Reflexical: Journal of Religion, Philosophy, Social, and Cultural Studies is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all manuscripts submitted for publication.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism and substantial similarity using appropriate plagiarism detection or similarity-checking software. The screening process may be conducted during the initial editorial assessment and, when necessary, at other stages of the peer-review and publication process.

1. Originality of Manuscripts

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are original works and have not been previously published, in whole or in substantial part, elsewhere. Manuscripts must not be simultaneously submitted to another journal.

All ideas, statements, data, quotations, and materials derived from other sources must be properly cited and acknowledged.

2. Similarity Assessment

The journal uses similarity reports as an initial tool to identify passages that may require further examination. A similarity score alone does not constitute proof of plagiarism, as legitimate similarities may occur in references, commonly used terminology, quotations, methodological descriptions, or other unavoidable text.

Therefore, the editorial team evaluates similarity reports carefully and determines whether identified similarities represent legitimate use of sources or potential academic misconduct.

3. Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Presenting another person's ideas, words, data, or work as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment.
• Copying substantial portions of another work without proper citation.
• Paraphrasing another author's work without appropriate attribution.
• Reusing substantial portions of the author's own previously published work without proper acknowledgment (self-plagiarism).
• Submitting substantially similar or duplicate manuscripts to multiple journals.

4. Editorial Action

If substantial similarity or suspected plagiarism is identified before peer review, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for clarification or revision, or rejected when the concern is serious.

If plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct are identified during peer review or after publication, the journal may take appropriate action in accordance with its publication ethics policy. Such actions may include rejection of the manuscript, suspension of the publication process, publication of a correction or editorial notice, or retraction of a published article.

The severity of the response will depend on the nature, extent, and circumstances of the suspected misconduct.

5. Author Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible for the originality and academic integrity of their submitted manuscripts. Authors should carefully review their manuscripts before submission and ensure that all sources are appropriately cited and acknowledged.

By submitting a manuscript to Reflexical, authors acknowledge and agree to comply with the journal's policies concerning plagiarism, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing.

6. Post-Publication Concerns

If credible evidence of plagiarism or substantial academic misconduct is reported after an article has been published, the editorial team will investigate the matter carefully.

Where misconduct is confirmed, the journal may issue an appropriate correction, retraction, or other editorial notice to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.