Antiplagiarism and Manuscript Similarity Detection Policy

1. Commitment to Research Originality

VARIANSI Journal is committed to publishing scholarly work that is original, honest, and free from all forms of plagiarism. The Editorial Board regards plagiarism as a serious violation of publication ethics, one that undermines the integrity of scientific knowledge and damages the reputations of both authors and the journal.

Every manuscript submitted to VARIANSI must constitute original work that has not been previously published elsewhere and is not currently under review at another journal (unless explicit permission has been granted by the editor).

2. Definition of Plagiarism

With reference to Permendiknas No. 17 of 2010 and the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), plagiarism encompasses the following acts:

• Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim from another source without quotation marks and without attribution.
• Self-Plagiarism (Duplication): Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without appropriate acknowledgement and without permission from the original publisher.
• Mosaic Plagiarism: Incorporating phrases or sentence structures from another source through close paraphrase, without citing the source.
• Accidental Plagiarism: Omitting citations or misquoting references. Although unintentional, such acts are still considered plagiarism.
• Translational Plagiarism: Translating another person's work from one language to another without citing the original source.

3. Manuscript Similarity Screening Procedure

3.1 Software Used

VARIANSI uses Turnitin (or iThenticate/CrossCheck for manuscripts requiring further investigation) to assess the similarity level of all submitted manuscripts.

3.2 Similarity Threshold

• Less than 20%
  Total similarity below 20% with no single source exceeding 5%.
  Status: Eligible to Proceed.
  Editorial Action: Manuscript may be forwarded to the peer review process.
• 20%–30%
  Total similarity between 20% and 30%.
  Status: Requires Assessment.
  Editorial Action: The editor reviews the sources manually. If similarity arises from legitimate references and quotations, the manuscript may proceed. If from unattributed original text, the author is requested to revise.
• More than 30%
  Total similarity exceeding 30%, or a single source exceeding 10%.
  Status: Rejected.
  Editorial Action: The manuscript is rejected and returned to the author without review. The author may resubmit after substantive revision.

Note: Similarity screening is conducted after excluding directly quoted text and reference lists. Similarity arising from titles, affiliations, and common scientific phrases that cannot be avoided is not counted as plagiarism.

3.3 Timing of Screening

• The first screening is conducted at the desk review stage, before the manuscript is sent to reviewers.
• A second screening may be conducted after the author submits a revised manuscript, particularly if the editor suspects the introduction of problematic content.

4. Author Obligations

Authors are required to declare and warrant that:

• The submitted manuscript is original work and has not been previously published in any form elsewhere (except as a preprint disclosed transparently).
• All sources used have been cited accurately in accordance with the APA citation style required by VARIANSI.
• The author has independently verified the similarity level of the manuscript using plagiarism detection software prior to submission.
• The manuscript is not concurrently under review at another journal.
• All data used are legitimate, obtained and reported in an ethical manner.

This declaration is confirmed by the author through the Submission Checklist in the VARIANSI OJS system at the time of submission.

5. Handling of Suspected Plagiarism

5.1 Pre-Publication Plagiarism

• The editor contacts the corresponding author and provides an opportunity for clarification within seven working days.
• If the clarification is insufficient, the manuscript is rejected and the author is informed of the reasons for rejection.
• In cases of serious plagiarism, the editor may notify the author's institution.

5.2 Post-Publication Plagiarism

• The editor conducts an investigation following COPE guidelines.
• If plagiarism is confirmed, the editor publishes a retraction notice stating the grounds for retraction, while maintaining access to the original article with a "RETRACTED" watermark.
• The retraction is reported through the Anjani portal in accordance with applicable regulations.

6. Policy References

• Permendiknas No. 17 of 2010 on Prevention and Management of Plagiarism in Higher Education.
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
• Kepmendikbudristek No. 134/E/KPT/2021 on Accreditation Guidelines for Scientific Journals.
• Editorial Management Guidelines for Scientific Journals, Kemenristek/BRIN, 2020.