Al-Mada: Jurnal Agama, Sosial, dan Budaya is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or other forms of academic misconduct. All authors are expected to ensure that their manuscripts are original, properly cited, and prepared in accordance with internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing.

1. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to Al-Mada: Jurnal Agama, Sosial, dan Budaya are subject to plagiarism screening using Turnitin or another appropriate similarity-checking tool available to the editorial office.

The screening process is intended to identify textual similarities and potential cases of plagiarism. Similarity reports are assessed by the editorial team in context; a similarity percentage alone does not automatically establish whether plagiarism has occurred.

Manuscripts containing plagiarism, inappropriate textual overlap, or other serious violations of academic integrity may be rejected during initial editorial screening or at any subsequent stage of the publication process.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when an author uses another person's ideas, arguments, data, findings, images, or words without appropriate acknowledgment of the original source. It may occur intentionally or unintentionally; both can undermine academic integrity and the credibility of scholarly research.

Authors must provide proper citations whenever they use information, interpretations, arguments, theories, data, or other intellectual contributions obtained from identifiable sources, except where the information is genuinely common knowledge.

The following practices constitute plagiarism or may raise serious concerns about academic integrity:

• Direct plagiarism: Reproducing another author's words without appropriate quotation marks or other clear identification of the quoted material and without proper citation.

• Mosaic plagiarism: Combining phrases, sentences, or passages from one or more sources without adequate acknowledgment, even when some words have been changed.

• Paraphrasing plagiarism: Rewriting another author's ideas or arguments without citing the original source.

• Data and source plagiarism: Using another researcher's data, findings, tables, figures, images, or other materials without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.

• Self-plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without appropriate citation or transparent disclosure, or presenting previously published findings as new and original research.

3. Citation and Referencing Requirements

Authors must acknowledge all sources that materially inform their research, analysis, or arguments.

When authors use specific information, such as names, dates, locations, statistics, research findings, or other details derived from a particular source, the source must be cited unless the information is genuinely common knowledge.

When authors adopt or develop another researcher's ideas, theories, interpretations, or analytical approaches, they must cite the original source, even if the ideas are subsequently expanded, revised, or applied in a new context.

When reproducing another author's exact words, authors must clearly identify the quotation and provide an appropriate citation, including page numbers where available and required by the journal's citation style.

Paraphrased material must be expressed in the author's own words and sentence structure while retaining an appropriate citation to the original source. Merely replacing a few words or rearranging sentences does not constitute adequate paraphrasing.

Authors must also ensure that all cited sources are accurately represented and included in the reference list where required by the journal's referencing style.

4. Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit manuscripts that have already been published in substantially the same form or that are simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

The substantial reuse of text, data, tables, figures, or findings from an author's previous publications without proper citation or disclosure may constitute self-plagiarism or redundant publication.

Where a new manuscript builds upon the author's previous research, the earlier work must be appropriately cited, and the new submission must demonstrate a clear and meaningful scholarly contribution.

Any overlap arising from legitimate circumstances, such as the reuse of research methods or the development of a previously published study, must be transparent, properly acknowledged, and consistent with applicable copyright and publication requirements.

5. Editorial Assessment and Consequences

The editorial team evaluates suspected plagiarism on a case-by-case basis, considering the nature, extent, context, and significance of the identified overlap.

Depending on the seriousness of the case, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

1. Request clarification or additional information from the author.

2. Request appropriate corrections or revisions where the issue is minor and can be addressed ethically.

3. Reject the manuscript during editorial screening or peer review.

4. Withdraw an acceptance decision if serious plagiarism or academic misconduct is discovered before publication.

5. Initiate a post-publication investigation and consider a correction or retraction if a violation is identified after publication.

6. Contact the author's affiliated institution or other relevant parties when warranted by the evidence and applicable ethical procedures.

Serious cases of plagiarism or deliberate academic misconduct may result in rejection or retraction, as appropriate. All actions will be handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies and recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing.

6. Author Responsibility

Authors bear full responsibility for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their manuscripts. Before submission, authors should carefully review their citations, quotations, paraphrases, data sources, and reference lists to ensure that all third-party contributions are appropriately acknowledged.

Authors must not attempt to manipulate similarity-checking results by disguising copied text, altering characters, or using other techniques intended to evade plagiarism detection.

The use of translation tools, paraphrasing software, or artificial intelligence does not exempt authors from their responsibility to acknowledge original sources and ensure that their manuscripts comply with academic integrity standards.

7. Contact Information

Authors who have questions regarding plagiarism, citation practices, or the journal's academic integrity requirements may contact the editorial office:

Email: almada@uac.ac.id

By submitting a manuscript to Al-Mada: Jurnal Agama, Sosial, dan Budaya, authors acknowledge their responsibility to comply with this Plagiarism Policy and the journal's broader publication ethics requirements.