Plagiarism occurs when authors use the words, ideas, methods, data, results, images, or other intellectual contributions of another person without appropriate acknowledgement or attribution.

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to:

• Copying text from another source without appropriate quotation, citation, or attribution;
• Paraphrasing another person's ideas or arguments without appropriate citation;
• Presenting another person's ideas, concepts, methods, or intellectual contributions as one's own;
• Using data, research findings, tables, figures, images, algorithms, code, or other materials from another source without appropriate acknowledgement;
• Reproducing copyrighted material without permission where permission is legally required;
• Failing to identify or appropriately cite the source of direct quotations; and
• Misrepresenting the original source of information, ideas, data, or other scholarly material.

Authors should also appropriately acknowledge their own previously published work. Reuse of substantial portions of previously published text without appropriate citation or disclosure may constitute inappropriate text recycling.

The significance of text recycling is evaluated according to its extent, location, originality, attribution, copyright implications, and whether the reuse could mislead readers regarding the novelty of the manuscript.

Substantial duplication of previously published research, including redundant or duplicate publication, may constitute a publication-ethics concern and will be handled in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.

Manuscripts submitted to SAGA may be screened using similarity- detection software as part of the editorial assessment. The journal currently uses Turnitin and/or Plagiarism Checker X to assist with similarity screening.

Similarity-detection software is used as an editorial screening tool. A similarity report identifies textual matches with available sources; it does not, by itself, determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

Similarity reports may therefore be examined by the editorial team to determine the nature, source, distribution, and scholarly significance of identified matches.

As an editorial screening standard, SAGA normally expects the overall similarity score of a manuscript to be no more than 15%, subject to editorial assessment of the similarity report.

Legitimate similarities may arise from properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, commonly used methodological descriptions, institutional names, technical expressions, or other material that does not necessarily represent plagiarism.

Conversely, even a relatively low overall similarity score may require editorial action where significant unattributed copying from one or more sources is identified.

For this reason, editorial decisions are not based solely on a numerical similarity percentage.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts comply with appropriate standards of originality, attribution, citation, and scholarly integrity.

• All sources must be cited accurately and appropriately;
• Direct quotations must be clearly identified and attributed;
• Paraphrased ideas must be appropriately cited;
• Previously published work by the authors must be appropriately referenced where relevant;
• Third-party tables, figures, images, data, code, or other materials must be appropriately attributed and permissions obtained where required; and
• Authors should ensure that the manuscript accurately represents the originality and provenance of the submitted work.

Where potentially inappropriate textual overlap or plagiarism is identified, the journal will consider the nature, extent, context, and seriousness of the concern before determining an appropriate editorial response.

Depending on the circumstances and the stage of publication, editorial action may include:

• Requesting clarification from the author(s);
• Requesting correction of citations, quotations, attribution, or problematic textual overlap;
• Requiring revision before the manuscript proceeds further;
• Rejecting the manuscript where serious plagiarism or unacceptable duplication is established;
• Investigating the concern under the journal's Publication Ethics Policy; or
• Taking appropriate post-publication action where a concern is substantiated after publication.

Serious or complex cases may be handled with reference to applicable publication-ethics guidance, including relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Publication of an article does not prevent the journal from investigating credible concerns about plagiarism or inappropriate duplication that are raised after publication.

Where such concerns are substantiated, SAGA may take appropriate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. Depending on the circumstances, this may include a correction, editorial notice, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate action under the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.