Plagiarism, Redundant Publication, and Citation Manipulation

Plagiarism, Redundant Publication, and Citation Manipulation

INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review

INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review is committed to preserving the integrity, originality, and credibility of scholarly publishing. The Publisher and Editorial Board expect every manuscript submitted to the Journal to represent an authentic scientific contribution produced through ethical research and responsible academic practice.

Any form of publication misconduct that undermines the reliability of the scholarly record is considered unacceptable. This includes plagiarism, redundant or duplicate publication, inappropriate text recycling, and manipulation of citations. All submissions are evaluated fairly, independently, and consistently in accordance with the Journal's editorial policies and internationally recognized publication ethics principles.

Editorial Principle
The Journal promotes originality, responsible scholarship, research integrity, transparency, ethical publication practices, and fair editorial evaluation throughout the publication process.
1. Plagiarism and Originality

INSPIREE is committed to publishing original scholarly work that demonstrates academic integrity and respects intellectual property rights. Authors are responsible for ensuring that every submitted manuscript is their own original work and that all sources, ideas, data, figures, tables, images, and other intellectual contributions of others are appropriately acknowledged.

The Journal considers the following practices to constitute unacceptable publication misconduct:

  • copying text without proper quotation or attribution;
  • paraphrasing another author's work without appropriate citation;
  • presenting another person's ideas, methods, or research findings as one's own;
  • reproducing figures, tables, images, software, datasets, or other copyrighted materials without permission or acknowledgement where required;
  • translating previously published work without transparent disclosure and appropriate citation;
  • excessive text recycling (self-plagiarism) that does not provide sufficient new scholarly contribution.

As part of the initial editorial screening, all submitted manuscripts are examined using both Turnitin and iThenticate plagiarism detection systems. These similarity screening tools assist the Editorial Board in identifying potential overlap with previously published literature before the manuscript proceeds to peer review.

As a general editorial policy, INSPIREE expects submitted manuscripts to have an overall similarity index of no more than 20%, excluding references, properly quoted text, acknowledgements, standard methodological descriptions, and other editorially acceptable overlaps. However, the 20% threshold serves as an editorial guideline rather than an automatic acceptance or rejection criterion.

Editorial decisions are based on a comprehensive assessment of the nature, source, context, and significance of any detected similarity. A manuscript with a similarity index below 20% may still be rejected if evidence of plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse is identified. Conversely, a manuscript exceeding 20% may be considered for further evaluation when the similarity results primarily from legitimate and properly cited sources or other acceptable scholarly content.

Where originality concerns arise, the Editorial Office may request clarification, revision, supporting documentation, or additional explanations from the authors before reaching an editorial decision. Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism, misappropriation of intellectual property, or other forms of unethical content reuse may be rejected immediately or withdrawn from the editorial process. If such misconduct is discovered after publication, the Journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction in accordance with its publication ethics policy.

2. Redundant and Duplicate Publication

INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review publishes research that provides a meaningful and original contribution to scholarly knowledge. Authors are expected to submit manuscripts that have not been published previously and are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal, publisher, conference proceeding, or other publication outlet unless explicitly disclosed during submission.

The Journal discourages publication practices that unnecessarily duplicate existing literature or artificially increase publication output without providing substantial new scientific contributions.

Examples of Redundant or Duplicate Publication
  • Simultaneous submission of substantially similar manuscripts to more than one journal.
  • Duplicate publication of previously published work without transparent disclosure and editorial approval.
  • Fragmented publication ("salami publication") primarily intended to increase publication output rather than scientific contribution.
  • Republication of substantially overlapping research without clear academic justification.
  • Failure to disclose related manuscripts, conference papers, reports, theses, dissertations, datasets, or other outputs derived from the same research project.

When a manuscript is derived from previously disseminated research, authors should clearly disclose the relationship during submission and explain the additional scientific contribution offered by the submitted manuscript. Such disclosure enables the Editorial Board to evaluate originality fairly and transparently.

The Editorial Board evaluates each submission individually by considering the degree of overlap, the novelty of the research, methodological improvements, additional analyses, expanded datasets, and the overall scholarly contribution beyond previously published work.

