Plagiarism Policy

Majalah Kedokteran Andalas (MKA) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism in all forms. We are committed to ensuring the integrity and originality of the research we publish. To uphold these standards, the journal uses Turnitin, a widely recognized plagiarism detection tool, to screen all submitted manuscripts for potential plagiarism.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper attribution or permission. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text from other sources without appropriate citation.

  • Paraphrasing someone else’s work without giving proper credit.

  • Using images, data, or other materials without permission or proper attribution.

Any form of plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is a serious ethical violation and will not be tolerated by Majalah Kedokteran Andalas (MKA).

2. Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Index

  • Turnitin: All submitted manuscripts will be screened using Turnitin to check for any instances of plagiarism or excessive similarity with existing published work. Turnitin is a reliable and comprehensive tool for detecting content similarity and ensuring the originality of scholarly articles.

  • Maximum Similarity Allowed: The journal allows a maximum similarity index of 25% for any manuscript. This means that the total amount of matching or similar content in the manuscript, as identified by Turnitin, should not exceed 25%. The similarity index includes all types of content, such as text, references, and direct quotations.

3. Consequences of Exceeding the Similarity Threshold

  • Rejection of Manuscript: If the similarity index of a manuscript exceeds 25%, the manuscript will be rejected outright. The manuscript will not proceed to the peer review process, and the authors will be notified of the decision.

  • Addressing High Similarity: If the manuscript is found to have a similarity index above 25%, the authors will be provided with a detailed report from Turnitin and will be asked to revise their manuscript to reduce the similarity index. After revision, the manuscript may be resubmitted for further evaluation, provided the similarity index is below the threshold.

4. Proper Citation and Referencing

  • Authors are expected to properly cite all sources and references used in their manuscript. This includes giving full credit to the original authors for any ideas, quotes, or data that are not their own.

  • Majalah Kedokteran Andalas (MKA) follows the APA citation style (7th edition), and authors must ensure that all references are formatted correctly and consistently according to this style.

5. Ethical Considerations

  • We encourage authors to be transparent about their sources and to follow best practices in academic writing to ensure the originality of their work.

  • Majalah Kedokteran Andalas (MKA) expects authors to avoid self-plagiarism, which involves reusing substantial portions of their own previously published work without proper citation. If an author wishes to reuse parts of their previous publications, they must clearly cite the earlier work and obtain necessary permissions.

6. Handling Suspected Plagiarism

  • In cases where plagiarism is suspected but not immediately apparent, the journal’s editorial team may request further clarification or evidence from the authors. This may involve contacting the authors directly or seeking the opinion of the editorial board.

  • If plagiarism is detected after publication, the journal will follow COPE’s guidelines for addressing post-publication misconduct, which may include issuing a correction, retraction, or other appropriate actions.