Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction

Musyarakah: Journal of Sharia Economics (MJSE) is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. This policy establishes the principles and procedures for preventing, detecting, and addressing plagiarism in submitted and published manuscripts. All authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is original and that all sources are properly acknowledged.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person's words, ideas, data, findings, or other intellectual work without appropriate acknowledgment. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text or substantial portions of another work without quotation marks and proper citation.
  • Improper Paraphrasing: Rewriting another author's ideas or arguments without adequate attribution or reproducing the original wording too closely.
  • Data and Image Plagiarism: Using figures, tables, images, datasets, or research findings without proper acknowledgment or the necessary permissions.
  • Idea Plagiarism: Presenting another person's theories, concepts, interpretations, or original ideas as one's own.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure, including redundant or duplicate publication.

Plagiarism in any form constitutes a violation of publication ethics. MJSE expects all authors to respect intellectual property rights and acknowledge the contributions of other researchers accurately and transparently.

3. Plagiarism Screening and Similarity Assessment

All manuscripts submitted to MJSE are subject to plagiarism screening before proceeding to peer review. The journal uses Turnitin or another appropriate similarity-detection tool to identify textual similarities between submitted manuscripts and existing publications.

An overall similarity index exceeding 20% may trigger further editorial examination. However, the similarity percentage is not, by itself, a definitive measure of plagiarism. Editors assess the nature, source, context, and extent of the similarities before making a decision.

Where appropriate, reference lists, bibliographies, and properly quoted and cited material may be excluded from the similarity calculation to support a more accurate assessment.

4. Handling Plagiarism Allegations

Before publication: If plagiarism is suspected, the editorial team will examine the similarity report and relevant sources. Authors may be asked to provide an explanation or revise the manuscript where the issue is minor and correctable. Confirmed or serious plagiarism may result in manuscript rejection. In cases of substantial misconduct, MJSE may notify the authors' affiliated institutions or other relevant parties.

After publication: If an allegation concerns a published article, MJSE will conduct an investigation in accordance with applicable publication ethics standards. The authors will be given an appropriate opportunity to respond. If plagiarism is confirmed, the journal may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction, depending on the severity of the violation. Relevant institutions may also be notified when warranted.

The journal reserves the right to take further appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation.

5. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to MJSE must:

  1. Ensure that their submissions are original and have not been improperly copied from other works.
  2. Cite all sources of ideas, arguments, data, quotations, and research findings accurately.
  3. Use quotation marks and appropriate references when reproducing text verbatim.
  4. Obtain permission to use copyrighted materials whenever required.
  5. Disclose any substantial overlap with their previously published work.
  6. Respond honestly and promptly to editorial inquiries concerning originality and similarity reports.

6. Editorial Procedures and Transparency

The editorial team evaluates similarity reports carefully and contextually. Similarity resulting from standard terminology, common expressions, methodological descriptions, or properly cited quotations does not automatically constitute plagiarism. Editorial decisions are based on the substance of the findings and the principles of academic integrity rather than on a similarity score alone.

When potential plagiarism is identified, MJSE follows fair and consistent procedures, including reviewing the evidence, communicating with the authors, and considering their responses before determining appropriate action.

Authors who have questions about plagiarism screening or editorial assessments may contact the journal's editorial office.

7. Policy Review

MJSE periodically reviews its plagiarism policy and screening procedures to ensure alignment with recognized publication ethics standards and evolving best practices in scholarly publishing. The journal remains committed to protecting the originality, credibility, and integrity of the academic record.