Originality and Anti-Plagiarism Policy

Revista Sarance, as a scientific publication in the fields of social sciences and the humanities, is deeply committed to academic rigor, ethical integrity, and respect for intellectual property. In accordance with the international standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), we hereby outline our anti-plagiarism policy and the guidelines for the prevention, detection, and handling of conduct associated with plagiarism.

1. Declaration of Originality and Academic Rigor

All manuscripts submitted to Revista Sarance must be original and unpublished. This means that the work:

1. Has not been previously published in any scientific or dissemination medium (whether partially or in its entirety, in print or digital format).
2. Is not simultaneously under consideration for peer review by another national or international journal.
3. If it forms part of a broader research project or represents a preliminary outcome of a future publication, clearly and transparently identifies the research projects from which the article is derived.

Upon submission through our Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, the author—or, in the case of a multi-authored article, the representative responsible for submitting the manuscript through OJS—assumes sole responsibility for authorship and the accuracy of the information provided, guaranteeing that the manuscript fully respects the intellectual property rights of third parties.

2. Definition of Unethical Conduct

Revista Sarance considers any form of plagiarism or scientific misconduct unacceptable. The following practices are regarded as editorial misconduct:

1. Direct plagiarism: Transcribing, copying verbatim, or paraphrasing ideas, methodologies, data, tables, images, or texts from other authors without providing proper bibliographic credit or without using the appropriate citation methods (Revista Sarance follows the current APA guidelines. For more information on proper citation practices, please consult the Manual de Publicación). It is also considered plagiarism to use paraphrases or citations produced by other authors as if they were primary sources.
2. Self-plagiarism and duplication (redundant publication): Submitting substantial portions of previously published research or texts while presenting them as new and original scientific contributions.
3. False authorship: Including as authors individuals who have not made substantial intellectual contributions to the conception, design, analysis, or writing of the research, or omitting key contributors.
4. Data fabrication or manipulation: Inventing or altering records, archival sources, testimonies, statistical analyses, or any other scientific information relevant to the study.

3. Platform, Similarity Thresholds, and Editorial Decisions

To safeguard the principles of originality, the Editorial Team of Revista Sarance subjects all submitted manuscripts to a thorough evaluation using the Turnitin similarity detection platform.

This analysis constitutes a mandatory procedure during the preliminary evaluation stage, prior to the manuscript being sent to the double-blind peer review process.

The Editorial Team of Revista Sarance evaluates each Turnitin similarity report on an individual basis, qualitatively analyzing the context of the matches and excluding the bibliography, mathematical formulas, and properly identified direct quotations with their corresponding sources. Common or frequently used phrases of up to ten (10) words are also excluded in order to ensure the most objective similarity assessment possible.

Based on this technical and quantitative analysis, the following similarity thresholds apply:

1. Acceptable Similarity (up to 10%): If the similarity report shows an index of 10% or less and the matches are limited to common terminology, institutional names, or standard academic expressions, the manuscript will continue through the standard editorial workflow and proceed to external peer review.
2. Similarity Requiring Revision (11%–19%): If the manuscript presents similarities within this range, the Editorial Team will send a formal notification to the corresponding author, including the detailed Turnitin report. Authors will be required to revise the text, provide clarifications, improve paraphrasing, or add missing citations within a non-extendable period of fifteen (15) working days. Failure to submit the requested corrections within the established deadline will result in the manuscript being archived.
3. Automatic Rejection (20% or higher): Any manuscript presenting a similarity index of 20% or higher will be immediately and automatically rejected through the journal’s OJS platform. The Editorial Team will notify the authors of the decision and provide the Turnitin report supporting the outcome. Manuscripts rejected under this criterion will not be eligible for revision or reconsideration for the current issue of the journal.

4. Responsibilities of Editorial Participants

Maintaining rigorous originality standards is a shared responsibility involving authors, editors, and reviewers.

4.1. Responsibilities of Authors

1. Ensure the accuracy and honesty of all data and references.
2. Obtain the necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyrighted material (graphs, historical maps, photographs, among others).
3. Avoid conflicts of interest related to the submitted manuscript and be prepared to declare such independence if requested.

4.2. Responsibilities of Editors

1. Evaluate each Turnitin report ethically, fairly, and impartially, avoiding personal or institutional bias.
2. Make transparent decisions regarding the advancement or rejection of manuscripts in strict accordance with the established similarity thresholds.
3. Provide a respectful communication channel through which authors may clarify specific questions regarding similarity reports.

4.3. Responsibilities of Reviewers (Peer Reviewers)

1. Immediately inform the Editorial Office of any suspicion of plagiarism, redundant publication, or missing attribution that may not have been detected by the technological screening tools.

5. Protocol for Suspected or Confirmed Plagiarism

1. During the review process: If severe plagiarism is confirmed, the manuscript will be immediately rejected, and an official notification will be sent to the authors and, if deemed appropriate by the Editorial Committee, to their affiliated academic institution.
2. After publication: In the exceptional event that plagiarism is reported, detected, or confirmed after publication in any issue of Revista Sarance, the journal will follow the guidelines established by COPE. This may result in the publication of an erratum or the immediate public retraction of the article, which will be clearly indicated within the manuscript’s digital metadata on the journal’s website.