Plagiarism Policy

Policy Statement

The International Journal of Engineering Concepts and Management is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and any form of research misconduct. Authors are expected to submit original work that has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to plagiarism screening before entering the peer-review process and may be re-evaluated at any stage of the editorial process if concerns regarding originality arise.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, figures, tables, images, or data from another source without proper acknowledgment.
  • Presenting another person's ideas, methods, or research findings as one's own.
  • Improper paraphrasing without appropriate citation.
  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication of previously published work without adequate disclosure.
  • Submitting substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content without appropriate verification, attribution, or disclosure where required.

Similarity Assessment

Every submitted manuscript may be evaluated using plagiarism detection software to identify similarities with previously published literature.

A similarity score alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred. The Editorial Office carefully reviews similarity reports to distinguish between legitimate similarities (such as references, standard methodology, technical terminology, or properly quoted material) and unacceptable textual overlap.

Acceptable Similarity

Minor textual similarities arising from:

  • References and bibliographic information.
  • Standard scientific terminology.
  • Commonly used methodological descriptions.
  • Properly quoted and cited material.

are generally considered acceptable when they do not affect the originality of the manuscript.

Unacceptable Practices

The journal considers the following practices to be unethical:

  • Direct copying without citation.
  • Extensive text recycling.
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Fabrication or falsification of research data.
  • Manipulation of images or research results.
  • Improper attribution of authorship.
  • Submission of manuscripts generated or substantially written by AI without appropriate human oversight and disclosure where applicable.

Editorial Action

When plagiarism or significant unethical overlap is identified, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request clarification from the authors.
  • Return the manuscript for revision.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Withdraw the manuscript from the editorial process.
  • Retract a published article if plagiarism is discovered after publication.
  • Notify the authors' affiliated institutions or funding agencies when serious research misconduct is confirmed.

The action taken will depend on the nature, extent, and severity of the plagiarism.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Their manuscript is entirely original.
  • All sources are accurately cited.
  • Quotations are properly identified.
  • Permission has been obtained for copyrighted material where required.
  • The manuscript is not simultaneously submitted to another journal.
  • All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version before submission.

Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

Editors and reviewers play an essential role in safeguarding publication integrity by:

  • Reporting suspected plagiarism or duplicate publication.
  • Maintaining confidentiality during the review process.
  • Evaluating originality objectively and fairly.
  • Recommending appropriate editorial action when ethical concerns arise.

Post-Publication Concerns

If plagiarism or research misconduct is identified after publication, the journal will investigate the matter in accordance with its editorial and publication ethics policies. Depending on the findings, appropriate actions may include publishing a correction, issuing an expression of concern, retracting the article, or taking other corrective measures to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Policy Compliance

Submission of a manuscript to the International Journal of Engineering Concepts and Management constitutes the authors' acknowledgment that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Plagiarism Policy and all other editorial and ethical policies of the journal.

Policy Updates

The journal reserves the right to amend or update this Plagiarism Policy to reflect evolving standards in scholarly publishing, research ethics, and publication best practices. The most recent version published on the journal's website shall take precedence over any previous versions.