1. Plagiarism Screening Policy

Engineering and Technology International Journal (EATIJ) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all manuscripts submitted for publication.

EATIJ uses Turnitin to assist the editorial team in screening submitted manuscripts for textual similarity and potential plagiarism. All manuscripts are subject to originality screening before proceeding to the peer-review process.

The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, or other forms of research and publication misconduct.

2. Similarity Checking Procedure

All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin as part of the journal's editorial assessment process. The screening procedure consists of the following stages:

1. Initial screening: The editorial team checks the manuscript for compliance with the journal's submission requirements.
2. Turnitin similarity checking: The manuscript is submitted to Turnitin to generate a similarity report identifying textual overlap with available sources.
3. Editorial evaluation: The editor examines the similarity report, including the sources and context of identified overlaps, to determine whether the manuscript demonstrates appropriate originality and citation practices.
4. Editorial decision: Based on the findings, the manuscript may proceed to peer review, be returned to the authors for revision or clarification, or be rejected.

Turnitin is used as a supporting tool for identifying potential similarity. The similarity score alone does not establish whether plagiarism has occurred. The final assessment remains the responsibility of the editorial team.

3. Similarity Threshold

EATIJ applies a recommended maximum overall similarity index of 20% for submitted manuscripts, excluding references and properly identified quotations where these exclusions are available and appropriately configured in Turnitin.

The threshold serves as an editorial screening guideline rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection criterion. Editors must examine the nature, source, distribution, and context of the detected similarities before making a decision.

Manuscripts with a similarity index below 20% may still be rejected if substantial unattributed copying or other ethical violations are identified. Manuscripts exceeding the threshold may be returned for revision or rejected following editorial evaluation.

4. Forms of Plagiarism

EATIJ considers the following practices unacceptable:

• Direct plagiarism: Copying text, ideas, or findings from another source without appropriate acknowledgment.
• Self-plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of previously published work without adequate disclosure or citation.
• Mosaic plagiarism: Combining material from multiple sources without proper attribution.
• Improper paraphrasing: Rewriting another author's work without acknowledging the original source.
• Duplicate publication: Submitting or publishing substantially the same work in multiple publications without appropriate disclosure.
• Unattributed use of materials: Using figures, tables, images, datasets, or other third-party materials without proper citation, acknowledgment, or permission where required.

5. Actions in Cases of Suspected Plagiarism

When potential plagiarism is identified through Turnitin or other editorial checks, the editorial team evaluates the evidence and determines the appropriate action.

Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may:

• Request an explanation or clarification from the authors.
• Return the manuscript for correction or revision.
• Reject the manuscript if serious or unresolved ethical concerns remain.
• Issue a correction or retract a published article when justified by the evidence.
• Notify the relevant institution or organization in serious cases where appropriate.

All cases are handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policy and applicable principles of publication integrity.

6. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and that all sources, quotations, figures, tables, datasets, and other third-party materials are appropriately acknowledged.

Authors should review their manuscripts carefully before submission, verify all citations and references, and obtain permissions required for the use of copyrighted materials.

By submitting a manuscript to EATIJ, authors agree to comply with the journal's originality requirements and publication ethics policy.

7. Confidentiality

Turnitin similarity reports and submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential editorial documents. They are used for legitimate manuscript evaluation and publication-integrity purposes and are not disclosed to unauthorized parties.

8. Policy Compliance

EATIJ reserves the right to reject manuscripts that fail to meet its originality requirements and to take appropriate corrective action if publication misconduct is identified after publication.

This policy aims to promote originality, responsible citation practices, transparency, and trust in scholarly communication.