Scopus-indexed journal practices, the journal applies the following thresholds:

  • Overall similarity index should generally not exceed 15–20%.

  • Similarity from a single source should preferably remain below 3–5%, excluding references and methodological phrases.

  • High similarity within introduction or literature review sections is carefully evaluated for proper citation and paraphrasing quality.

These thresholds function as editorial guidelines rather than absolute rules, since similarity scores require qualitative interpretation.

3. Editorial Evaluation of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports are interpreted by editors, not solely by automated software. Editorial assessment considers:

  • Context of matched text,

  • Proper quotation and referencing practices,

  • Use of standard terminology in early childhood education research,

  • Presence of potential self-plagiarism or redundant publication.

Manuscripts demonstrating acceptable academic reuse, such as methodological descriptions or theoretical definitions, may proceed after editorial clarification.

4. Types of Plagiarism Monitored

The journal evaluates manuscripts for multiple forms of unethical textual overlap, including:

  • Direct plagiarism without citation,

  • Mosaic or patchwriting plagiarism,

  • Self-plagiarism and duplicate publication,

  • Translation plagiarism across languages,

  • Unacknowledged AI-generated content that replicates existing works.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are appropriately cited according to journal guidelines.

5. Decision Outcomes After Screening

After plagiarism screening, the editorial team may take one of the following actions:

  • Proceed to peer review if similarity is within acceptable limits,

  • Request revision when paraphrasing or citation improvements are required,

  • Reject submission in cases of substantial plagiarism or unethical conduct.

Repeated ethical violations may result in a submission ban in accordance with publication ethics policies.

6. Post-Acceptance Verification

To maintain Scopus-level integrity standards, accepted manuscripts may undergo an additional similarity check before publication. This ensures that revisions made during peer review remain compliant with ethical writing practices.

7. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to the Journal of Childhood Education must:

  • Submit original, unpublished work,

  • Properly cite all sources,

  • Avoid duplicate submission to other journals,

  • Provide transparency regarding prior dissemination such as preprints or conference papers.

Failure to comply may lead to retraction following publication ethics procedures.

8. Transparency and Ethical Compliance

This plagiarism screening policy aligns with international publishing standards and supports the journal’s long-term goal of achieving broader indexing and global academic recognition. Ethical screening strengthens trust among authors, reviewers, educators, and policymakers who rely on evidence-based early childhood research.

If you want, I can also create a stronger “ultra-Scopus-ready” version that integrates:

  • COPE-based ethical language

  • AI-generated text detection policy (important for new journals)

  • Editorial workflow diagram wording suitable for OJS menus

  • Policy structure that looks like Q1 journals (Elsevier/Springer style)

Just tell me — because honestly, the version above is already solid, but it can be pushed one level higher strategically if your target is serious Scopus indexing.