Plagiarism Policy

As part of this commitment, APJCR has established a strict plagiarism policy to ensure all published content is original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism. This policy applies to all authors submitting manuscripts to APJCR and is aligned with the ethical guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is appropriating another person's ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: The verbatim copying of text from a source without proper citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: The reuse of significant portions of one's previously published work without acknowledging or citing the original source.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism: The borrowing of phrases from a source without using quotation marks or finding synonyms for the author's language while keeping to the same general structure and meaning of the original.
  • Inadequate Paraphrasing: Rephrasing or summarizing someone else's work without adequate citation or making only minor changes to the original text while maintaining the core ideas.
  • Uncited Ideas: Using another person's ideas, data, or research findings without appropriate acknowledgment.

Submission and Review Process

  1. Author Responsibilities: Authors submitting manuscripts to APJCR must ensure that their work is original and free from plagiarism. They must appropriately cite all sources and references, including their previous publications if relevant. Authors should check their manuscripts for plagiarism using reliable plagiarism detection software before submission.
  2. Initial Screening: All manuscripts submitted to APJCR undergo an initial screening for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection tools (e.g., iThenticate, Turnitin). APJCR adheres to a strict similarity threshold—manuscripts must have a similarity index of below 10% to proceed to peer review. This threshold ensures that the content is sufficiently original and not excessively similar to existing works. Minor overlaps that fall below this threshold but still raise concerns will be flagged for further investigation.
  3. Peer Review: Reviewers are encouraged to report any suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns during the peer-review process. The editorial board will investigate these reports thoroughly and take appropriate action.

Handling Plagiarism Cases

  1. Minor Overlap: If plagiarism is detected at a minor level (e.g., small text overlap with proper citation but insufficient paraphrasing) and the similarity index is below 10%, the authors will be notified and asked to revise the manuscript to address the issues.
  2. Major Plagiarism: If significant plagiarism is identified (e.g., large sections of copied text, lack of proper citation, or reuse of previously published work without acknowledgment) or if the similarity index exceeds the 10% threshold, the manuscript will be rejected immediately. The authors will be informed of the reason for rejection and may be barred from submitting future manuscripts to APJCR.

Post-Publication Plagiarism: If plagiarism is discovered after publication, APJCR will take the following actions:

  • Retraction: The article will be retracted from the journal, and a retraction notice will be published explaining the reason for the retraction.
  • Notification: The author's institution and any relevant funding bodies will be informed of the plagiarism incident.
  • Legal Action: In severe cases, legal action may be taken against the authors if warranted.

Author Accountability

Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts, including ensuring that all work is original, appropriately cited, and free from plagiarism. Any plagiarism-related misconduct will have serious consequences, including potential retraction of the manuscript, notification to the author's institution, and a ban on future submissions to APJCR.

Ethical Education

APJCR is committed to educating authors, reviewers, and editors about plagiarism and the importance of academic integrity. Resources and guidelines for avoiding plagiarism and proper citation practices are available to all contributors.

Policy Review

This Plagiarism Policy is subject to periodic review and may be updated to reflect changes in industry standards, ethical guidelines, or editorial practices. Any changes to this policy will be communicated through the journal's website and in official journal communications.