The Journal of Astronomy and Sharia Applications (JASA) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and other forms of improper textual or intellectual appropriation. Any indication of plagiarism identified in a submitted or published manuscript will be handled in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics and editorial policies.

All manuscripts submitted to JASA are expected to demonstrate originality, appropriate attribution, academic integrity, and responsible use of previously published material.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes the use, reproduction, close imitation, or presentation of another person’s words, ideas, data, images, methods, arguments, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment. All manuscripts submitted to JASA must be original, unpublished, and not simultaneously under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Use and Acknowledgment of Sources

Material reproduced verbatim from other sources must be clearly identified using quotation marks or block quotations, where appropriate, and accompanied by accurate citation. The reproduction of copyrighted text, figures, tables, images, datasets, or other protected materials beyond permitted use requires appropriate permission and acknowledgment of the original source.

Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts are screened for similarity using plagiarism-detection software such as Turnitin. Similarity reports are evaluated qualitatively and contextually by the Managing Editor and Editorial Team.

Legitimate similarities arising from reference lists, properly cited quotations, legal texts, Qur’anic verses, Hadith, standardized methodological descriptions, technical terminology, and commonly used expressions are taken into consideration during the editorial assessment.

Similarity Guidelines

As a general editorial guideline, JASA applies the following similarity ranges:

• Above 40%: may indicate substantial textual overlap and will normally result in rejection, subject to contextual and editorial assessment.
• 20%–40%: generally requires substantial revision, particularly in relation to citation practices, paraphrasing, attribution, and originality of expression.
• Below 20%: is generally considered acceptable for further editorial assessment, although revision or rejection may still be required where inappropriate textual overlap, plagiarism, or inadequate citation is identified.

Interpretation of Similarity Reports

The similarity percentage is not used as the sole criterion for determining plagiarism. A manuscript with a low similarity score may still contain plagiarism or improper attribution, while a higher similarity score may result from properly cited quotations, references, technical expressions, standardized terminology, or other legitimate forms of textual overlap. Editorial decisions therefore combine similarity analysis with scholarly, contextual, and ethical judgment.

Revision Following Similarity Screening

Where revision is permitted, authors may be required to submit a revised manuscript and, where requested, an updated similarity report demonstrating that the identified concerns regarding textual overlap, citation, attribution, or originality have been adequately addressed.

Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism or serious textual appropriation is identified after publication, JASA may issue a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action in accordance with its publication ethics and post-publication policies.

Editorial Responsibility

The final decision in plagiarism-related cases rests with the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Team. The principal objective of the assessment is to protect the originality, integrity, transparency, fairness, and credibility of the scholarly record maintained by the Journal of Astronomy and Sharia Applications (JASA).