Plagiarism screening is an integral part of the editorial quality-control process. The purpose of similarity checking is not merely to identify a numerical similarity percentage, but to evaluate whether a manuscript contains inappropriate copying, unattributed use of other authors' work, redundant publication, self-plagiarism, or other practices that may compromise academic integrity.

1. Purpose of Plagiarism Screening

Plagiarism screening is conducted to ensure that manuscripts submitted to El-'Adl represent original scholarly work and appropriately acknowledge the intellectual contributions of other authors and sources.

The screening process assists editors in identifying possible:

• Direct plagiarism or verbatim copying without proper citation;
• Inadequately paraphrased material;
• Improper or missing attribution of ideas and arguments;
• Redundant or duplicate publication;
• Excessive reuse of an author's own previously published material;
• Substantial textual overlap with previously published or publicly available works.

2. Similarity Screening Process

Submitted manuscripts may be checked using appropriate similarity-detection software, such as Turnitin or another tool approved by the editorial team.

Similarity screening may be conducted during the initial editorial screening, during revision, or before final publication when the editor considers an additional check necessary.

3. Similarity Threshold

As a general editorial standard, manuscripts submitted to El-'Adl: Islamic Economic Law Review should have a total similarity index of no more than 20%.

However, the percentage alone does not determine manuscript eligibility. A manuscript with an overall similarity level below 20% may still be considered problematic if significant portions are copied from a particular source without appropriate citation. Conversely, certain legitimate similarities, such as bibliographic references, names of legislation, standardized legal terminology, institutional names, titles of laws, or properly quoted material, may require contextual editorial interpretation.

4. Interpretation of Similarity Reports

Editors do not evaluate similarity reports solely by looking at the total percentage. The following aspects may also be considered:

5. Forms of Plagiarism

The journal considers plagiarism and related forms of inappropriate textual reuse to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

6. Quotations and Proper Citation

The use of other scholars' ideas, theories, arguments, interpretations, data, or words is permitted when they are appropriately cited in accordance with academic standards and the journal's citation guidelines.

Direct quotations must be clearly identified and accompanied by an appropriate citation. Paraphrased material must also acknowledge the original source.

7. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

Authors must avoid substantial reuse of their own previously published text, data, tables, figures, analysis, or conclusions without proper acknowledgment.

When a manuscript develops or extends previously published work, the previous publication must be transparently cited and the new manuscript must demonstrate a clear and substantial additional scholarly contribution.

Authors must not attempt to present previously published material as entirely new or original research.

8. Similarity in Legal and Islamic Texts

The editorial team recognizes that research in Islamic Economic Law frequently involves quotations from legal instruments, statutory provisions, fatwas, Qur'anic verses, hadith, classical fiqh texts, court decisions, contracts, and standardized regulatory terminology.

Such textual similarities are not automatically classified as plagiarism, provided that the sources are accurately identified, appropriately cited, and used within a legitimate scholarly analysis.

Nevertheless, extensive reproduction of source materials should not replace the author's own critical analysis, interpretation, comparison, argument, or scholarly contribution.

9. Manuscripts Exceeding the Similarity Threshold

A manuscript that exceeds the journal's acceptable similarity threshold may be returned to the author for correction or may be declined, depending on the nature and seriousness of the detected overlap.

When revision is permitted, authors may be requested to:

• Rewrite inadequately paraphrased sections;
• Provide missing citations;
• Use quotation marks or block quotation format where necessary;
• Reduce excessive textual dependence on previous publications;
• Clarify the relationship between the submitted manuscript and earlier publications;
• Resubmit the corrected manuscript for another similarity check.

10. Editorial Action

Editorial action depends on the nature, extent, and seriousness of the similarity identified in the manuscript.

11. Plagiarism Detected After Publication

If credible evidence of plagiarism or serious inappropriate textual reuse is discovered after an article has been published, the editorial team may conduct an investigation.

Depending on the seriousness of the case, appropriate action may include an official correction, editorial notice, expression of concern, or retraction. The journal may also request clarification or supporting documentation from the authors.

12. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are primarily responsible for ensuring the originality and academic integrity of their manuscripts before submission.

Before submitting a manuscript to El-'Adl, authors are expected to:

• Check the manuscript carefully for inappropriate textual similarity;
• Cite all borrowed ideas, arguments, data, and textual materials appropriately;
• Ensure that direct quotations are clearly identified;
• Avoid excessive copying even when a source has been cited;
• Disclose relevant previous publications related to the submitted manuscript;
• Ensure that the submitted work complies with the journal's Publication Ethics.

13. Plagiarism Screening Workflow