Journal Plagiarism Policy

Our journal is committed to upholding high standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct in publishing. Plagiarism, which involves the unauthorized use or close imitation of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgment, is a serious violation of these standards. This includes:

• Direct copying: Reproducing text, figures, or data from another source without permission and citation.
• Self-plagiarism: Republishing one’s own previously published work or portions thereof without proper citation or disclosure.
• Paraphrasing: Rephrasing substantial portions of another’s work without due acknowledgment.
• Mosaic plagiarism: Interspersing words and phrases from various sources with original text without clear attribution.

Review and Detection
We conduct similarity checks on all submitted manuscripts using iThenticate, a commonly used plagiarism detection software, prior to peer review. If significant plagiarism is detected, defined as over 15% similarity with existing work, the manuscript will be rejected immediately, and the author(s) will be informed of the breach. Minor instances, such as improper citation, may lead to requests for revision.

Consequences of Plagiarism
If plagiarism is detected at any stage—before or after publication—the journal will take appropriate actions as recommended by COPE, including:

1. Rejection of the manuscript.
2. Retraction of published papers with public notification.
3. Notification to the authors’ institution or funding agencies, if deemed necessary.
4. Banning of authors involved from future submissions to the journal for a specified period.

This policy is in line with the COPE guidelines on plagiarism for submitted manuscripts, ensuring that all cases are assessed with integrity and fairness. We encourage authors to ensure originality in their work and to properly credit all sources to contribute to a culture of transparency, integrity, and respect within the academic community.

For more information, please refer to the COPE flowchart on plagiarism: COPE Plagiarism Guidelines.

Generative AI Policy

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT) in their manuscript preparation, specifically when these tools are employed for language editing and enhancing clarity. Such AI should not be used for data creation or any modifications that could compromise the originality of the research. The fundamental ideas, findings, and conclusions must remain solely the authors' own, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the manuscript are preserved. Authors are fully responsible for their manuscript, including the accuracy of the content post-editing. If any data fabrication or compromise of originality is identified, the manuscript may be retracted after a thorough review by the editorial board.