Student Journal of Early Childhood Education is committed to protecting academic integrity and publishing original scholarly work. All submitted manuscripts are subject to plagiarism screening and editorial assessment.

1. Originality and Attribution

Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are original and that all sources are appropriately acknowledged. Plagiarism includes presenting another person’s words, ideas, data, images, tables, or other intellectual contributions as one’s own without proper attribution. This includes copying, inadequately attributed paraphrasing, and translating material from another language without acknowledging its source.

Undisclosed substantial reuse of an author’s previously published work, including redundant or duplicate publication, is also subject to editorial investigation.

2. Screening Procedure

The editorial team screens manuscripts using Turnitin or another appropriate similarity-checking service designated by the journal. Screening is conducted during the initial editorial assessment, before manuscripts proceed to external peer review. Revised manuscripts may be screened again, particularly when substantial changes have been made or concerns arise.

Editors examine the similarity report alongside the manuscript and the identified sources. The assessment considers the extent, location, attribution, and scholarly significance of overlapping material.

3. Interpretation of Similarity Reports

A similarity score indicates textual overlap and does not, by itself, establish plagiarism. A low score does not guarantee originality, and a high score does not automatically demonstrate misconduct.

References, properly marked quotations, and common technical expressions may be excluded from the numerical assessment where appropriate. Such exclusions must not conceal substantive copying or prevent editorial examination of relevant matches.

Editorial decisions consider whether overlapping material is properly acknowledged, whether copied wording is clearly identified as a quotation, and whether the manuscript makes an original contribution.

4. Editorial Action

When concerns are identified, the editorial team documents the relevant evidence and gives the authors an opportunity to respond.

• Limited overlap or inadequate attribution: Authors may be required to revise the manuscript, correct citations, and clearly distinguish their contributions from source material. The revised manuscript will be reassessed.

• Substantial plagiarism or redundant publication: The manuscript may be rejected following an assessment of the evidence and the authors’ explanation.

• Serious or unresolved concerns: The journal may contact the authors’ institutions or other relevant parties when further investigation is warranted.

Attempts to conceal copied material or manipulate similarity reports are unacceptable.

5. Concerns Identified After Publication

Allegations concerning published articles will be investigated. Depending on the evidence and the extent of the problem, the journal may publish a correction or retract the article. Any notice will explain the reason for the action and be linked to the affected article.

6. Author Responsibilities and Appeals

Authors must disclose related publications and any substantial overlap with earlier work when submitting a manuscript. Material derived from a thesis, dissertation, institutional repository, or other publicly accessible source must be disclosed and appropriately acknowledged.

Authors may request reconsideration by submitting a reasoned explanation and supporting evidence through the journal’s official editorial contact. Allegations and appeals will be handled fairly, with confidentiality maintained as far as practicable.

The journal refers to relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance when handling suspected plagiarism and overlapping publication.