The Journal of Hypermedia & Technology-Enhanced Learning (J-HyTEL)

The Journal of Hypermedia & Technology-Enhanced Learning (J-HyTEL) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic publishing, strictly adhering to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. In line with our adoption of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0) license. All published works are ensured to be accessible to the global community, with formal attribution to the original authors. Plagiarism, in any form, undermines the integrity of scholarly publishing and will not be tolerated by the journal. As such, this policy outlines the stringent procedures J-HyTEL follows to detect, prevent, and address plagiarism in all submitted manuscripts.

Definitions of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of someone else’s language, ideas, or work without proper attribution. This includes direct plagiarism, where text is copied verbatim from another source without proper citation; self-plagiarism, which involves reusing significant portions of one’s own previously published work without appropriate acknowledgment; and mosaic plagiarism, where the author paraphrases or rearranges the original text too closely, failing to credit the source. Additionally, accidental plagiarism may occur due to negligence or misunderstanding of citation practices, but this does not diminish the severity of the violation. Regardless of the form, plagiarism violates the core principles of academic honesty and is considered a serious breach of J-HyTEL's publishing standards.

Plagiarism Detection and Thresholds

Detection Process

All submissions to the Journal of Hypermedia & Technology-Enhanced Learning (J-HyTEL) are screened using advanced plagiarism detection tools such as Turnitin. This process is essential to ensure the originality and integrity of the published content. To uphold the credibility of the work, the similarity index for each manuscript must not exceed 20%, excluding references, boilerplate technical terms, and legal disclaimers.

In cases where high similarity is observed for legitimate reasons, such as extensive citations or common technical language, manuscripts with elevated similarity scores will undergo a manual review by the editorial team. This review ensures that the identified similarities are justified, correctly attributed, and do not compromise the manuscript’s academic integrity. This approach allows for a fair and thorough evaluation, maintaining the journal's commitment to high ethical standards in publishing.

Preventive Measures

Author Guidelines

All authors are required to submit an originality declaration. This declaration must confirm that the manuscript is free from plagiarism and appropriately acknowledges any reused content.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use plagiarism detection tools before submission to prevent potential plagiarism issues. This step allows authors to identify and address any issues related to similarity, ensuring that their manuscripts meet the journal's ethical standards before formal submission.

Response Policy

Pre-Publication Actions

The first step in addressing plagiarism occurs during the initial screening of all submitted manuscripts. If a manuscript exhibits a high similarity score, it will be returned with a detailed report outlining the areas of concern to the authors. Authors will be asked to revise the manuscript by properly citing sources or removing plagiarized content. The manuscript may be rejected outright if the issues are not adequately addressed.

During Peer Review

If plagiarism is discovered during the peer review, the manuscript will be rejected immediately. The editorial team will inform all authors of the decision and provide them with a clear explanation of the reasons for rejection. This ensures that the peer review process remains robust and fair while maintaining the journal's academic integrity.

Post-Publication Actions

In cases where plagiarism is identified after the article has been published, the following actions will be taken:

Retraction: If plagiarism is confirmed, the article will be retracted following the COPE guidelines. A retraction notice will be published, and the article will be removed from the journal's website. A watermarked PDF indicating the retraction will also be provided to ensure readers awareness of the issue.
Corrections or Erratum: In some cases, particularly where plagiarism is accidental or involves minor issues, corrections or an erratum may be issued instead of a retraction. This action will be taken when the issue can be resolved by clarifying or correcting the original text, ensuring that the manuscript remains academically sound.

Institutional Notification

In the case of serious plagiarism, where the integrity of the work is significantly compromised, J-HyTEL will report the issue to the authors' affiliated institutions for further investigation and action. This step ensures accountability and allows the institutions to address the matter according to their internal policies. Reporting to the institution helps maintain the credibility of the academic community and reinforces the importance of ethical conduct in research and publishing.

Self-Plagiarism Guidelines

Reuse of previously published material must be properly cited.
Authors must ensure the manuscript provides a novel contribution, explaining clearly how the new work expands upon prior publications.

Allegations of Plagiarism Response Policy

Initial Investigation

When an allegation of plagiarism is raised, the editorial team at the Journal of Hypermedia & Technology-Enhanced Learning (J-HyTEL) conducts a thorough initial investigation. This includes reviewing the evidence provided and verifying the claims using advanced plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin. The editorial team ensures that all relevant information is carefully considered before proceeding further.

Author Notification

If plagiarism is confirmed during the investigation, the authors will be promptly notified and given an opportunity to provide an explanation or clarification regarding the alleged plagiarism. This process allows authors to present their perspectives and offer any justifications they may have for the similarities detected in their manuscripts.

Resolution

The editorial team will assess the severity of the plagiarism and determine the appropriate course of action. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, the actions may range from manuscript rejection to formal retraction. In cases where an article has already been published, it may be retracted following COPE guidelines, and relevant indexing databases will be notified to ensure that the retraction is reflected. These actions are taken to uphold the journal’s commitment to ethical publishing and ensure the integrity of the academic record.

Transparency and Accountability

If plagiarism is identified, co-authors and the institutions affiliated with the authors will be notified of the findings. This step is essential to upholding academic integrity and ensuring that all parties involved are aware of the issue, promoting shared responsibility for ethical conduct in research and publishing.

Additionally, J-HyTEL is committed to transparency in its handling of plagiarism cases. The journal will publish annual reports summarizing actions taken in response to plagiarism allegations to demonstrate its dedication to upholding ethical standards. These reports will provide an overview of the cases encountered and the resolutions implemented, further promoting accountability within the academic publishing community and ensuring the process remains open and fair.