Plagiarism Policy
The IOASD Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scientific integrity by publishing only original and ethically prepared research. Originality is fundamental to scholarly communication, and the journal has zero tolerance for plagiarism or any form of academic misconduct that compromises the credibility of published research.
All submitted manuscripts undergo originality screening as part of the editorial assessment process. Similarity reports are evaluated carefully by the Editorial Office and are used to support editorial judgment rather than as the sole basis for publication decisions.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another person's words, ideas, data, figures, images, tables, research findings, or other intellectual property without appropriate acknowledgement, attribution, or permission.
Plagiarism may occur intentionally or unintentionally and is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.
The journal does not accept any form of plagiarism.
Forms of Plagiarism
The journal recognizes several forms of plagiarism, including but not limited to:
Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, figures, tables, images, or other published or unpublished material without proper citation or authorization.
Mosaic Plagiarism: Closely following another author's wording, sentence structure, or organization while making only superficial changes and failing to provide appropriate attribution.
Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Rewriting another author's ideas or findings in different words without acknowledging the original source.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without appropriate citation, disclosure, or editorial approval.
Examples include duplicate publication, redundant publication, and excessive text recycling.
Data, Figure, and Image Plagiarism: Using clinical images, laboratory photographs, radiological images, graphs, tables, illustrations, datasets, or other research materials without proper acknowledgement, permission, or authorization where required.
Citation Misrepresentation: Providing misleading, inaccurate, fabricated, or incomplete citations, or intentionally failing to acknowledge the original source of information.
Originality Assessment
All manuscripts submitted to the journal may be screened using recognized plagiarism detection software before peer review and, where considered necessary, at subsequent stages of the editorial or production process.
Similarity reports are assessed by the Editorial Office to determine the source, nature, and significance of any overlapping text.
Editorial assessment considers:
· Whether the overlap is appropriately cited.
· Whether the similarity affects the originality of the manuscript.
· Whether the overlapping material represents acceptable scholarly practice.
· Whether additional clarification or revision is required.
Editorial decisions are based on qualitative evaluation rather than similarity percentages alone.
Acceptable Similarity
The journal recognizes that not all text similarity constitutes plagiarism.
Reasonable similarity may occur in:
· Standard scientific or medical terminology.
· Correctly quoted material with appropriate citation.
· References and bibliographic information.
· Names of medicines, diseases, laboratory techniques, clinical guidelines, or regulatory terminology.
· Standard methodological descriptions where limited alternative wording exists.
· Ethical approval statements, informed consent statements, and trial registration information.
Each manuscript is evaluated individually, taking into account the context and significance of the identified similarity.
Author Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring that every submitted manuscript is original and accurately acknowledges the work of others.
Before submission, authors should:
· Ensure that the manuscript represents original scholarly work.
· Properly acknowledge all published sources.
· Cite all reproduced, adapted, or referenced material appropriately.
· Obtain permission for copyrighted material where required.
· Avoid duplicate submission and redundant publication.
· Disclose any reuse of previously published material.
· Verify the originality of the manuscript before submission.
The corresponding author is responsible for confirming that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript and agree that it complies with the journal's originality requirements.
Editorial Evaluation of Similarity Reports
The Editorial Office carefully examines all similarity reports to determine whether identified text overlap represents acceptable scholarly practice or potential plagiarism.
During this evaluation, editors consider:
· The source and nature of the overlapping material.
· The extent and location of the similarity within the manuscript.
· Whether appropriate citations and acknowledgements have been provided.
· Whether the overlap affects the originality, reliability, or scientific contribution of the manuscript.
· Whether the similarity results from standard scientific terminology, accepted reporting practices, or constitutes inappropriate copying.
Similarity reports are used to support editorial judgment and are not interpreted solely on the basis of a numerical similarity score.
Editorial Actions Before Publication
When plagiarism or unacceptable similarity is identified during editorial assessment, the journal may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and severity of the concern:
· Request clarification from the authors.
· Request revision of the manuscript to remove or properly attribute overlapping material.
· Require additional citations or acknowledgements.
· Request supporting documentation where necessary.
· Reject the manuscript where substantial plagiarism or serious academic misconduct is confirmed.
Authors are given an opportunity to respond to editorial concerns before a final decision is made whenever appropriate.
Post-Publication Plagiarism
If credible evidence of plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal will assess the matter carefully and conduct an editorial investigation where necessary.
Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may:
· Publish a correction where the issue can be appropriately resolved.
· Publish an Expression of Concern while an investigation is ongoing.
· Retract the article where serious plagiarism or research misconduct is confirmed.
· Notify the corresponding author and, where appropriate, the relevant institution, ethics committee, funding agency, or other responsible authority.
The journal is committed to preserving the integrity and reliability of the scientific record through fair, transparent, and timely editorial action.
Author Cooperation
Authors are expected to cooperate fully with the Editorial Office during any investigation concerning originality or plagiarism.
Where requested, authors should provide:
· Explanations regarding identified text overlap.
· Original research data or supporting documentation where relevant.
· Evidence of permission for the use of copyrighted material.
· Ethics approval documentation, informed consent documentation, or clinical trial registration details where relevant.
· Any additional information reasonably required to support the editorial assessment.
Failure to cooperate with an editorial investigation may influence the journal's editorial decision or post-publication actions.
Appeals
Authors who disagree with an editorial decision relating to plagiarism may submit a written appeal to the Editorial Office.
Appeals should include a detailed explanation together with supporting evidence that may assist in the reassessment of the case.
The journal will review all appeals objectively and may seek additional editorial evaluation or independent expert advice where appropriate.
The decision reached following completion of the appeal process shall be considered final.
Related Policies
This Plagiarism Policy should be read together with the journal's:
Commitment to Academic Integrity
The IOASD Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to promoting originality, honesty, and responsible scientific publishing.
Through careful editorial assessment, similarity screening, and transparent editorial procedures, the journal seeks to ensure that every published article reflects the highest standards of scientific integrity and contributes responsibly to the advancement of medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical research, clinical practice, public health, and related healthcare disciplines.
