Plagiarism Policy

                                                                                                                                           Last revised: 31 January 2026

PESH Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and responsible scholarship. All manuscripts are checked for plagiarism, duplicate publication, and unethical academic practices. This policy follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, or results from another source without proper citation
  • Substantial paraphrasing without acknowledgment
  • Self-plagiarism (reusing one’s own previously published text, data, or analysis without citation)
  • Copying images, tables, figures, or datasets without permission or credit
  • Submitting work prepared by another person

Plagiarism is considered academic misconduct.

2. Similarity Check and Screening Procedure

The Journal applies similarity checking as part of its editorial screening process. In addition, the journal employs a combination of:

  • editorial screening,
  • manual verification, and
  • supplementary similarity-detection tools

to identify potential plagiarism and overlapping content.

3. Acceptable Similarity Levels

While there is no rigid numerical threshold, the editorial team generally expects:

  • low similarity in original sections (introduction, discussion, conclusions)
  • acceptable overlap in methods sections (standard descriptions)
  • proper citation for all re-used or referenced material

If overlapping content appears excessive or suspicious, the editors will conduct a detailed manual review.

4. Actions Taken in Cases of Suspected Plagiarism

Before Acceptance

  • Return the manuscript to authors for clarification or revision
  • Reject the manuscript
  • Initiate a formal investigation (in serious cases)

After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal will issue one of the following:

  • Correction Notice
  • Retraction
  • Expression of Concern

Institutional authorities may be notified in cases of serious misconduct.

5. Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure that:

  • all work is original and properly cited
  • all reused text, figures, tables, or datasets are appropriately acknowledged
  • permission is obtained for copyrighted material
  • any overlaps with previous publications are declared at submission

Submitting plagiarised or improperly attributed content is a breach of ethical standards.

6. Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

  • Editors and reviewers must report suspected plagiarism.
  • The editorial team investigates all allegations confidentially and objectively.
  • Decisions are guided by COPE’s flowcharts for handling ethical issues.

7. Compliance Statement

This Plagiarism Policy adheres to:

  • COPE Core Practices
  • Clarivate Journal Evaluation Criteria
  • Scopus Content Selection Guidelines
  • DOAJ Best Practices on Publication Ethics