Plagiarism Policy

JUCE: Journal of University Community Engagement upholds academic integrity and ethical publishing practices by ensuring that all manuscripts submitted and published are free from plagiarism and unethical duplication.

All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism screening as part of the editorial review process. JUCE applies an overall similarity threshold of no more than 20 percent. This percentage excludes references, bibliographic entries, properly quoted material, and commonly used methodological expressions.

Plagiarism detection is conducted using recognized screening tools, including Turnitin, Plagiarisma, and Grammarly, or other equivalent software deemed appropriate by the editorial team.

Based on the similarity assessment, JUCE classifies plagiarism into the following categories:

• Minor Plagiarism (≤ 20%)
  Manuscripts falling within the acceptable similarity threshold may still be returned to authors for minor revision if improper citation, paraphrasing, or attribution is identified. Authors are required to revise the manuscript accordingly before further consideration.

• Moderate Plagiarism (21–40%)
  Manuscripts exhibiting moderate levels of similarity are returned to the authors for major revision. Resubmission is permitted within a deadline determined by the editorial board, subject to re-evaluation.

• Severe Plagiarism (> 40% or substantial unattributed copying)
  Manuscripts with severe plagiarism are rejected outright. If such plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be formally retracted, and the authors’ affiliated institutions may be notified.

JUCE adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. Any confirmed case of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, redundant publication, or improper citation practices, will be handled in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics and editorial standards.

Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring the originality of their work. Submission to JUCE constitutes a declaration that the manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal.