Plagiarism Screening and Originality Policy

The Arab Media Renewal Journal (AMRJ) maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and all forms of research misconduct. Ensuring the originality and integrity of published scholarship is a foundational principle of the journal's editorial process.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the presentation of another person's ideas, text, data, images, or methods as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment; the reproduction of substantial portions of one's own previously published work without disclosure (self-plagiarism); and the paraphrasing of content from other sources without adequate citation.

Screening Process

All manuscripts submitted to AMRJ undergo originality screening using industry-standard plagiarism detection software, specifically Turnitin and/or iThenticate, before being sent for peer review. The editorial team evaluates the similarity report to distinguish between legitimate citations, common phrases, and genuinely plagiarized content.

Acceptable Similarity Thresholds

The overall similarity index must not exceed 20% (excluding the reference list and properly attributed direct quotations). Manuscripts exceeding this threshold are either returned to the author(s) for revision or rejected at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. A single-source match of more than 5% (excluding references) triggers a detailed manual review.

Consequences of Detected Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at the pre-publication stage, the manuscript is immediately rejected, and the corresponding author is notified with a detailed explanation. If plagiarism is detected after publication, the journal follows COPE retraction guidelines, which may include issuing a retraction notice, notifying the author's institution, and imposing a submission ban for a defined period. The journal reserves the right to inform relevant academic and institutional bodies.

Author Responsibilities

Authors bear full responsibility for ensuring the originality of their work. Authors are strongly encouraged to use plagiarism detection tools prior to submission and to properly cite all sources from which ideas, data, or text have been drawn. Submission of a manuscript to AMRJ constitutes a declaration by the author(s) that the work is original and has not been plagiarized.