Plagiarisme Screening Policy

Penelitian Gizi dan Makanan (The Journal of Nutrition and Food Research) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all manuscripts submitted for publication. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate publication, or other forms of unattributed use of another person's intellectual work.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when an author uses another person's words, ideas, data, findings, images, methods, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment, attribution, or disclosure, thereby presenting the material as their own.

Plagiarism may take several forms, including:

  • Direct or literal plagiarism: reproducing another person's words or passages without appropriate quotation, attribution, or acknowledgment.
  • Substantial plagiarism: reproducing a substantial or significant part of another person's work without appropriate acknowledgment. Substantiality is assessed in terms of both the quantity and the significance of the material reproduced.
  • Paraphrasing plagiarism: presenting another person's ideas or arguments through rewording or restructuring without appropriate attribution.
  • Mosaic plagiarism: combining or modifying phrases, sentences, or ideas from one or more sources without adequate acknowledgment.
  • Plagiarism of data, figures, tables, images, or other research materials: using another person's research outputs or intellectual contributions without appropriate attribution and, where required, permission.
  • Self-plagiarism and inappropriate text recycling: reusing previously published or disseminated material without appropriate disclosure, citation, or compliance with applicable publication and copyright requirements.

The journal distinguishes plagiarism from copyright infringement and other forms of publication misconduct. Each concern is assessed according to the nature of the material, the extent of overlap, the adequacy of attribution, applicable rights, and the circumstances of the case.

2. Plagiarism Screening Procedure

Manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to similarity screening by the editorial team before or during the editorial assessment process. Additional screening may be conducted during peer review, revision, or after publication when concerns arise.

The journal uses similarity-detection software to identify textual overlap between submitted manuscripts and existing publications, online sources, and other materials available in the software's comparison databases.

The editorial team reviews the resulting Similarity Report to assess the sources, location, extent, and context of the identified matches.

The similarity report is an initial screening instrument and does not, by itself, establish whether plagiarism has occurred.

The journal's screening procedures may include appropriate exclusions for reference lists, properly attributed quotations, standard terminology, and other legitimate matches, where applicable. Exclusions are applied to support accurate interpretation and do not eliminate the need to investigate potentially unattributed or improperly reused material.

3. Similarity Score and Editorial Assessment

The journal uses a similarity score of approximately 25% as an initial indicator for further editorial examination, rather than as an automatic acceptance or rejection threshold.

Manuscripts with similarity scores above this reference level may be examined more closely to determine whether the identified overlap results from legitimate citations, references, standard terminology, previously disclosed preprints, or potentially inappropriate reuse.

Manuscripts with scores below this level may also be investigated if the report or other evidence indicates substantial unattributed copying, plagiarism of research findings, or other concerns about originality.

Editorial decisions are based on the nature, location, extent, and significance of the identified overlap, the adequacy of attribution, the author's explanation where applicable, and the overall integrity of the manuscript.

The journal does not determine plagiarism solely on the basis of a numerical similarity score.

4. Handling Suspected Plagiarism in Submitted Manuscripts

When potential plagiarism is identified, the editorial team evaluates the available evidence and determines whether further investigation is necessary.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

  1. Request clarification or an explanation from the corresponding author.
  2. Ask the author to correct inadequate citations, quotation practices, or other remediable attribution problems.
  3. Request a revised manuscript when the concern is minor and can be appropriately corrected.
  4. Reject the manuscript when substantial or clear plagiarism is established.
  5. Refer serious or unresolved concerns to the relevant institution or other appropriate authority where warranted.

The author will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the concerns, except where immediate action is necessary to protect the integrity of the publication process.

The journal will handle suspected cases in accordance with the relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance.

5. Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Authors must disclose relevant prior publications, previously disseminated material, and substantially related manuscripts.

Reusing previously published text, data, figures, or findings without appropriate disclosure or attribution may constitute self-plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate publication, or redundant publication.

The editorial team will assess the extent and significance of the overlap, the degree of novelty in the submitted work, the adequacy of disclosure and citation, and the relevant publication history.

The existence of a preprint does not, by itself, constitute plagiarism or duplicate journal publication, provided that the preprint is disclosed in accordance with the journal's submission and self-archiving policies.

6. Suspected Plagiarism in Published Articles

If plagiarism is suspected in an article that has already been published, the journal will investigate the concern in accordance with the relevant COPE guidance.

The editorial team will assess the available evidence, contact the corresponding author for an explanation where appropriate, and consult other relevant parties when necessary.

Depending on the findings and their implications for the integrity of the scholarly record, the journal may issue a correction, publish an expression of concern, retract the article, or take other appropriate action in accordance with its publication ethics procedures.

Any action taken will be proportionate to the seriousness of the established problem and will be communicated transparently to readers.

7. Editorial Responsibility and Confidentiality

The Editor-in-Chief and authorized editorial team members are responsible for reviewing similarity reports and determining the appropriate course of action.

Similarity reports, source comparisons, author correspondence, and related investigative records shall be handled confidentially and accessed only by authorized individuals for legitimate editorial and publication ethics purposes.

The journal will assess suspected cases fairly and consistently, considering the available evidence and the author's response before reaching a conclusion.

8. Reference to COPE Guidance

The journal follows the relevant COPE guidance when investigating suspected plagiarism:

These guidelines inform the journal's assessment and handling of suspected plagiarism, while editorial decisions remain subject to the evidence and circumstances of each case.