Plagiarism and Similarity Index Policy

Journal of Ethnobiology and Environmental Research

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. All submitted manuscripts may be screened for originality using recognized plagiarism-detection software. Authors are required to submit a similarity report generated by any anti-plagiarism software, excluding bibliographic references, titles of methods, and names of institutions.

1. Purpose

This policy ensures the originality, integrity, and ethical standards of manuscripts submitted to the journal. The journal is committed to publishing original research and follows internationally recognized publication ethics.

2. Ethical Framework

The journal follows the ethical principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to maintain integrity and transparency in scholarly publishing.

3. Plagiarism Screening and Similarity Check

All submitted manuscripts are screened using recognized plagiarism-detection software before being sent for peer review. The purpose of this screening is to identify potential overlap with previously published material.

4. Similarity Index Thresholds

The similarity index is evaluated after excluding references, bibliography, titles of methods, names of institutions, and properly quoted material.

Similarity Index Editorial Action
≤ 10% Considered excellent; eligible for peer review
10–15% Acceptable with proper citation; eligible for peer review
15–20% Minor revision required before peer review
20–25% Major revision required; resubmission needed
> 25% Manuscript rejected due to excessive similarity

5. Nature of Similarity

Editorial decisions are based not only on the overall similarity percentage but also on the nature of the overlap, including:

  • Location of similarity (e.g., methods, introduction, results, discussion)

  • Source of overlap (common terminology or previously published work)

  • Presence of proper citations and quotations

  • Self-plagiarism or redundant publication

6. Self-Plagiarism

Authors must properly cite their previously published work. Reuse of substantial portions of previously published text without appropriate citation will be considered self-plagiarism.

7. Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected:

Before publication

  • The manuscript may be rejected or returned to the authors for correction and revision.

After publication

  • The article may be retracted in accordance with ethical guidelines.

8. Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and for checking similarity before submission.

9. Editorial Discretion

The final decision regarding plagiarism and similarity levels rests with the Editor-in-Chief, based on ethical guidelines and scholarly judgment.