Plagiarism Policy

The Editorial Board of Harati: The Journal of Science Education (HJSE) recognizes that plagiarism is unethical and unacceptable. Therefore, the journal establishes a strict policy to prevent, detect, and address plagiarism in all submitted manuscripts.

Originality Requirement

All submitted manuscripts must be:

  • Original works of the authors
  • Not previously published
  • Not under consideration for publication elsewhere

Manuscripts derived from academic works such as theses or dissertations are acceptable only if they have not been formally published in journals or books with ISSN/ISBN.

Proper Use of Sources

Any material taken from other sources must be clearly acknowledged by:

  • Proper citation and referencing
  • Use of quotation marks for direct quotations
  • Clear distinction between original text and cited material

Use of text beyond fair limits (e.g., more than two to three consecutive sentences) or reproduction of figures, tables, or images requires:

  • Permission from the copyright holder (if applicable)
  • Proper attribution to the original source

Plagiarism Detection

All submitted manuscripts will be screened using plagiarism detection software such as:

  • Turnitin (primary tool)
  • Other supporting similarity checking tools

HJSE applies a maximum similarity index of 20%, excluding references and properly cited quotations.

Similarity Evaluation

  • Manuscripts with similarity scores below 20% may proceed to the review process
  • Manuscripts with similarity scores close to or above the threshold will undergo further evaluation
  • A second similarity check may be conducted for borderline cases

Editors will assess not only the percentage but also the nature of similarity (e.g., methods section similarity vs. copied discussion)

Plagiarism Actions and Sanctions

If plagiarism is detected:

  • Before review → Manuscript will be rejected immediately
  • During review → Manuscript will be rejected and returned to authors
  • After publication → Article may be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued

Severe cases may result in:

  • Temporary or permanent submission ban for the authors
  • Notification to affiliated institutions (if necessary)

Editorial Responsibility

The editorial team of HJSE is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that all published works meet ethical standards in scholarly publishing.