Plagiarism and Similarity Policy
Critical Dialectics is committed to academic integrity and original scholarship. All submitted manuscripts are checked for significant textual overlap and other forms of plagiarism before entering the peer review process.
1. Similarity Screening
Submitted manuscripts may be screened using Turnitin, iThenticate, or an equivalent similarity-detection tool.
The editorial team may examine the report for:
- Unattributed use of another author’s words or ideas.
- Paraphrasing without proper citation.
- Unacknowledged reuse of the author’s own previously published work.
- Duplicate or substantially overlapping publication.
- Other forms of inappropriate textual reuse.
A similarity report is an editorial aid and not, by itself, proof of plagiarism. The nature, source, and context of the matching text will be considered before an editorial decision is made.
2. Similarity Level
As a general editorial guideline, a similarity level of 15% or below may be considered acceptable, provided that the matching material is properly cited and does not indicate inappropriate reuse.
Similarity arising from properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, and commonly used academic expressions may not be treated as plagiarism.
A manuscript with a higher similarity level may be returned to the author for clarification or revision, or may be rejected where the overlap indicates substantial unattributed or inappropriate use of existing material.
3. Author Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality and academic integrity of their submissions. Authors should:
- Properly cite all sources used in the manuscript.
- Use quotation marks and appropriate citations when reproducing another author’s words.
- Acknowledge ideas, arguments, and interpretations drawn from other sources.
- Disclose substantial overlap with the author’s previous publications.
- Avoid submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.
- Follow the journal’s requirements regarding the disclosure of generative AI use.
4. Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
If plagiarism or other academic misconduct is identified, the journal may take appropriate action depending on its nature and seriousness.
Possible actions include:
- Requesting clarification or revision.
- Rejecting the manuscript before publication.
- Withdrawing an accepted manuscript.
- Correcting or retracting a published article where necessary.
- Informing the relevant institution or other appropriate authority in serious cases.
The journal will consider each case individually and will follow recognised principles of responsible academic publishing.
5. Post-Publication Concerns
If substantial plagiarism or inappropriate textual reuse is discovered after publication, the journal will investigate the matter.
Where the evidence supports a finding of serious misconduct, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, as appropriate.
6. Appeals
Authors may contact the editorial team if they believe that a similarity finding has been misunderstood or that properly cited material has been incorrectly identified as plagiarism. The author should provide relevant explanation or supporting evidence.
The editorial team will review the matter and make an appropriate decision.
Contact
For questions regarding plagiarism screening, similarity reports, or academic integrity, please contact:
Critical Dialectics
Email: criticaldialectics@gmail.com