Plagiarism and Similarity Index Policy
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. Manuscripts may be screened for originality. Authors are required to submit similarity report using any anti-plagiarism software (without considering bibliographic references, titles of methods and names of institutions).
1. Purpose:- This policy ensures the originality, integrity and ethical standards of manuscripts submitted to the journal. The journal is committed to publishing original research and adheres to international publication ethics.
2. Ethical Framework:- The journal follows the principles and best practices recommended by
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
3. Publisher best practices for plagiarism screening and Similarity Check Tool:- All submissions are screened using a recognized plagiarism-detection software.
4. Similarity Index Thresholds
The similarity index is evaluated after excluding references, bibliography, titles of methods, names of institution and quoted material.
Overall Similarity Editorial Action
≤ 10% Considered excellent; eligible for peer review
10–15% Acceptable with proper citation; eligible for peer review
15–20% Minor revision required before peer review
20–25% Major revision required
resubmission needed > 25% Manuscript rejected due to excessive similarity
5. Nature of Similarity:
Editorial decisions are based not only on percentage but also on:
Location of similarity (methods, introduction, results, discussion).
Source of overlap (common terminology, previously published work).
Presence of proper citation and quotation.
Self-plagiarism or redundant publication.
6. Self-Plagiarism
Authors must properly cite their own previously published work. Reuse of substantial text without citation will be treated as plagiarism.
7. Consequences of Plagiarism
If plagiarism is detected:Before publication: the manuscript may be rejected or returned for revision
After publication: the article may be retracted following COPE guidelines
8. Author Responsibility
Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and for checking similarity before submission.
9. Editorial Discretion
Final decisions regarding similarity and plagiarism rest with the Editor-in-Chief, based on ethical standards and scholarly judgment.
