Plagiarism Policy

Introduction

The International Journal of Advanced and Innovative Research (IJAIR) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism, in any form, is a serious violation of scholarly ethics and undermines the credibility of research. To ensure the authenticity and originality of published work, IJAIR enforces a strict anti-plagiarism policy.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves using another person’s work, ideas, or expressions without proper attribution, misrepresenting them as one’s own. This includes:

  • Verbatim Copying: Reproducing text without quotation marks or citation.

  • Improper Paraphrasing: Rewriting ideas from another work without crediting the original author.

  • Data Misuse: Using figures, tables, images, or datasets without permission or acknowledgment.

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s own previously published work without disclosure or citation.

Plagiarism Threshold

  • IJAIR Standard: Manuscripts must have a similarity index of 10% or less. Submissions exceeding this threshold may be returned for revision or rejected.

  • Reference Benchmark: While HEC guidelines allow up to 19% similarity, IJAIR maintains a stricter standard to ensure originality and academic excellence.

Detection and Responsibility

  • Plagiarism Detection: All manuscripts are screened using reliable detection software (e.g., Turnitin) before peer review.

  • Author Responsibility: Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and proper citation of all sources. Manuscripts must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.

Handling Plagiarism

  • Initial Assessment: Suspected plagiarism is reviewed by the editorial team.

  • Verification: The content in question is cross-checked against original sources. Authors may be contacted for clarification.

Editorial Actions Based on Severity:

Type of Plagiarism Editorial Action
Minor (e.g., improper citation) Manuscript returned for correction and resubmission
Major (e.g., copied content, data misuse) Immediate rejection; if published, article is retracted
Repeated or deliberate acts Permanent ban from future submissions; the author’s institution or funding body may be notified

Statement of Originality

All authors must submit a Statement of Originality confirming that:

  • The manuscript is original and free of plagiarism.

  • All sources are properly cited.

  • The work is not under review elsewhere and has not been previously published.

Appeals Process

Authors may appeal plagiarism-related decisions by submitting a formal request to the editorial board. Appeals will be reviewed impartially, and a final decision will be communicated after thorough assessment.

Transparency and Retractions

Confirmed plagiarism cases will result in a formal retraction notice, publicly documenting the reason to maintain transparency and preserve the academic record.

Use of AI-Generated Content

IJAIR maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward AI-generated content in academic manuscripts. Submissions generated or significantly written with artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Gemini) are not acceptable. All work must reflect original human scholarship and critical thinking. Violations will be treated as plagiarism and handled according to the above procedures.