Plagiarism Policy

 

The Journal for Civil and Criminal Law for Legislative Studies (JCCLLS)

is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical legal scholarship. Plagiarism in any form constitutes a serious breach of publication ethics and will not be tolerated.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

For the purpose of this policy, plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying of text, arguments, data, tables, or judicial analysis without proper citation
  • Substantial paraphrasing of another author’s work without appropriate acknowledgment
  • Use of legislative materials, case commentaries, or doctrinal interpretations without attribution
  • Self-plagiarism, including duplicate publication or significant overlap with previously published work
  • Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of legal data or research findings
  • Improper attribution of authorship

2. Types of Plagiarism

2.1 Direct Plagiarism

Direct plagiarism occurs when an author copies text word-for-word from another source without quotation marks, citation, or acknowledgment.

This may include copying from:

  • Journal articles
  • Books
  • Websites
  • Case notes
  • Legal commentaries
  • Court judgments
  • Legislative reports
  • Student theses or dissertations

Direct plagiarism is treated as a serious ethical violation.

2.2 Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism occurs when an author combines copied phrases, legal arguments, sentences, or paragraphs from multiple sources and presents them as original work.

Even if some words are changed, the manuscript may still be considered plagiarized if the structure, reasoning, or argument substantially follows another source without acknowledgment.

2.3 Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism occurs when an author rewrites another person’s work in different words but keeps the same meaning, logic, legal analysis, or argument without proper citation.

Changing vocabulary or sentence order does not make the work original unless the source is clearly acknowledged.

2.4 Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial parts of their own previously published or submitted work without disclosure.

This includes:

  • Republishing the same article
  • Reusing large sections of earlier work
  • Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal
  • Reusing previously published data, tables, or analysis without citation
  • Creating multiple papers from the same work without sufficient new contribution

Authors must clearly disclose any overlap with prior publications.

2.5 Source-Based Plagiarism

Source-based plagiarism occurs when an author cites incorrect, incomplete, misleading, or fabricated references.

This includes:

  • Citing a source that does not support the claim
  • Misrepresenting judicial decisions or statutory provisions
  • Using fake references
  • Referring to non-existent books, cases, journals, or reports
  • Citing secondary sources while pretending to cite original legal material

2.6 Legal Material Misuse

In legal research, certain materials such as statutes, judgments, constitutional provisions, bills, law commission reports, and parliamentary debates may be publicly available. However, authors must still cite them accurately.

Failure to attribute legislative provisions, judicial reasoning, legal doctrines, or doctrinal interpretations may constitute academic misconduct.

2.7 Data Fabrication and Falsification

Data fabrication means inventing research data, survey responses, interview findings, case statistics, or empirical legal evidence.

Data falsification means manipulating, altering, or selectively presenting legal or empirical data to create misleading conclusions.

Both practices are strictly prohibited.

2.8 Improper Authorship Attribution

Improper authorship includes:

  • Adding a person who did not contribute to the manuscript
  • Removing a genuine contributor
  • Submitting work written by another person as one’s own
  • Ghostwriting without disclosure
  • Misrepresenting institutional affiliation or author contribution

All listed authors must have made a genuine scholarly contribution.

In legal scholarship, accurate citation and transparent acknowledgment of precedents, statutes, and prior research are essential components of academic integrity.

3. AI-Generated Content and AI Detection Policy

JCCLLS does not permit manuscripts that are substantially generated by artificial intelligence tools or automated writing systems.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools only for limited support such as grammar correction, spelling improvement, formatting assistance, language polishing, or reference organization. However, the intellectual content, legal reasoning, doctrinal analysis, interpretation of case law, conclusions, and research contribution must be created and verified by the author(s).

The following uses of AI are strictly prohibited:

  • Generating full research articles using AI
  • Producing legal analysis without human verification
  • Creating fake citations, cases, statutes, or references
  • Manipulating data or legal findings
  • Submitting AI-written content s original human scholarship
  • Using AI to paraphrase plagiarized material
  • Producing fabricated doctrinal or empirical conclusions
  • Using AI-generated content without disclosure

If AI-generated or AI-manipulated content is detected at any stage, including after publication, the journal may reject, withdraw, correct, or retract the article.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, legality, and ethical compliance of the submitted manuscript.

4. AI Use Declaration

Authors must disclose any use of AI-assisted tools during manuscript preparation.

A suitable declaration may be included as follows:

Declaration of AI Use:
The author(s) declare that no artificial intelligence tool was used to generate the intellectual content, legal analysis, findings, or conclusions of this manuscript. AI-assisted tools, if used, were limited to grammar, spelling, formatting, or language improvement, and the final content was reviewed and verified by the author(s).

If no AI tool was used, authors may state:

No AI Tool Declaration:
The author(s) declare that no AI tool or AI-assisted technology was used in the preparation of this manuscript.

5. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to JCCLLS undergo plagiarism screening using recognized similarity detection software (such as Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent tools).

Screening is conducted:

  • At the time of initial submission
  • Before final acceptance (if necessary)

The editorial team evaluates both the percentage of similarity and the nature of the overlap.

6. Acceptable Similarity Limits

Similarity indices are assessed carefully, considering the context of legal writing where statutory references and case citations are common.

General guidelines:

  • Up to 10–15% similarity: Normally acceptable (excluding references and standard legal phrases)
  • 15–25% similarity: Manuscript may be returned for revision and clarification
  • Above 25% similarity: Liable for rejection

The Editorial Board retains full discretion in determining whether similarity constitutes unethical overlap.

7. Consequences of Plagiarism or AI Misuse

Before Publication

If plagiarism, unethical overlap, fabricated references, or prohibited AI-generated content is identified before publication, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Return the manuscript for correction
  • Request clarification from the author(s)
  • Reject the manuscript immediately
  • Suspend the review process
  • Restrict future submissions for a specified period

After Publication

If plagiarism, fabricated content, or prohibited AI-generated material is discovered after publication, the journal may:

  • Conduct a formal investigation
  • Publish a correction notice
  • Issue an expression of concern
  • Retract the article
  • Publish a retraction notice linked to the original article
  • Notify the author’s institution where appropriate
  • Restrict or permanently ban future submissions from the author(s)

Serious or repeated violations may lead to permanent blacklisting from JCCLLS.

8. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to JCCLLS must ensure that:

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished.
  • The work is not under consideration elsewhere.
  • All sources are properly cited.
  • Case law, statutes, legal reports, and academic sources are accurately referenced.
  • Any reused material is clearly acknowledged.
  • Copyright permissions are obtained where required.
  • AI tools, if used, are disclosed honestly.
  • No fabricated references, fake cases, or false data are included.
  • All co-authors have contributed meaningfully to the work.

All authors share collective responsibility for the integrity of the manuscript.

9. Editorial Responsibilities

The editorial team of JCCLLS adheres to internationally recognized ethical standards in scholarly publishing. In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal follows structured investigation procedures to ensure fairness and transparency.

Editors may:

  • Review plagiarism reports
  • Request author explanations
  • Consult subject experts
  • Seek reviewer opinions
  • Investigate suspected misconduct
  • Recommend correction, rejection, withdrawal, or retraction where necessary

All misconduct concerns are handled confidentially and fairly.

Editors may consult external experts if required before reaching a final decision.

10. Policy Updates

This Plagiarism Policy may be revised periodically to reflect evolving academic standards, technological developments in plagiarism detection, and international best practices in legal publishing.