Spectrum: Journal of Science Education is committed to maintaining originality, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing. All submitted manuscripts may be screened using recognized similarity-detection software before being forwarded for peer review or at another stage of the editorial process.

The purpose of similarity screening is to identify potential inappropriate text reuse, plagiarism, duplicate publication, excessive copying, and other forms of unattributed reuse that may compromise the originality of a manuscript.

As a general guideline, manuscripts submitted to Spectrum should have an overall similarity index of 20% or lower. A manuscript with a similarity score above this level may be returned to the author for revision, subjected to further editorial examination, or declined when inappropriate textual reuse or plagiarism is identified.

The similarity percentage is not used as the sole indicator of plagiarism. Similarity-detection software identifies matching text but does not independently determine whether the similarities constitute acceptable scholarly practice or publication misconduct.

The Editorial Team therefore examines the location, extent, source, context, and nature of the matching material before making an editorial decision. A manuscript may contain a relatively low percentage of similarity but still raise serious concerns if substantial portions are copied from another source without proper attribution.

Certain text matches may not automatically indicate plagiarism and should be interpreted in context, including:

• Properly cited quotations;
• Bibliographic references;
• Standard methodological terminology;
• Commonly used scientific expressions;
• Names of research instruments, institutions, theories, or established methods;
• Ethical approval statements and standardized declarations;
• Properly attributed descriptions of established procedures.

Nevertheless, authors should avoid unnecessary verbatim reproduction even when a source is cited. Where appropriate, ideas should be expressed in the authors' own scholarly language while preserving accurate attribution.

Authors should not substantially reproduce their own previously published material and present it as entirely new work. When previously published methods, theoretical frameworks, datasets, or other materials are reused, the original publication should be properly cited and the new contribution of the submitted manuscript should be clearly demonstrated.

Text originating from theses, dissertations, institutional repositories, conference materials, or other legitimate scholarly sources may appear in similarity reports. Such matches are evaluated individually. Authors should transparently disclose relevant prior dissemination and appropriately cite or acknowledge earlier versions when necessary. The manuscript submitted to Spectrum should provide a clear scholarly contribution appropriate for journal publication.

Before submission, authors are expected to:

• Ensure that the manuscript is original;
• Properly cite all ideas, data, text, figures, and materials derived from other sources;
• Use quotation marks where direct quotations are necessary;
• Avoid excessive verbatim copying;
• Properly cite relevant previous work by the authors;
• Ensure that the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere simultaneously;
• Review the manuscript carefully for potential unintended textual overlap before submission.

When problematic similarity is identified, the Editorial Team may take one or more appropriate actions depending on the nature and severity of the issue.

Serious cases involving plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated attribution, or other forms of publication misconduct may be handled in accordance with Spectrum's Publication Ethics and Retraction, Correction and Withdrawal Policy.

Similarity or plagiarism concerns may also be investigated after an article has been published. When credible evidence is received, the Editorial Team may review the article, request explanations or supporting information, and take appropriate action to protect the integrity of the scholarly record. Depending on the findings, actions may include a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial measure.

The use of artificial intelligence tools does not remove the authors' responsibility for the originality, accuracy, citations, and integrity of submitted manuscripts. Authors must verify AI-assisted content and ensure that it does not contain unattributed material, fabricated references, or inappropriate reproduction of existing works. Use of AI tools should comply with Spectrum's AI Tools Usage Policy.