1. Policy Statement

Indonesia Discourse is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. The journal considers plagiarism and other forms of unattributed or misleading reuse of intellectual work to be serious violations of publication ethics. This policy is established to prevent plagiarism, promote responsible citation practices, and protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

This policy is informed by the principles and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly its Core Practices concerning plagiarism, redundant publication, and the handling of suspected research and publication misconduct. The journal applies these principles in conjunction with internationally recognized standards of transparency, research integrity, and responsible scholarly communication.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's words, ideas, theories, data, research findings, images, or other intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required. Plagiarism may occur intentionally or unintentionally and is unacceptable in scholarly publishing.

The journal recognizes several forms of plagiarism, including, but not limited to:

• Direct plagiarism: copying text or other materials verbatim without quotation marks, appropriate attribution, or other required acknowledgment.
• Paraphrasing plagiarism: reproducing another person's ideas or arguments with insufficient rewriting or without proper citation.
• Source plagiarism: using data, arguments, theories, or findings from other sources without appropriate acknowledgment.
• Self-plagiarism and text recycling: reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without adequate disclosure or acknowledgment, particularly when the reuse creates a misleading impression of originality.
• Translation plagiarism: translating material from another language and presenting it as original work without appropriate attribution.
• Figure, image, and data plagiarism: reproducing or adapting figures, tables, photographs, datasets, or other materials without proper attribution and permission where required.
• Idea plagiarism: presenting another researcher's original ideas, conceptual frameworks, or unpublished intellectual contributions as one's own.

3. Originality Requirements

All manuscripts submitted to Indonesia Discourse must represent original scholarly work and must appropriately acknowledge all sources used. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts do not contain plagiarized material, unauthorized reproduction, misleading attribution, or undisclosed substantial overlap with previously published work.

Manuscripts must not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously. Authors must disclose relevant previous publications, conference papers, preprints, theses, dissertations, reports, and other related materials when these overlap substantially with the submitted manuscript. Any reuse of previously disseminated content must be transparent and consistent with applicable copyright and publication requirements.

4. Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to Indonesia Discourse may undergo similarity screening using appropriate plagiarism detection software or other reliable methods before being sent for peer review or at other stages of the editorial process. The screening process is intended to identify textual overlap, possible unattributed borrowing, duplicate publication, and other potential originality concerns.

Similarity reports are used as an initial assessment tool and do not, by themselves, establish plagiarism. The editorial team evaluates the nature, location, extent, context, and attribution of the identified similarities. Properly cited quotations, standard terminology, references, methodological descriptions, and other legitimate similarities may contribute to a similarity score without constituting plagiarism.

The journal does not rely exclusively on a numerical similarity percentage to determine whether a manuscript is acceptable. Editorial decisions are based on a contextual examination of the report, the originality of the scholarly contribution, the adequacy of citations, and the presence or absence of misleading or unattributed reuse.

5. Similarity Threshold and Editorial Assessment

The journal evaluates similarity reports on a case-by-case basis. A low similarity score does not automatically establish originality, and a high score does not necessarily prove plagiarism. The editorial team considers whether the overlap involves properly cited material, standard expressions, references, or substantive portions of another work that have not been adequately acknowledged.

Where a similarity threshold is adopted by the journal for administrative screening, it will be applied as an initial indicator rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection criterion. Manuscripts with substantial or unexplained overlap may be returned to authors for clarification, rejected, or subjected to further investigation, depending on the circumstances.

6. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality and integrity of their submissions. They must cite all sources accurately, distinguish their own contributions from those of other researchers, use quotation marks or appropriate formatting for verbatim material, and obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted content where necessary.

Authors must disclose substantial overlap with their previous publications and must not submit the same manuscript, or substantially similar manuscripts, to multiple journals simultaneously. They must also ensure that all references are accurate and that citations genuinely support the statements for which they are provided.

Authors are encouraged to review their manuscripts carefully before submission and to retain relevant source materials, drafts, and documentation that may be required to clarify questions concerning originality or attribution.

7. Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors are responsible for evaluating similarity reports and investigating credible concerns regarding plagiarism or inappropriate reuse. They must exercise professional judgment, maintain confidentiality, and ensure that decisions are fair, consistent, and proportionate to the evidence.

Reviewers should inform the editor if they identify substantial similarities with previously published work, unattributed material, suspicious citation patterns, or other concerns relating to originality. Reviewers must not use unpublished ideas or materials from submitted manuscripts for their own benefit.

