Manuscript Verification: Originality, Plagiarism, and Artificial Intelligence

The Turkic Studies Journal conducts a thorough editorial screening of all submitted manuscripts to ensure the originality of the published content and adherence to publication ethics. The journal also aims to promote transparency in the use of digital tools during the preparation of manuscripts. This section should be read alongside the journal’s Publication Ethics section, including the Policy on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence. It has been developed in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics' (COPE) recommendations.

Plagiarism and originality checks

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo mandatory verification of text originality during the initial editorial review stage using the specialized Antiplagiat.VUZ system, and for English-language articles, the Turnitin system. The screening aims to identify uncited textual overlaps, duplicate publications, excessive quotations, and other potential breaches of research integrity.

When analyzing the results, the editorial team considers not only quantitative measures of originality, but also the nature and context of any overlaps, their accuracy, the scientific context and the specific features of humanities research (e.g. literature reviews, archival sources and methodological descriptions).

Manuscripts with less than 80% original text are generally considered potentially non-original and may be subject to further expert review or returned to the authors for revision. Editorial decisions are not made automatically based solely on similarity scores, but rather on an expert evaluation of the manuscript's content.

Detection of artificial intelligence (AI).

As part of the initial editorial assessment, the journal uses Antiplagiat.VUZ and Turnitin to identify potential signs of AI tool use in manuscript preparation. The results of these checks are indicative only and require expert interpretation.

The journal considers the use of AI tools to be acceptable, provided they are used appropriately and in good faith. The section “Policy on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence” within the journal’s Publication Ethics guidelines details requirements regarding the permissibility of AI use, the obligation to disclose it, as well as restrictions and unacceptable practices.

Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, the accuracy of the results and the correctness of the interpretations. The final decision on the appropriateness of AI use is made by the editorial board, who take into account recommendations from peer reviewers.

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Journal
If AI tools are used, authors must disclose this fact and explain the purpose of their use. This information should be included in the "Materials and Methods" section. Authors must specify the name of the tool (including its version) and the purpose for which it was used, and confirm that the scientific content, data analysis, and conclusions were produced by the authors themselves. Failure to provide this information will result in the manuscript being returned for revision. Please note that the justification for using AI will be subject to review by the journal’s peer reviewers.
Below are the guidelines for authors:
Format for Disclosing the Use of AI
Information must be provided in the "Materials and Methods" section, strictly following this template (replacing the bracketed placeholders with the relevant details):
Use of artificial intelligence: The tool [name, version] was used for the purpose of [describe the purpose]. The authors confirm that the scientific content and conclusions were produced independently.
Requirements for completion:
Name of the tool: Must be precise (e.g., "ChatGPT," "DeepL," "Grammarly," etc.). Version: If the version is unknown, provide the date of last use and the name of the developer.
Purpose of use: Must be specific and verifiable by peer reviewers. Vague descriptions (such as "to assist with writing" or "to improve the text") are not permitted. Reviewers reserve the right to ask authors to justify why AI was necessary for a given task, rather than using standard tools (such as dictionaries, word processors, or spreadsheets).
The statement "The authors confirm that the scientific content and conclusions were produced independently" must be included verbatim. If an author cannot provide this confirmation, the use of AI will be considered to have exceeded the scope of acceptable (auxiliary) use, and the manuscript will be rejected. Example of how to report the use of AI in the "Materials and Methods" section:
Use of artificial intelligence: The tool ChatGPT (version GPT-4, developed by OpenAI; last used on April 10, 2025) was employed to correct grammatical and stylistic errors in the English-language abstract and figure captions. The authors confirm that the scientific content, data analysis, and conclusions were produced independently.

Use of illustrations and borrowed materials

The use of illustrations, tables, graphs, diagrams and other visual materials is permitted only if proper attribution is provided and the necessary permissions from the copyright holders have been obtained, as required by the terms of use. The editorial office considers unauthorised use of visual or other materials to constitute a violation of copyright and publication ethics.

Editorial decisions and consequences of detected violations

If evidence of plagiarism, duplicate publication, undeclared use of AI, or other breaches of publication ethics is identified, the editorial office reserves the right to:

  • return the manuscript to the author(s) for revision;
  • refer the manuscript for additional expert review;
  • reject the manuscript.
  • In cases where violations are discovered post-publication, the editorial office will initiate correction, expression of concern or retraction procedures in accordance with the journal’s editorial policy.

All decisions are based on comprehensive expert evaluations rather than solely on the results of technical checks.