We, Discover STM Publishing Ltd (Publisher), are committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing practices. This policy is enforced by Discover STM Publishing Ltd, a full voting member of CrossRef, and utilizes the plagiarism detection services of iThenticate to assess plagiarism in the manuscripts submitted to the journals published or hosted by the Publisher.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment or permission and presenting it as one's own. This includes, but is not limited to, verbatim copying, paraphrasing, or summarizing substantial portions of another person's work without appropriate citation.
Types of Plagiarism:
Direct Plagiarism: Reproducing someone else's work word-for-word without quotation marks or proper citation.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial parts of one's own previously published work without proper citation.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else's work in one's own words without proper attribution.
Mosaic Plagiarism: Combining phrases, ideas, or sentences from various sources to create a new work without proper citation.
Our Plagiarism Detection Process:
All submitted manuscripts undergo a thorough plagiarism check using advanced plagiarism detection software, iThenticate, provided by our partner CrossRef. This process helps ensure the originality and integrity of the research presented.
Acceptable Plagiarism Tolerance:
While we recognize that some level of similarity may occur, especially in the methods or background sections, it is important that authors provide proper citation and attribution. Generally, a similarity index of up to 15% is considered acceptable. However, any significant overlap with existing work must be appropriately cited.
Consequences of Plagiarism:
If plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be immediately rejected. Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, further actions may be taken, including notifying the author's institution and prohibiting future submissions from the offending author.
We follow COPE Guidelines to manage the process if plagiarism is detected.
Reporting Plagiarism:
We encourage our readers, reviewers, and fellow authors to report any suspected cases of plagiarism. Please provide detailed information to the editorial office, including the journal name, manuscript title, volume/issue number, and any other relevant details.
Thank you for your cooperation.