Publication Ethics & Plagiarism Policy

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The Kel International Journal of Law, Criminology, Ethics, and Technology is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical publication. Adhering to the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal requires all stakeholders—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—to comply with ethical guidelines. Authors must ensure that their work is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration elsewhere. Proper acknowledgment of sources is mandatory, and any form of plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data is unacceptable. Authorship should be limited to individuals who have significantly contributed to the research, while other contributors should be acknowledged. Authors must also disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that might influence their research and adhere to ethical standards for studies involving humans, animals, or sensitive data, ensuring appropriate ethical approvals are obtained.

Editors of the journal are expected to evaluate submissions purely on academic merit, ensuring fairness and confidentiality throughout the editorial process. Manuscripts are reviewed without discrimination based on the authors' race, gender, ethnicity, or other personal characteristics. Editors must avoid conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where impartiality cannot be guaranteed. Final decisions on publication are made based on the journal’s policies and reviewers’ feedback, ensuring the integrity of the editorial process. Reviewers play a critical role in the publication process, assisting editors with decision-making and helping authors improve their manuscripts. They must provide objective, constructive feedback while maintaining the confidentiality of the manuscript. Reviewers are required to disclose any conflicts of interest and must decline review requests where impartiality may be compromised. The journal values reviewers’ contributions in upholding the quality and ethical standards of published research.

The journal takes allegations of publication malpractice seriously and follows COPE guidelines to address suspected misconduct. Instances of malpractice, including plagiarism, duplicate submissions, or fraudulent data, are thoroughly investigated. Sanctions may include rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, notification of the misconduct to relevant institutions, and banning authors from future submissions.

Plagiarism Policy

The Kel International Journal of Law, Criminology, Ethics, and Technology enforces a strict plagiarism policy to maintain academic integrity and ensure the originality of published works. All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism detection using advanced software to identify similarities with existing works. Manuscripts with significant plagiarism exceeding acceptable thresholds will be rejected, while minor issues may be flagged for correction. Authors are expected to submit work that is their own, providing proper citations for all referenced material and avoiding verbatim copying without appropriate acknowledgment. Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use of another person’s work, including copying text, ideas, or data without attribution, paraphrasing without acknowledgment, or submitting previously published work as original. Plagiarism detection is conducted at multiple stages of the submission process to ensure the integrity of the content. Authors should take proactive measures, such as using plagiarism detection tools, to verify originality before submission.

Possible Actions by Editor for High Similarity Index

The editorial board has established the following actions based on the similarity index identified in the manuscript:

Similarity Index Above 30%:

Articles with a similarity index exceeding 30% will be outright rejected. This is considered a result of poor citation practices and/or inadequate paraphrasing. Resubmission of such articles will not be accepted.

Similarity Index Between 10% and 30%:

Articles falling within this range may be returned to the author for revision. Authors will be required to address all areas of similarity by providing proper citations and ensuring thorough paraphrasing, even when citations are present.

Similarity Index Less Than 10%:

Articles with a similarity index below 10% are generally acceptable but may require citation improvements. Proper citations must be provided for all outsourced text to ensure the integrity of the manuscript.

In cases where revisions are allowed (Similarity Index between 10% and 30% or less than 10%), authors are expected to carefully revise their manuscript, add necessary citations, and paraphrase outsourced text appropriately. The revised manuscript must be resubmitted along with a new Turnitin report demonstrating no plagiarism and a similarity index below 10%. Consequences of plagiarism are severe. If plagiarism is identified during the review process, the manuscript will be returned to the author for correction or outright rejected in cases of significant duplication. If plagiarism is detected post-publication, the article may be retracted, with an explanation published in the journal. The offending authors may also be barred from submitting future work.

By enforcing these principles, the Kel International Journal of Law, Criminology, Ethics, and Technology ensures that its publications meet the highest standards of quality and integrity, fostering trust among readers and contributors while advancing ethical academic discourse.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse