Plagiarism Policy

 

1. Introduction

The Journal of Global Research in Multidisciplinary Studies (JGRMS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and is not tolerated.

All manuscripts submitted to JGRMS must represent original work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions are free from plagiarism and comply with accepted standards of scholarly conduct.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, words, data, images, figures, tables, or other intellectual property without proper acknowledgment or permission where required.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Copying text without citation.
  • Presenting another person's ideas as one's own.
  • Using figures, tables, or images without permission or attribution.
  • Submitting another person's work under one's own name.
  • Translating published work without acknowledgment.
  • Reusing substantial portions of previously published work without proper citation.
  • Inappropriate paraphrasing that closely follows the original source.

3. Self-Plagiarism

Authors should avoid self-plagiarism, which includes reusing significant portions of their own previously published work without proper citation or disclosure.

Acceptable reuse may include:

  • Brief descriptions of standard methods.
  • Properly cited conference papers expanded into substantially enhanced journal articles.
  • Material reused with appropriate acknowledgment and where permitted.

Authors must clearly reference any related prior publications.

4. Similarity Screening

Every manuscript submitted to JGRMS undergoes a similarity check before peer review using recognized plagiarism-detection software.

The similarity report is evaluated by the editorial team. A numerical similarity score alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred; editors consider the nature, source, and context of any overlap.

5. Similarity Thresholds

As general editorial guidance:

Overall Similarity Index Editorial Action
Up to 10% Normally acceptable, subject to editorial review.
11%–20% May require revision and correction of citations or quotations.
Above 20% Subject to detailed investigation and may be rejected if the overlap is significant or inappropriate.

Important: Even a low similarity score may be unacceptable if it includes copied text from a single source without proper attribution. Likewise, a higher similarity score may be acceptable when it results from correctly cited references, standard methodological descriptions, or other legitimate overlaps. Editorial judgment is always applied.

6. Duplicate Submission and Duplicate Publication

JGRMS does not accept manuscripts that:

  • Have already been published elsewhere.
  • Are simultaneously under review by another journal.
  • Are substantially identical to previously published work without appropriate disclosure.

If duplicate submission or duplicate publication is discovered, the manuscript may be rejected or, if already published, retracted.

7. Citation Requirements

Authors must appropriately cite all sources used in preparing their manuscripts, including:

  • Published articles
  • Books
  • Conference papers
  • Datasets
  • Software
  • Images
  • Figures
  • Tables
  • Online resources

Direct quotations should be clearly identified and referenced.

8. Editorial Actions

If plagiarism or related misconduct is suspected, the Editorial Office may:

  • Request clarification from the authors.
  • Request revision and proper citation.
  • Return the manuscript for correction.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Suspend the review process while an investigation is conducted.
  • Notify the authors' institution or funding agency in cases of serious misconduct.
  • Retract a published article when appropriate.

Editorial decisions are based on the severity and nature of the issue.

9. Published Articles

If plagiarism is identified after publication, JGRMS may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Publish a correction.
  • Publish an editorial notice.
  • Issue an Expression of Concern.
  • Retract the article.
  • Remove infringing content where legally required while preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

The appropriate action will depend on the circumstances and outcome of the investigation.

10. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must:

  • Submit only original work.
  • Ensure all borrowed material is properly cited.
  • Obtain permission for copyrighted content when required.
  • Disclose related manuscripts or prior publications.
  • Cooperate with editorial investigations if concerns arise.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors are aware of and agree with the submitted manuscript.

11. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

  • Reviewing similarity reports.
  • Investigating suspected plagiarism fairly and confidentially.
  • Making editorial decisions based on evidence.
  • Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.
  • Applying the journal's ethical policies consistently.

12. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are encouraged to inform the Editor if they become aware of:

  • Unattributed copied material.
  • Duplicate publication.
  • Redundant publication.
  • Copyright concerns.
  • Other forms of publication misconduct.

13. Consequences of Plagiarism

Depending on the severity of the violation, actions may include:

  • Request for revision.
  • Rejection of the manuscript.
  • Withdrawal of the submission.
  • Retraction of a published article.
  • Temporary restriction on future submissions.
  • Notification of the author's institution, employer, or funding body when warranted.

14. Appeals

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision related to plagiarism may submit a written appeal within 30 days of the decision.

Appeals should provide supporting evidence and a detailed explanation. The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal, and the resulting decision will be final.

15. Policy Review

This Plagiarism Policy is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with current standards of publication ethics and responsible scholarly publishing. Updated versions will be published on the journal website.

Contact

Questions regarding this policy or suspected plagiarism should be directed to the Editorial Office through the contact information provided on the journal website.

Recommended Notice for Authors

By submitting a manuscript to JGRMS, authors confirm that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere, is not under consideration by another journal, and complies with the journal's Plagiarism Policy. Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions where required and for providing proper acknowledgment of all sources used.