Plagiarism and Similarity Policy

MACCA: Journal of Education, Language, and Culture is committed to maintaining academic originality and integrity. All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism and similarity screening using appropriate plagiarism detection software before proceeding to the peer-review process.

The journal applies a maximum similarity index of 25% for submitted manuscripts.

Manuscripts with a similarity index above 25% may be returned to the authors for revision or rejected at the editorial stage, depending on the extent, distribution, and nature of the similarities identified.

The similarity index is not, by itself, considered definitive evidence of plagiarism. Editorial assessment will consider the context and sources of the identified similarities. Legitimate similarities resulting from properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, commonly used academic expressions, and methodological descriptions may not constitute plagiarism.

Particular attention will be given to substantial unattributed textual overlap, extensive similarity with a single source, duplicate publication, redundant publication, and self-plagiarism.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and that all ideas, data, arguments, and materials derived from other sources are appropriately acknowledged and cited.

If plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct are identified after publication, MACCA may take appropriate editorial action, including correction, retraction, or other measures consistent with the severity of the case.