Plagiarism Prevention Policy

The Indonesian Journal of Defence, Security and Strategic Studies is committed to protecting the originality, integrity, and reliability of the scholarly record. The journal considers plagiarism and other forms of unattributed or misleading reuse of scholarly material to be serious violations of publication ethics.

The journal follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and applies appropriate measures to prevent, identify, and address plagiarism and related forms of publication misconduct.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

For the purposes of this policy, plagiarism refers to the use of another person's ideas, words, data, arguments, research findings, structure, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment or attribution.

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to:

  • copying text or substantial portions of a published or unpublished work without appropriate citation;

  • presenting another person's ideas, arguments, findings, or theoretical contributions as one's own;

  • reproducing tables, figures, images, datasets, or other materials without appropriate attribution or permission where required;

  • inappropriate paraphrasing that substantially reproduces the original work without adequate acknowledgment;

  • translating and presenting another person's work as original without appropriate citation;

  • submitting substantially similar material that has previously appeared in another publication without disclosure; and

  • using AI-generated or machine-generated content in a manner that misrepresents its origin or authorship.

Plagiarism may occur in both published and unpublished sources, including journal articles, books, conference proceedings, theses, dissertations, working papers, reports, websites, datasets, and other scholarly materials.

2. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

The journal recognizes that authors may legitimately build upon their previous research. However, authors must clearly distinguish new contributions from previously published material and appropriately cite their earlier work.

The following practices may constitute unacceptable self-plagiarism or redundant publication:

  • reproducing substantial portions of one's previously published text without appropriate acknowledgment;

  • submitting substantially the same manuscript to multiple journals;

  • republishing substantially the same findings without adequate disclosure;

  • reusing previously published tables, figures, datasets, or analysis without appropriate citation or permission; and

  • presenting previously published material as a substantially new contribution without sufficient scholarly justification.

The journal assesses text recycling on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the amount, location, purpose, and significance of the reused material.

3. Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts may be subject to plagiarism and text-similarity screening using an appropriate similarity-detection system or other editorial assessment tools.

Similarity screening may be conducted:

  • during initial editorial screening;

  • before a manuscript is sent for peer review;

  • during the revision process; and

  • after acceptance and before publication, where considered necessary.

The journal does not apply an automatic acceptance or rejection decision solely on the basis of a similarity percentage.

A similarity score is an indicator that requires editorial interpretation. Legitimate similarities may arise from references, technical terminology, commonly used methodological descriptions, legal or policy terminology, standard expressions, titles, institutional names, or other unavoidable sources of overlap.

Editors may therefore examine the sources and context of identified similarities before determining whether they constitute plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse.

4. Editorial Assessment

When substantial or potentially problematic similarity is identified, the editor may:

  1. examine the overlapping passages and their sources;

  2. determine whether the material has been appropriately cited or acknowledged;

  3. assess the extent and significance of the overlap;

  4. request an explanation from the author where appropriate;

  5. request revisions or additional citations;

  6. reject the manuscript when the overlap constitutes serious plagiarism or publication misconduct; or

  7. initiate a formal publication ethics investigation when necessary.

The editorial assessment is based on the nature and context of the overlap rather than on a similarity score alone.

5. Similarity Threshold

The journal may establish an internal similarity threshold for editorial screening. However, no single similarity percentage is treated as a universal definition of plagiarism.

A manuscript with a relatively low similarity score may still contain serious plagiarism if the copied material represents a significant intellectual contribution. Conversely, a manuscript with a higher similarity score may not constitute plagiarism when the overlap results primarily from properly cited references, standard terminology, methodological language, or other legitimate sources.

Any internal similarity threshold used by the journal is therefore an editorial screening indicator rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection criterion.

6. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted manuscripts are original and properly acknowledge the work of others.

Authors must:

  • provide appropriate citations for ideas, arguments, findings, data, and textual material derived from other sources;

  • use quotation marks and appropriate attribution when reproducing exact wording;

  • paraphrase and summarize sources accurately and with proper citation;

  • disclose relevant previous publications and related manuscripts;

  • obtain permission where required for copyrighted material;

  • ensure that submitted manuscripts are not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere; and

  • cooperate with the journal if questions concerning originality or plagiarism arise.

Authors remain responsible for the originality and integrity of their manuscripts even when similarity-detection or writing-assistance tools have been used.

