The Revista Facultad de Jurisprudencia (RFJ) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all published content. This policy outlines the procedures to prevent, detect, and manage plagiarism and self-plagiarism in submitted articles.

1. Definition of Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting ideas, words, data, or graphics from other authors without proper citation and acknowledgment. This includes using someone else's research as one’s own or copying parts or entire texts from other authors.
• Self-Plagiarism: Self-plagiarism involves the significant reuse of one’s own previously published work without proper reference. Authors may cite their previous studies, but any reused content must be properly cited and not duplicate previously published material.

2. Plagiarism Detection Tools
All articles submitted to RFJ are reviewed using specialized plagiarism detection software (such as TURNITIN, URKUND, or other recognized tools) to identify any possible matches with previously published texts.

3. Anti-Plagiarism Review Procedure

• Submission Stage: Upon receiving a manuscript, the editorial team conducts a preliminary review using anti-plagiarism software. If the report shows suspicious similarities, the team will examine each case to determine the nature of the matches.
• Match Analysis: If significant similarities are detected, the editor will assess whether they are due to citation errors or constitute plagiarism. Minor similarities (below 10%) are generally acceptable if properly cited.
• Author Notification: If high similarity or suspected plagiarism is detected, the editor will contact the author to request explanations and, if necessary, corrections or withdrawal of the material.

4. Actions in Case of Plagiarism or Self-Plagiarism

• Minor Matches (below 10%): If the report shows minor similarities, the manuscript may be accepted as long as the sources are properly cited.
• Moderate Matches (10%–30%): If moderate similarities suggesting minor plagiarism or self-plagiarism are detected, the author will be asked to make the necessary corrections, including proper citation and removal of duplicated content.
• Significant Matches (above 30%): If significant matches indicating plagiarism or self-plagiarism are detected, the manuscript will be immediately rejected. The author will receive a detailed report and may choose to withdraw the article or thoroughly revise it before resubmission.

5. Sanctions for Plagiarism
In serious cases of plagiarism, RFJ reserves the right to:

• Publish an official retraction if plagiarism is detected after publication.
• Inform the authors' affiliated institutions.
• Restrict future submissions by the involved authors.

6. Authors’ Commitment
By submitting an article to RFJ, authors declare that the content is original, has not been previously published elsewhere, and does not contain plagiarized material. Authors also agree that their manuscript will be checked using anti-plagiarism software and commit to making necessary corrections if significant similarities are found.

7. Continuous Review
RFJ will regularly review and update this anti-plagiarism policy to adapt to advancements in detection technologies and align with ethical standards in academic publishing.