Plagiarism Policy

Commitment to Originality and Academic Integrity

Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun is committed to maintaining the originality, integrity, credibility, and ethical quality of all scholarly content published in the journal.

The journal requires every submitted manuscript to represent original scholarly work and to acknowledge appropriately all ideas, words, data, methods, figures, tables, and other materials derived from previous publications or other sources.

Plagiarism, inappropriate textual appropriation, misrepresentation of another person's intellectual contribution, and other forms of unethical duplication are not acceptable.

To support the integrity of the editorial process, Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun uses Turnitin to screen submitted manuscripts for textual similarity.

Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun may undergo similarity screening using Turnitin as part of the journal's editorial evaluation process.

The journal establishes a maximum permitted similarity index of 25%.

Accordingly:

  • Similarity index of 25% or less: The manuscript may proceed to further editorial evaluation, subject to an assessment of the nature and distribution of the identified similarities.

  • Similarity index above 25%: The manuscript will be rejected because it exceeds the journal's maximum similarity threshold.

A similarity index within the permitted limit does not automatically mean that a manuscript is free from plagiarism, nor does it guarantee that the manuscript will proceed to peer review or publication.

Editors may examine the Turnitin similarity report to determine whether identified similarities involve legitimate citation, properly attributed quotations, technical terminology, methodological descriptions, or potentially inappropriate copying.

Maximum Similarity Threshold

The journal applies the following similarity requirement:

Maximum Similarity Index: 25%

Any manuscript with a Turnitin similarity index greater than 25% will be rejected.

Authors are therefore responsible for checking the originality of their manuscripts and ensuring appropriate citation and attribution before submission.

The journal strongly encourages authors to review their manuscripts carefully before submission to minimize excessive textual overlap with previously published or publicly available material.

Definition of Plagiarism

For the purposes of this policy, plagiarism refers to the use of another person's words, ideas, arguments, data, results, images, structures, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment.

Plagiarism may occur intentionally or through inadequate scholarly attribution.

Forms of plagiarism may include, but are not limited to:

  • Copying text from another source without appropriate citation;

  • Presenting another author's ideas or findings as one's own;

  • Reproducing sentences or paragraphs with only minor modifications while retaining the original structure;

  • Paraphrasing another person's work without proper acknowledgment;

  • Reusing figures, tables, images, data, or other materials without attribution or required permission;

  • Translating material from another language and presenting it as original work without citation;

  • Copying substantial portions of previously published material;

  • Using unpublished material obtained from another person without acknowledgment or authorization; and

  • Misrepresenting the intellectual contributions of others.

Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

Authors must also avoid inappropriate reuse of their own previously published material.

Self-plagiarism or inappropriate text recycling may include:

  • Reusing substantial portions of previously published text without appropriate citation;

  • Republishing substantially the same research findings as a new article without transparent disclosure;

  • Reusing previously published tables, figures, or other materials without appropriate acknowledgment;

  • Presenting previously published data as new findings; or

  • Dividing a single study into multiple substantially overlapping manuscripts without adequate scholarly justification.

Authors may build upon their previous research, but previously published work must be cited appropriately and the new manuscript must make a clear and original scholarly contribution.

Proper Citation and Attribution

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are acknowledged accurately and consistently.

When using another person's intellectual contribution, authors should:

  • Cite the original source appropriately;

  • Use quotation marks or other appropriate formatting for direct quotations;

  • Paraphrase genuinely rather than merely replacing individual words;

  • Provide attribution for ideas, arguments, methods, or findings derived from other sources;

  • Obtain permission for copyrighted material when required; and

  • Include complete and accurate references in accordance with the journal's citation requirements.

Proper citation does not justify excessive reproduction of previously published material. Authors should use previous literature to support and contextualize their own original scholarly contribution rather than reproduce substantial portions of existing work.

Turnitin Similarity Report

Turnitin identifies textual similarities between a submitted manuscript and content contained in its comparison databases and other indexed sources.

The journal uses the Turnitin similarity report as a screening instrument to assist editorial evaluation.

The similarity percentage should therefore be understood as an indicator of textual overlap rather than, by itself, a definitive legal or ethical determination that plagiarism has occurred.

However, for administrative consistency, Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun applies a firm maximum similarity threshold of 25%. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold will not proceed further in the journal's publication process.

Editors may also investigate manuscripts with a similarity index of 25% or less when the similarity report reveals substantial inappropriate copying, concentrated overlap from a particular source, inadequate attribution, or other concerns regarding originality.

Editorial Screening for Plagiarism

Similarity screening may form part of the journal's initial editorial assessment.

During this stage, the editorial team may consider:

  • The overall similarity percentage;

  • The sources responsible for the similarity;

  • The concentration of matching text;

  • Whether matching material has been properly cited;

  • Whether direct quotations are appropriately identified;

  • Whether the overlap occurs in substantive sections of the manuscript;

  • Whether the manuscript improperly reproduces another author's arguments or findings;

  • Whether previously published work by the same authors has been transparently acknowledged; and

  • Whether the manuscript demonstrates sufficient originality to justify further evaluation.

A manuscript may be rejected when the editorial team identifies substantial plagiarism or unethical textual duplication, even when the total Turnitin similarity score does not exceed 25%.

Manuscripts Exceeding the 25% Threshold

A manuscript with a similarity index greater than 25% will be rejected.

The editorial office may communicate the similarity concern to the corresponding author as part of the rejection notice.

Rejection based on the similarity threshold means that the manuscript does not satisfy the journal's originality requirements in its submitted form.