Editorial Assessment
Manuscripts with substantial overlap may be:
  • Returned to the authors for clarification.
  • Requested to undergo revision before peer review.
  • Suspended pending further editorial investigation.
  • Rejected when the overlap compromises originality or violates responsible publication practices.
Author Responsibility

Authors are expected to disclose all closely related publications, preprints, conference papers, technical reports, institutional reports, or other research outputs that may overlap with the submitted manuscript. Transparency enables editors and reviewers to make informed decisions regarding originality and scholarly contribution.

3. Responsible Citation Practice

References constitute an essential component of scholarly communication because they acknowledge previous research, establish the scientific context of a study, enable readers to verify published findings, and facilitate the cumulative advancement of knowledge. Every citation included in a manuscript submitted to INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review should therefore contribute directly to the academic quality, transparency, and integrity of the research.

Authors are expected to cite relevant, reliable, and original sources that genuinely support the arguments, methodology, interpretation, or conclusions presented in their manuscripts. References should be selected on the basis of scholarly relevance rather than citation metrics or other non-academic considerations.

Principles of Responsible Citation
  • Cite original and authoritative sources whenever possible.
  • Ensure that every reference is directly relevant to the scientific content of the manuscript.
  • Accurately represent the findings and conclusions of cited publications.
  • Maintain an appropriate balance between foundational literature and recent developments.
  • Avoid selective citation practices that could misrepresent the current state of knowledge.

The Journal does not support citation practices intended primarily to manipulate bibliometric indicators rather than improve scientific scholarship. Editorial decisions are based on academic merit and are never influenced by attempts to increase citation counts artificially.

Examples of Inappropriate Citation Practices
  • Inclusion of references that are unrelated to the manuscript.
  • Excessive self-citation without legitimate scholarly justification.
  • Reciprocal citation agreements between authors, research groups, or institutions.
  • Citation stacking involving journals, editors, publishers, or organizations.
  • Deliberate citation of references solely to increase citation-based metrics.
  • Misrepresenting cited literature or citing sources that have not been consulted.

Editors and reviewers may recommend additional references where such recommendations genuinely strengthen the scientific quality, methodological rigor, or contextual understanding of a manuscript. These recommendations should always be based on academic relevance and should never be used to influence citation statistics.

Editorial Independence

Authors retain the right to decline reviewer or editorial recommendations for additional citations when they reasonably determine that the suggested references are not directly relevant to the manuscript. In such circumstances, authors are encouraged to provide an appropriate scientific explanation in their response to reviewers. Editorial decisions will never be based on an author's willingness to include unnecessary citations.

During editorial assessment and peer review, citation patterns may be evaluated to identify potential concerns regarding citation manipulation, excessive self-citation, citation cartels, or other practices that could compromise scholarly integrity. Where necessary, authors may be requested to revise the reference list or provide clarification regarding citation choices.

Author Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript to INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review, authors confirm that all references have been selected responsibly, accurately represented, and included solely for legitimate scholarly purposes. Citation practices should enhance scientific communication, acknowledge previous contributions, and support the reliability of the published research record.

4. Policy Reference

The publication ethics policy of INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review has been independently developed by the Publisher and Editorial Board while taking into consideration internationally recognized guidance on publication ethics and editorial best practices.

In maintaining this policy, the Journal refers to guidance and recommendations issued by:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – Publication Ethics Guidance and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing (developed jointly with DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME);
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ);
  • Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA); and
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

These international resources inform the Journal's ethical framework while editorial decisions remain the independent responsibility of INSPIREE according to its own editorial policies and procedures.

Official References
Further Information

Authors, reviewers, and readers who have questions, concerns, or wish to report potential issues related to plagiarism, redundant publication, citation manipulation, or other matters concerning publication ethics are encouraged to contact the Editorial Office.

Editorial Office – INSPIREE: Indonesian Sport Innovation Review

Email: inspiree@igiinsight.com | editoriinspire@gmail.com

The Editorial Office will review all inquiries confidentially, impartially, and in accordance with the Journal's publication ethics policies and internationally recognized principles of responsible scholarly publishing. Every report will be evaluated carefully, and appropriate actions will be taken where necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.