8. Procedures for Handling Suspected Plagiarism

When potential plagiarism is identified, the editorial team will assess the available evidence and determine whether further clarification or investigation is necessary. Depending on the circumstances, the journal may take the following steps:

1. Examine the similarity report and compare the manuscript with the relevant source materials.
2. Determine whether the identified overlap is properly attributed and whether it affects the originality or integrity of the manuscript.
3. Request a written explanation or clarification from the corresponding author when appropriate.
4. Evaluate the response and determine whether the concern can be resolved through clarification or whether further action is required.
5. Make an editorial decision based on the evidence, the seriousness of the concern, and applicable publication ethics guidance.

The journal will handle allegations fairly and confidentially and will provide authors with an appropriate opportunity to respond before making a final determination, except where urgent action is necessary to protect the scholarly record or comply with applicable obligations.

9. Actions and Sanctions

If plagiarism or inappropriate reuse is established, the journal may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and seriousness of the case:

• Request clarification or correction of inadequate citations where the issue is minor and can appropriately be resolved.
• Return the manuscript to the authors for substantial revision when the problem is remediable and does not undermine the integrity of the research.
• Reject the manuscript when plagiarism, substantial unattributed overlap, or other serious originality concerns are established.
• Retract a published article when serious plagiarism or other misconduct undermines the integrity of the scholarly record.
• Notify the authors' institutions, research funders, publisher, or other appropriate authorities when warranted by the evidence and circumstances.
• Consider restrictions on future submissions in serious or repeated cases, where justified and consistent with applicable policies.

The severity of any action will be determined by considering the extent and location of the copied material, the importance of the affected content, the presence of misleading attribution, the author's explanation, and whether the conduct appears deliberate or repeated. The journal will follow relevant COPE guidance when handling suspected or established misconduct.

10. Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Authors may refer to and build upon their previous research, provided that the previous work is properly cited and the new manuscript makes a sufficiently distinct scholarly contribution. Reusing substantial portions of previously published text or findings without disclosure may constitute inappropriate text recycling or redundant publication.

Authors must disclose related publications and explain the contribution of the submitted manuscript when substantial overlap exists. Previously published findings must not be presented as new discoveries, and copyright or licensing requirements must be respected when previously published materials are reused.

11. Plagiarism in Data, Images, and Other Materials

The journal prohibits the unauthorized or misleading reuse of figures, tables, photographs, maps, illustrations, datasets, instruments, and other research materials. Authors must provide appropriate citations and obtain permission where required by copyright law, licensing conditions, or the relevant rights holder.

Alteration or manipulation of images, data, or other research materials must not misrepresent the underlying evidence. Suspected fabrication, falsification, or deceptive manipulation will be assessed under the journal's publication ethics and research misconduct procedures.

12. Use of Artificial Intelligence and Originality

Authors remain responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of manuscripts prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. AI-generated text, ideas, references, quotations, images, and other outputs must be checked for accuracy and must not be used to reproduce another person's protected or scholarly work in a manner that violates attribution or copyright requirements.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate sources, conceal plagiarism, generate misleading citations, or misrepresent the originality of a manuscript. Authors must disclose substantive use of generative AI in accordance with the journal's applicable AI policy and submission requirements.

13. Appeals and Complaints

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision concerning plagiarism may submit a written appeal to the editor-in-chief or the journal's designated editorial representative. The appeal must provide a clear explanation, relevant evidence, and references to the materials in question.

Appeals and complaints will be considered impartially and confidentially. The journal may seek additional information or independent advice where necessary. The final decision will be based on the available evidence, applicable publication ethics standards, and the journal's editorial policies.

14. International Standards and References

This policy is informed by recognized international principles of publication ethics and scholarly publishing transparency, including the following resources:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): Core Practices
• Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): Official Website

These references inform the journal's approach to preventing plagiarism, assessing originality, and responding to suspected publication misconduct. Their inclusion does not imply formal membership in or endorsement by the organizations concerned.

15. Commitment to Academic Integrity

Indonesia Discourse is committed to fostering a culture of academic honesty, responsible citation, originality, and transparency. Authors, editors, and reviewers share responsibility for protecting the integrity of scholarly communication. The journal will periodically review this policy to ensure that its procedures remain consistent with developments in publication ethics and internationally recognized standards.