Plagiarism Policy

1. Policy Statement

KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi (COMMUNITY: Journal of Sociology) is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of unethical appropriation of intellectual work.

All submitted manuscripts must represent the authors' original scholarly work. Ideas, arguments, data, findings, and text derived from other sources must be appropriately acknowledged and cited in accordance with accepted academic referencing practices.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when authors use another person's words, ideas, arguments, data, research findings, images, tables, or other intellectual contributions without proper acknowledgment. Plagiarism may occur in several forms, including but not limited to:

• Direct plagiarism: Reproducing another source's words or passages without quotation marks or appropriate citation.
• Paraphrasing plagiarism: Rewriting another person's ideas or arguments without acknowledging the original source.
• Mosaic plagiarism: Combining phrases, sentences, or ideas from one or more sources without adequate attribution.
• Data and figure plagiarism: Using data, tables, figures, photographs, or other research materials without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.
• Self-plagiarism and text recycling: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without appropriate citation or transparent disclosure.
• Duplicate publication: Submitting or publishing substantially similar work in more than one journal without proper disclosure or an appropriate scholarly justification.

3. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi may be screened for similarity using plagiarism-detection software or other appropriate methods. Screening may be conducted during the initial editorial assessment and at subsequent stages of the publication process when necessary.

The editorial team evaluates similarity reports carefully and contextually. A similarity score is an indicator for further assessment, not definitive proof of plagiarism. Properly cited quotations, reference lists, standard methodological terminology, and commonly used expressions may contribute to a similarity score without necessarily constituting misconduct.

The journal may request revisions, clarification, or additional documentation from authors when the screening results raise concerns about originality, attribution, or the appropriate use of previously published material.

4. Similarity Threshold and Editorial Assessment

The journal assesses each manuscript individually, considering the nature, extent, location, and context of textual similarities. Manuscripts with substantial unattributed overlap or other evidence of inappropriate source use may be rejected, regardless of the overall similarity percentage.

Where a numerical similarity threshold is applied, it serves as an initial screening guideline rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection criterion. Meeting a threshold does not guarantee that a manuscript is free from plagiarism, and exceeding it does not automatically establish misconduct.

5. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are expected to:

• Ensure that their manuscripts are original and appropriately acknowledge all sources used.
• Provide accurate citations and references for ideas, quotations, data, and other materials obtained from external sources.
• Use quotation marks or other appropriate formatting when reproducing exact wording from a source.
• Disclose any substantial overlap with their own previously published work, including related articles, books, conference papers, or manuscripts under consideration elsewhere.
• Obtain permission for copyrighted third-party material when required and provide appropriate attribution.
• Respond truthfully and promptly to editorial inquiries concerning originality, attribution, and potential publication ethics issues.

6. Editorial Handling of Suspected Plagiarism

When potential plagiarism or other forms of inappropriate source use are identified, the editorial team will assess the available evidence and determine the appropriate course of action. Depending on the seriousness and circumstances of the case, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request an explanation, clarification, or revision from the authors.
• Return the manuscript for substantial correction of citation and attribution practices.
• Reject the manuscript before or during peer review.
• Suspend the editorial process while the concern is investigated.
• Retract a published article when serious plagiarism or related publication misconduct is established.
• Notify the relevant author's institution or other appropriate body when warranted and consistent with applicable procedures.

Editorial decisions will be based on the evidence, the severity of the concern, and the journal's publication ethics procedures. Authors will be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to allegations before a final decision is made, where applicable.

7. Plagiarism Detected After Publication

If plagiarism is suspected or identified after an article has been published, the journal will review the case and assess its implications for the integrity of the scholarly record. Depending on the findings, the journal may issue a correction, an editorial notice, an expression of concern, or a retraction.

Any post-publication action will be handled transparently and in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies. Relevant notices will be linked to the published article where appropriate to ensure that readers are informed of the outcome.

8. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools does not exempt authors from their responsibility to ensure originality, proper attribution, and research integrity. AI-generated text or material must not be used to misrepresent authorship, fabricate sources, reproduce protected material without appropriate acknowledgment, or conceal the origin of ideas and content.

Authors must comply with the journal's applicable policy on the use of AI tools and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submitted manuscripts. Any required disclosure of AI assistance must be made in accordance with the journal's relevant editorial guidelines.

9. Ethical Standards and References

KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi seeks to handle plagiarism concerns consistently, fairly, and transparently. The journal's procedures are informed by recognized principles of publication ethics, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), where applicable.

10. Final Statement

By submitting a manuscript to KOMUNITAS: Jurnal Ilmu Sosiologi, authors confirm that their work complies with the journal's standards of originality, proper citation, and publication ethics. The journal reserves the right to take appropriate editorial action when plagiarism or other violations of scholarly integrity are identified.