Plagiarism Policy

This journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. All manuscripts submitted must be original works and free from plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and inappropriate reuse of previously published material.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text, data, figures, or ideas from other sources without proper attribution
• Paraphrasing substantial portions of another work without appropriate acknowledgment
• Reusing one's own previously published material without proper citation (self-plagiarism)
• Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously

2. Similarity Check

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin.

• As a general guideline, manuscripts should have a similarity index of no more than 20%, excluding references, commonly used methodological descriptions, and properly cited quotations.
• A high similarity score does not automatically indicate plagiarism. Each similarity report is carefully reviewed by the editorial team to distinguish between acceptable overlap and potential academic misconduct.

3. Actions in Case of Suspected Plagiarism

The journal follows ethical guidelines consistent with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling suspected cases of plagiarism.

Before Publication

If plagiarism is detected during the editorial or peer-review process:

• The manuscript may be returned to the author for clarification or revision, or
• The submission may be rejected if significant plagiarism is confirmed.

After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after publication:

• The journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the severity of the case.
• The author's institution may be notified in cases of serious academic misconduct.

4. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

• Ensuring that all sources are properly cited
• Quoting and paraphrasing accurately
• Obtaining permission for the use of copyrighted material when required
• Submitting only original work that has not been published or submitted elsewhere

5. Editorial Responsibility

Editors and reviewers are expected to remain vigilant in identifying potential plagiarism. The journal is committed to fair, transparent, and ethical handling of all suspected cases in accordance with international best practices in scholarly publishing.