7. Plagiarism Identified Before Publication

If plagiarism or substantial unattributed overlap is identified before publication, the journal may take one or more of the following actions depending on the seriousness of the case:

  • request correction of minor citation or attribution problems;

  • require substantial revision;

  • reject the manuscript;

  • suspend consideration of the manuscript;

  • notify the corresponding author and, where appropriate, other authors;

  • refer the matter to the relevant institution or research integrity body; or

  • take other appropriate action in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles.

Serious or deliberate plagiarism will normally result in rejection of the manuscript.

8. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If credible evidence of plagiarism is identified after an article has been published, the journal will assess the case in accordance with its Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement and relevant COPE guidance.

Depending on the severity and circumstances, the journal may:

  • publish a correction;

  • issue an expression of concern;

  • retract the article;

  • publish an editorial notice explaining the action taken;

  • notify the authors' institution or relevant research integrity body; or

  • take other appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Any correction or retraction will be clearly linked to the original article and maintained as part of the permanent scholarly record.

9. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

The journal does not permit the submission of manuscripts that have been published previously or are simultaneously under consideration by another journal, unless the nature of the prior dissemination has been fully disclosed and the submission is otherwise consistent with accepted scholarly publishing practices.

Authors must disclose relevant conference papers, preprints, working papers, reports, book chapters, theses, dissertations, datasets, or other related publications that substantially overlap with the submitted manuscript.

The editorial team will determine whether the overlap constitutes legitimate development of previous work or redundant publication.

10. Plagiarism in Figures, Tables, Data, and Other Materials

Plagiarism is not limited to textual material. Authors must appropriately acknowledge the sources of:

  • figures and illustrations;

  • tables;

  • maps;

  • photographs;

  • datasets;

  • statistical materials;

  • research instruments;

  • conceptual models;

  • software or code; and

  • other intellectual or research materials.

Where permission is required, authors must obtain and retain appropriate permission before publication.

11. Translation Plagiarism

The translation of another person's published or unpublished work does not make the work original.

Authors who use translated material must provide appropriate attribution to the original source and comply with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

Submitting a translated version of an existing publication as an original article without disclosure and appropriate attribution may constitute plagiarism and/or duplicate publication.

12. Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism

The use of artificial intelligence or generative AI tools does not exempt authors from responsibility for originality and proper attribution.

Authors must not use AI tools to reproduce, disguise, or paraphrase another person's work in a manner that avoids appropriate attribution.

AI-generated or AI-assisted text must not contain fabricated references, unattributed copyrighted material, or misleading representations of originality.

Where the use of generative AI materially contributes to manuscript preparation, authors must comply with the journal's applicable AI policy and remain fully responsible for the submitted content.

13. Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities

Editors and reviewers who identify suspected plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse should notify the handling editor or Editorial Office and provide relevant evidence where possible.

Editors must assess suspected plagiarism fairly, confidentially, and objectively. Reviewers must not use or disclose unpublished material obtained through the review process.

Editorial staff, editors, and reviewers must not use plagiarism allegations as a basis for personal, institutional, political, or other inappropriate purposes.

14. False or Malicious Allegations

The journal recognizes that allegations of plagiarism can have significant consequences for authors and therefore treats such allegations seriously.

Allegations should be supported by credible evidence and will be assessed objectively. The journal will not make a finding of plagiarism solely on the basis of an unsupported allegation or similarity percentage.

Where appropriate, the journal may seek clarification from authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties before reaching a decision.

15. Appeals and Author Response

Authors have the opportunity to respond to substantive allegations concerning plagiarism or text reuse.

Where a manuscript is rejected or an editorial action is taken on the basis of suspected plagiarism, authors may submit an appeal in accordance with the journal's complaints and appeals procedure.

Appeals must provide substantive reasons or relevant new evidence and will be assessed independently and fairly.

16. Commitment to Academic Integrity

The Indonesian Journal of Defence, Security and Strategic Studies considers originality, accurate attribution, and transparency to be fundamental principles of scholarly communication.

The journal is committed to preventing plagiarism through editorial screening, responsible peer review, author education, transparent publication practices, and appropriate action when misconduct is identified.

This policy should be read together with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement, Peer Review Policy, Author Guidelines, Correction and Retraction Policy, Copyright and Licensing Policy, and Artificial Intelligence Policy.