Screaning Plagiarism

Plagiarism Screening Policy

Kota Kinabalu Journal of Public Health and Community Medicine (KKJPHCM) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that all published articles are original, ethical, and free from plagiarism.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal will undergo a plagiarism screening process using reliable similarity detection software such as Turnitin or equivalent tools.

Screening Process

Each manuscript will be checked at least at two stages:

  • Initial screening before entering the peer-review process

  • Final screening before publication

The editorial team will carefully evaluate the similarity report to ensure compliance with the journal’s academic and ethical standards.

Similarity Threshold

The maximum acceptable similarity index is 20% (excluding references, quotations, and bibliography).

Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be:

  • Returned to authors for revision

  • Subject to further clarification by the editorial team

  • Rejected if substantial plagiarism or unethical overlap is identified

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, data, or ideas without proper citation

  • Paraphrasing content without acknowledgment

  • Submitting another person’s work as one’s own

  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication

  • Republishing substantially similar work in multiple journals

  • Using figures, tables, or images without proper permission or citation

Policy and Consequences

KKJPHCM applies a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism may face the following actions:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript

  • Request for revision in cases of minor similarity issues

  • Retraction of published articles if plagiarism is discovered after publication

  • Notification to the author’s affiliated institution in serious ethical violation cases

  • Blacklisting of authors for future submissions, if necessary

Author Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring the originality of their work. Authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • Conduct independent plagiarism checks before submission

  • Properly cite and acknowledge all sources used

  • Ensure that their manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere

  • Follow ethical standards in data reporting and authorship

By submitting to KKJPHCM, authors confirm that their work is original and complies with the journal’s plagiarism and publication ethics policies.