Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy at PJCS

As contributors to scholarly discourse, we share a collective responsibility to maintain the integrity and credibility of academic publishing. The Prenada Journal of Communication Studies (PJCS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic ethics, and we seek your cooperation in ensuring that all submitted manuscripts meet these expectations.

Author Responsibility for Originality

Authors bear the primary responsibility for verifying the originality of their work prior to submission. Before submitting your manuscript to PJCS, we strongly encourage you to conduct a thorough self-assessment of your work to ensure it represents original research and proper attribution of existing literature. This includes reviewing your citations, paraphrasing, and use of source materials to confirm that all intellectual contributions are appropriately acknowledged.

Originality Screening Process

All manuscripts submitted to PJCS will undergo originality screening using Turnitin software. This tool enables us to detect textual similarities with published works, ensuring the integrity of our publication. Manuscripts that exceed a similarity index of 20% will be returned to the authors for revision before proceeding with the peer review process. We recognize that some similarity is inevitable, particularly in methodology sections or standard terminologies; however, excessive similarity raises concerns about the originality of the contribution and must be addressed.

Understanding Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when authors present the ideas, words, data, or creative works of others as their own without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text verbatim without quotation marks and citation
• Paraphrasing another's work too closely without adequate citation
• Presenting another researcher's data, figures, or tables as original work
• Self-plagiarism: recycling substantial portions of one's own previously published work without disclosure
• Failing to credit collaborators or sources of funding and support

Even unintentional plagiarism undermines scholarly trust and can have serious consequences for authors' reputations and careers.

The Critical Role of Citation

Proper citation serves multiple essential functions in academic writing. It acknowledges the intellectual contributions of other researchers, demonstrating respect for their work and establishing the scholarly foundation upon which your research builds. Citations enable readers to trace the development of ideas, verify claims, and explore topics in greater depth. Furthermore, appropriate citation practices protect you as an author from allegations of plagiarism while strengthening your arguments by grounding them in established research.

We encourage all authors to familiarize themselves with the citation style required by PJCS and to be meticulous in documenting all sources.