Plagiarism Policy

The E-Journal of Islamic Thought and Understanding (E-JITU) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality, proper attribution, and ethical conduct of all scholarly works submitted for publication. All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism and originality screening as part of the editorial process.

1. Scope of Screening

All manuscripts are screened for potential plagiarism and other forms of inappropriate textual or content overlap. Screening may include:

• Textual plagiarism – the use of another person's words or ideas without appropriate acknowledgement.
• Self-plagiarism – the reuse of substantial portions of an author's previously published work without proper citation or acknowledgement.
• Redundant or duplicate publication – substantial reuse or republication of previously published research without appropriate disclosure.
• Improper paraphrasing – presenting another author's ideas or work in substantially similar wording without proper attribution.
• Unattributed use of figures, tables, data, or other materials from previously published or external sources.

Plagiarism screening is conducted using Turnitin or other appropriate similarity-detection software, where applicable, and is complemented by editorial assessment.

2. Evaluation of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports are used as screening tools and do not, by themselves, determine whether plagiarism has occurred. Similarity results are evaluated contextually by the editorial team, taking into consideration:

• the nature and location of the identified overlap;
• the extent and significance of the similarity;
• whether the material has been properly cited or acknowledged;
• legitimate quotations and references;
• commonly used technical or methodological terminology; and
• the potential impact of the overlap on the originality and scholarly contribution of the manuscript.

A high similarity score does not automatically constitute plagiarism, while a low similarity score does not necessarily mean that plagiarism is absent.

3. Similarity Reference Level

E-JITU may use a similarity reference level of 20% or below as a general screening benchmark, excluding appropriate matches such as references, quotations, and standard methodological phrases.

This reference level is indicative rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection threshold. Editorial decisions will be based on the nature, source, and significance of the identified similarities rather than the similarity percentage alone.

4. Acceptable and Unacceptable Overlap

Certain forms of textual similarity may be acceptable when properly acknowledged, including:

• properly cited quotations;
• references and bibliographic information;
• standard terminology and commonly used methodological expressions; and
• appropriately cited descriptions of established concepts or procedures.

Unacceptable overlap includes:

• copying substantial text without appropriate citation;
• presenting another author's ideas, arguments, data, or findings as one's own;
• substantial reuse of previously published material without acknowledgement;
• submitting substantially similar manuscripts to more than one journal simultaneously; and
• reproducing figures, tables, or other copyrighted materials without appropriate attribution or permission where required.

5. Editorial Action

Where substantial or inappropriate similarity is identified, the editorial team may request an explanation or revision from the authors, return the manuscript for correction, or reject the manuscript, depending on the nature and severity of the concern.

Cases involving suspected plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and relevant COPE principles and guidelines.

6. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism or significant unattributed overlap is discovered after publication, E-JITU may take appropriate corrective action, which may include correction, retraction, or an expression of concern, depending on the circumstances and severity of the case.

The journal will take reasonable steps to protect the integrity of the published academic record and to ensure that concerns are addressed fairly and transparently.

7. Authors' Responsibility

Authors are ultimately responsible for ensuring the originality of their manuscripts and the proper acknowledgement of all sources. Submission of a manuscript to E-JITU constitutes confirmation that the manuscript is original and has been prepared in accordance with accepted standards of academic and publication ethics.