Similarity Threshold Policy

Similarity Threshold Policy

KLAUSULA: Jurnal Hukum Tata Negara, Hukum Administrasi, Pidana dan Perdata

KLAUSULA uses a similarity threshold as an editorial screening indicator. The threshold is applied together with qualitative editorial assessment because similarity percentage alone does not establish plagiarism.

General Threshold

As a general editorial guideline, the overall similarity score should normally not exceed 20%, subject to manual editorial evaluation. A manuscript with a lower percentage may still contain unacceptable plagiarism, while a manuscript with a higher percentage may include legitimate quotations, references, legal texts, or standard expressions.

What Editors Assess

  • the source of the matched text;
  • whether attribution and citation are adequate;
  • the concentration of overlap from a single source;
  • the presence of copied arguments, structure, data, or analysis;
  • the context of legal quotations, legislation, and standard terminology.

Editorial Response

Manuscripts exceeding the journal's similarity guideline may be returned for revision, clarification, or editorial review. Substantial unattributed copying may result in rejection regardless of the overall percentage.

Excluded or Interpreted Matches

Bibliographies, properly quoted passages, article titles, statutory provisions, commonly used legal phrases, standard methodology language, and other legitimate overlaps may be interpreted separately by the editor where appropriate.

Final Editorial Judgment

The final decision is based on the nature and seriousness of the overlap, not solely on the numerical similarity score. The journal may revise its operational threshold when necessary and should communicate any change transparently in its author guidelines.