Plagiarism Policy
1. Introduction
The Pak J Pathol is committed to maintaining the highest levels of integrity and ethical standards in academic publishing. This Plagiarism Policy provides the framework for identifying and managing instances of plagiarism in submitted manuscripts, in alignment with the principles established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Pakistan Medical & Dental Council and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.
- Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism refers to the act of utilizing another individual's work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper citation, thereby presenting it as one's own. This encompasses, but is not restricted to, direct copying, paraphrasing, or closely replicating the structure or concepts of an external source without due acknowledgment. Manuscripts exhibiting a similarity index exceeding 19% will not be considered for further processing unless corrected.
- Types of Plagiarism
3.1 Verbatim Plagiarism: Copying text word-for-word without proper citation.
3.2 Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else's work without proper attribution, maintaining the original structure or idea.
3.3 Conceptual Plagiarism: Reproducing the fundamental idea or framework of another individual's work without providing proper acknowledgment.
- Detection of Plagiarism
4.1 Similarity Checks: All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection through Turnitin plagiarism software (courtesy HEC) to identify potential instances of plagiarism.
4.2 Manual Screening: The editorial team performs manual screening procedures to detect potential cases of plagiarism that may evade automated detection systems.
- Handling Plagiarism Cases
5.1 Initial Assessment: Upon identification of potential plagiarism, the editorial board undertakes a comprehensive evaluation to ascertain the scope and seriousness of the concern.
5.2 Author Notification: The authors are promptly informed of any identified instances of plagiarism and are given an opportunity to provide an explanation or take corrective action.
5.3 Review Committee: A review committee composed of members of the editorial board has been established to evaluate the case of plagiarism and provide recommendations for appropriate measures.
- Actions for Plagiarism
6.1 Minor Plagiarism: In cases of minor plagiarism, authors may be required to revise and properly cite the affected portions.
6.2 Major Plagiarism: Manuscripts found to contain substantial or extensive plagiarism are subject to rejection, and the authors may be prohibited from submitting to Pakistan Journal of Pathology for a defined duration.
In the case of a published article, if plagiarism is alleged, the article will be temporarily withdrawn from the journal, and the corresponding author will be required to provide a formal explanation. The matter will be publicly noted in the journal's user section for a period of one year.
6.3 Publication Retraction: If plagiarism is identified post-publication, affected articles may be retracted.
- Appeals Process
7.1 Author Appeals: Authors have the right to appeal plagiarism-related decisions by providing a detailed explanation and evidence to support their case.
7.2 Appeals Review: The editorial board will review appeals, considering the provided information, and may modify decisions accordingly.
- Education and Awareness
8.1 Author Education: Pak J Pathol is committed to educating authors about the importance of proper citation and avoiding plagiarism.
8.2 Public Awareness: The journal promotes awareness about plagiarism and its consequences through lectures and workshops, emphasizing ethical publishing practices.
- Periodic Review and Updates
This policy shall undergo periodic review to ensure its continued effectiveness and conformity with evolving professional standards. Revisions will be implemented as required to improve the management of plagiarism-related cases.
The Plagiarism Policy of Pakistan Journal of Pathology is developed in accordance with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC), and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). It is intended to uphold the integrity of the publication process and to foster ethical authorship and publishing practices.
