Plagiarism Check

1. General Principles

The Journal of Tourism Sustainability (JTOS), published by Politeknik Negeri Bandung, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, transparency, and ethical scholarly publishing. JTOS strictly prohibits plagiarism, self-plagiarism, redundant publication, and other forms of inappropriate use or misrepresentation of intellectual works.

All manuscripts submitted to JTOS must represent original scholarly contributions and appropriately acknowledge the intellectual contributions, ideas, data, and publications of other researchers. This policy is implemented in accordance with JTOS Publication Ethics and relevant recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Definition and Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the presentation of another person's words, ideas, research findings, data, figures, or intellectual contributions as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment.

JTOS recognizes several forms of plagiarism and related publication misconduct, including:

Direct Plagiarism: Reproducing substantial portions of another author's work without quotation or attribution.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting or modifying another author's ideas or arguments without properly citing the original source.
Mosaic Plagiarism: Combining phrases, sentences, or ideas from multiple sources without adequate acknowledgment.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure.
Data and Figure Plagiarism: Using research data, tables, figures, photographs, illustrations, or other research materials without proper acknowledgment or permission when required.
Source Misrepresentation: Providing misleading citations or presenting secondary information as though it had been obtained directly from the original source.
AI-Assisted Plagiarism: Using artificial intelligence tools to reproduce, paraphrase, or disguise unattributed content originating from other sources.

3. Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to JTOS undergo an initial similarity and originality screening process before proceeding to peer review. JTOS uses Turnitin and Google-based search engines to identify potential textual overlap with previously published scholarly and online materials. The journal applies a maximum acceptable similarity index of 20%, excluding properly identified direct quotations and reference lists. The similarity report is evaluated by the editorial team to determine whether the identified overlap represents legitimate textual similarity, inadequate citation, redundant publication, or potential plagiarism.

4. Interpretation of Similarity Reports

JTOS recognizes that a similarity percentage does not independently establish whether plagiarism has occurred. Similarity reports must be interpreted through editorial assessment of the nature, location, extent, and context of textual overlap.

The editorial team may consider:

The proportion and distribution of overlapping text.
The originality of the research objectives, methods, findings, and scholarly contributions.
The presence and accuracy of citations and quotations.
Substantial overlap with a single source or multiple sources.
The possibility of redundant publication or inappropriate reuse of previously published work.
The nature of overlapping methodological descriptions, standard terminology, and commonly used academic expressions.

A similarity index of 20% or below does not automatically guarantee acceptance of a manuscript. Likewise, a similarity index above 20% requires further editorial evaluation and may result in a request for revision, clarification, or rejection.

5. Editorial Actions Based on Similarity Screening

Following the initial similarity assessment, the Managing Editor or responsible editor may take one of the following actions:

Proceed to Peer Review: When the manuscript meets the similarity requirements and no substantive concerns regarding originality are identified.
Request Clarification: When potentially problematic similarities require additional explanation from the authors.
Request Revision: When textual overlap, citation deficiencies, or inappropriate paraphrasing can reasonably be corrected.
Reject the Manuscript: When substantial plagiarism, redundant publication, or serious violations of research integrity are identified.

Editorial decisions are based on both the similarity screening results and a qualitative assessment of research integrity.

6. Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Authors must appropriately cite their previous publications when reusing relevant theoretical discussions, methodologies, research findings, or other scholarly materials. JTOS does not permit the submission or publication of manuscripts that substantially duplicate previously published works without a legitimate scholarly contribution. Manuscripts developed from previous research projects, conference papers, theses, dissertations, or preprints must provide transparent disclosure of their relationship to earlier versions where relevant. Such prior dissemination is not automatically considered plagiarism; its acceptability depends on the journal's publication policies, the nature of the previous dissemination, and the originality of the submitted manuscript. Authors must ensure that any reused material complies with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

7. Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism

The use of generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted writing technologies does not exempt authors from their responsibility to produce original, accurate, and properly attributed scholarly work. Authors must verify AI-assisted content to ensure that it does not contain unattributed text, fabricated references, misrepresented findings, or other violations of academic integrity. AI-assisted paraphrasing must not be used to conceal plagiarism or circumvent similarity detection systems. Substantive use of generative AI must be disclosed in accordance with the JTOS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. Automated AI-detection scores must not be treated as conclusive proof of plagiarism or research misconduct.

8. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JTOS are responsible for:

Ensuring the originality of their scholarly work.
Properly citing all relevant sources and previous publications.
Clearly identifying direct quotations and reproduced materials.
Obtaining permission to reuse copyrighted materials when required.
Disclosing relevant previous dissemination or publication of the submitted research.
Reviewing and correcting potentially inappropriate similarities before submission.
Providing clarification or supporting documentation when requested by the editorial team.

9. Plagiarism Identified During Peer Review

If plagiarism or substantial textual overlap is suspected during peer review, reviewers must confidentially report their concerns to the handling editor. Reviewers should provide supporting information, including relevant sources or examples of overlapping content whenever possible. The editorial team will evaluate the concern and determine whether additional investigation, author clarification, revision, or rejection is appropriate. Reviewers must not independently contact authors regarding suspected misconduct or disclose confidential manuscript information to unauthorized parties.

10. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

JTOS takes allegations of plagiarism in published articles seriously. When credible concerns are raised, the editorial team will evaluate the available evidence and, where appropriate, contact the authors for clarification. Depending on the nature and severity of the confirmed violation, possible editorial actions may include:

Publication of a correction or clarification.
Publication of an expression of concern when appropriate.
Retraction of the published article when substantial misconduct invalidates the integrity of the work.
Notification of relevant institutions or authorities when justified by the circumstances.

Post-publication actions will follow JTOS Publication Ethics and applicable COPE guidance.

11. Fair Assessment and Author Clarification

JTOS is committed to fair, transparent, and evidence-based editorial assessment. Allegations of plagiarism must not be based solely on automated similarity percentages or AI-detection results. Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to substantive concerns before a final decision concerning suspected misconduct is made. The editorial team will consider relevant evidence, author explanations, and the seriousness of the alleged violation.

12. Policy Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to JTOS, authors confirm that their work complies with this Plagiarism Policy and the journal's Publication Ethics. JTOS reserves the right to request additional documentation, reject manuscripts, or take appropriate post-publication actions when violations of academic integrity are established.