Authors are responsible for ensuring compliance with the journal's plagiarism policy before submission.

Manuscripts Within the 25% Threshold

A similarity score of 25% or less does not constitute automatic approval.

Manuscripts within the permitted threshold remain subject to editorial assessment for:

  • Proper attribution;

  • Appropriate paraphrasing;

  • Originality;

  • Duplicate publication;

  • Text recycling;

  • Ethical citation practices; and

  • Other forms of research or publication misconduct.

For example, a manuscript may have an overall similarity score below 25% but still contain a substantially copied passage from a single source. Such a manuscript may be rejected if the overlap constitutes plagiarism or inappropriate duplication.

The journal therefore evaluates both the percentage and the nature of textual similarity.

Plagiarism Identified During Peer Review

If plagiarism or suspicious textual overlap is identified during peer review, reviewers should inform the editor through the journal's confidential review process.

The editor may then:

  • Examine the relevant passages and sources;

  • Review the Turnitin report;

  • Request clarification from the authors when appropriate;

  • Suspend the review process while the matter is examined; or

  • Reject the manuscript when plagiarism or serious inappropriate duplication is established.

Reviewers should not contact authors directly regarding suspected plagiarism.

Plagiarism Identified After Acceptance

Acceptance of a manuscript does not prevent the journal from taking action if plagiarism or substantial duplication is discovered before publication.

If a serious originality concern is identified after acceptance but before publication, the journal may suspend publication and investigate the matter.

Where the manuscript is found to violate this plagiarism policy, the journal may withdraw its acceptance and reject the manuscript.

Plagiarism Identified After Publication

The journal's responsibility for publication integrity continues after an article has been published.

If credible evidence of plagiarism is reported after publication, the editorial team will assess the allegation and the supporting evidence.

Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, the journal may take appropriate post-publication action, including:

  • Publishing a correction;

  • Issuing an appropriate editorial notice;

  • Retracting the article when the integrity of the publication has been seriously compromised; or

  • Taking other action necessary to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

Any post-publication action should be proportionate to the seriousness of the identified problem.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication

The plagiarism policy also supports the journal's prohibition against inappropriate duplicate or redundant publication.

Authors must not submit a manuscript that has already been published in substantially the same form, nor may they submit substantially identical manuscripts simultaneously to multiple journals.

Authors should disclose related publications or manuscripts when significant overlap could affect the editorial assessment of originality.

A manuscript containing substantial overlap with an author's previously published work may be rejected if the relationship between the publications is not appropriately disclosed and academically justified.

Author Responsibilities

Before submitting a manuscript to Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun, authors are expected to:

  • Ensure that the manuscript is original;

  • Verify that all sources are cited appropriately;

  • Check direct quotations for correct attribution;

  • Avoid inappropriate copying and close paraphrasing;

  • Avoid excessive reuse of previously published material;

  • Disclose relevant previous publications;

  • Obtain appropriate permission for copyrighted third-party material;

  • Ensure that all co-authors understand the journal's originality requirements; and

  • Confirm that the manuscript complies with the journal's maximum 25% Turnitin similarity threshold.

The corresponding author is expected to communicate these requirements to all co-authors.

Responsibility of Editors

Editors are responsible for implementing this plagiarism policy consistently and fairly.

Editorial decisions concerning plagiarism should be based on available evidence, the nature and extent of the textual overlap, appropriate scholarly standards, and the journal's stated similarity threshold.

Editors should distinguish between legitimate similarity and inappropriate appropriation while ensuring that credible allegations of plagiarism are not ignored.

The journal does not knowingly publish manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism, fabricated attribution, or unethical duplication.

Responsibility of Reviewers

Reviewers should remain attentive to possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, or inappropriate textual overlap when evaluating manuscripts.

If a reviewer recognizes substantial similarity between a submitted manuscript and another work, the reviewer should confidentially notify the editor and, where possible, identify the relevant source.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through the peer-review process for their own benefit.

Relationship Between Similarity and Plagiarism

Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun distinguishes textual similarity from plagiarism.

A Turnitin similarity score measures matching or overlapping text. It does not independently determine the intent, context, attribution, or ethical significance of each match.

For this reason, editorial assessment considers the content of the similarity report in addition to the numerical percentage.

Nevertheless, the journal establishes 25% as its maximum acceptable similarity index, and manuscripts with a score above 25% will be rejected.

Manuscripts at or below the threshold may still be rejected if editorial examination identifies plagiarism or other serious originality concerns.

Plagiarism Policy Summary

For clarity, the journal applies the following requirements:

Plagiarism-detection tool: Turnitin
Maximum permitted similarity index: 25%
Similarity index ≤ 25%: Eligible for further editorial assessment, subject to examination of the nature of the similarity
Similarity index > 25%: Rejected
Plagiarism identified despite similarity ≤ 25%: May be rejected
Post-publication plagiarism: Subject to investigation and appropriate corrective action

Commitment to Scholarly Integrity

Buletin Ilmiah Nagari Membangun regards originality and appropriate attribution as fundamental requirements of responsible scholarly communication.

Through Turnitin screening, editorial evaluation, responsible peer review, and a clearly defined maximum similarity threshold of 25%, the journal seeks to prevent plagiarism and inappropriate duplication while protecting the credibility of its published scholarly record.

Authors, editors, and reviewers share responsibility for maintaining these standards and for ensuring that all published work demonstrates originality, transparency, responsible attribution, and academic integrity.