Plagiarism and Screening Policy

Plagiarism and Screening Policy – Journal of Advanced Homoeopathic Studies (JAHS)

The Journal of Advanced Homoeopathic Studies (JAHS) is committed to publishing original, high-quality, and ethically sound research. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited, and all manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism screening before publication.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, ideas, figures, tables, or data from another source without attribution.

  • Mosaic/Partial Plagiarism: Borrowing phrases, concepts, or ideas from different sources and presenting them as original work.

  • Self-Plagiarism (Redundant Publication): Republishing one’s own previously published work, in whole or in part, without proper citation or justification.

  • Data/Idea Plagiarism: Using another researcher’s data, results, or ideas without acknowledgment.

  • Image/Graph Manipulation: Altering or reusing images without proper citation or permission.

2. Screening Process

  • All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software (CrossRef Similarity Check/iThenticate).

  • Manuscripts with a similarity index greater than 15–20% (excluding references, small quotations, and standard phrases) may be returned to authors for revision or rejected outright.

  • Editors assess plagiarism reports carefully to distinguish between acceptable similarity (methodological descriptions, references) and unacceptable overlap (copy-paste of results, discussion, or conclusions).

3. Author Responsibilities

  • Authors must ensure originality and proper citation of all sources.

  • Authors should quote and reference whenever using words, ideas, or figures from other works.

  • Authors must avoid submitting manuscripts that are under consideration or previously published elsewhere.

  • Authors must disclose if the manuscript overlaps with previously published or submitted work.

4. Editorial and Journal Responsibilities

  • The Editorial Board strictly enforces anti-plagiarism policies in line with COPE guidelines.

  • Manuscripts found with minor overlap may be sent back to authors for correction.

  • Manuscripts with major plagiarism (copying large sections, stealing data, duplicate submission) will be rejected without review.

  • If plagiarism is detected after publication:

    • A retraction notice will be issued.

    • The article will be marked as Retracted but remain accessible to maintain the scholarly record.

    • The authors’ institutions or funding bodies may be notified.

5. Sanctions for Plagiarism

  • First-time offense (minor overlap): Manuscript returned for revision.

  • Serious offense: Manuscript rejected and authors banned from submitting to JAHS for a minimum of 2 years.

  • Extreme/repeated misconduct: Notification sent to the author’s institution, funding agencies, and other relevant bodies.

6. Alignment with International Standards

This policy follows:

  • COPE Code of Conduct and Plagiarism Guidelines

  • ICMJE Recommendations on Overlapping Publications

  • WAME Best Practices

  • DOAJ Transparency Principles

  • Scopus and PubMed requirements