Plagiarism Policy

PIETAS: Jurnal Studi Agama dan Lintas Budaya is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. All manuscripts submitted to PIETAS must represent original scholarly work, must not have been previously published, and must not be simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo similarity screening as part of the initial editorial assessment before proceeding to the peer-review stage. PIETAS uses Turnitin or other reliable similarity-detection software to assist the Editorial Team in evaluating the originality of submitted manuscripts.

As a general guideline, manuscripts are expected to have an overall similarity index of no more than 20%, excluding references, bibliography, properly quoted material, commonly used expressions, and other academically acceptable similarities where appropriate.

However, the similarity percentage is not used as the sole basis for an editorial decision. The Editorial Team evaluates the nature, source, distribution, and context of the identified similarities. A manuscript with a similarity index below 20% may still be rejected if plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate publication, misappropriation of ideas, or other unethical publication practices are identified.

Forms of Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

PIETAS does not tolerate plagiarism or other forms of inappropriate use or misrepresentation of scholarly work, including but not limited to:

  • unattributed copying of another author's words, arguments, ideas, interpretations, or conclusions;

  • inappropriate paraphrasing without proper citation;

  • unauthorized use of figures, tables, images, translations, archival materials, data, or other copyrighted content;

  • self-plagiarism or inappropriate text recycling;

  • duplicate or redundant publication;

  • misappropriation of another person's ideas, data, research findings, or intellectual contribution;

  • fabrication or falsification of data or evidence;

  • deliberate misrepresentation of religious, cultural, historical, or ethnographic information; and

  • other practices that compromise the originality or integrity of the scholarly record.

Levels of Plagiarism and Editorial Actions

Minor Plagiarism

Minor plagiarism refers to limited unattributed textual overlap, inadequate citation, inappropriate paraphrasing, or isolated reuse of previously published wording that does not substantially compromise the originality or integrity of the manuscript.

Editorial Action:

  • The authors will be informed of the identified concerns.

  • The manuscript may be returned for revision.

  • Authors will be required to correct the affected sections, improve paraphrasing, and provide appropriate citations before further editorial consideration.

Moderate Plagiarism

Moderate plagiarism involves substantial unattributed use of text, arguments, interpretations, figures, tables, images, translations, or other intellectual content that raises significant concerns regarding the originality of the manuscript.

Editorial Action:

  • The manuscript may be rejected.

  • The Editorial Team may request a written explanation from the authors when necessary.

  • Any subsequent submission will be considered only after the identified ethical concerns have been adequately addressed and will remain subject to the journal's standard editorial evaluation.

Severe Plagiarism

Severe plagiarism includes extensive or deliberate copying of another author's work, theft or misappropriation of ideas, data, images, translations, interpretations, or research findings, duplicate publication, fabrication or falsification of evidence, or other serious violations of publication ethics.

Editorial Action:

  • The manuscript will be rejected.

  • Where serious publication misconduct is confirmed, the Editorial Board may take additional action in accordance with PIETAS's Publication Ethics.

  • When appropriate, the journal may communicate confirmed serious misconduct to the authors' affiliated institutions, funding organizations, or other relevant parties.

  • Additional measures may be considered when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism or other serious publication misconduct is identified after an article has been published, PIETAS will conduct an appropriate editorial investigation.

Depending on the nature and severity of the case, corrective action may include:

  • publication of a correction;

  • publication of an expression of concern;

  • retraction of the article; or

  • other appropriate editorial measures necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Post-publication actions will be conducted in accordance with PIETAS's Publication Ethics and relevant internationally recognized guidance on responsible scholarly publishing.

Authors' Responsibility

All listed authors share responsibility for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the submitted manuscript. Authors must properly acknowledge all sources, verify citations and references, and obtain appropriate permission for copyrighted or culturally restricted materials where required.

By submitting a manuscript to PIETAS: Jurnal Studi Agama dan Lintas Budaya, authors confirm that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere, is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal, and complies with the journal's Publication Ethics, Plagiarism Policy, and Copyright & License Policy.