Plagiarism Policy

Promoting originality, academic honesty, proper attribution, and responsible scholarly publishing.

1. Policy Statement

The Journal of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Communications (JOCSAIC) is committed to maintaining academic integrity and publishing original scholarly work. Plagiarism, inappropriate text reuse, and the unattributed use of another person's ideas, words, data, figures, code, or other intellectual contributions are unacceptable.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened for similarity before or during peer review. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submissions comply with this policy, applicable copyright requirements, and accepted standards of scholarly attribution.

2. Similarity Thresholds

JOCSAIC applies the following similarity thresholds as its manuscript screening criteria.

3. Similarity Checking Tools

JOCSAIC may use recognized text-similarity checking tools to support editorial screening. These tools help identify matching text and potential overlap with existing sources. The editorial team evaluates the reports and determines whether further review or action is required.

4. Similarity Screening Procedure

Manuscripts may be checked before peer review, during editorial assessment, or when concerns arise. The screening process may include the following stages:

Editors may request revisions, explanations, or supporting documentation. Serious concerns may be handled under the journal's Publication Ethics and Allegation of Research Misconduct policies.

5. Forms of Plagiarism and Inappropriate Reuse

Unacceptable practices include, but are not limited to:

• Direct plagiarism: copying words or passages without quotation or appropriate attribution.
• Paraphrasing plagiarism: reproducing another source's ideas or structure without proper citation.
• Data and figure plagiarism: using tables, images, diagrams, datasets, or other materials without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required.
• Code plagiarism: reproducing source code or substantial software components without appropriate attribution or compliance with applicable licenses.
• Self-plagiarism and text recycling: reusing one's previously published text or material without appropriate disclosure, citation, or justification.
• Duplicate publication: submitting or publishing substantially overlapping work without transparent disclosure and editorial approval where required.
• Improper citation: omitting relevant sources or using citations in a misleading way.

6. Quotation, Paraphrasing, and Citation

Authors must follow these practices when using published or unpublished material:

• Use quotation marks or an appropriate block quotation when reproducing exact wording, and cite the original source.
• Paraphrase ideas in genuinely original language while citing the source of those ideas.
• Provide complete and accurate references for all cited works.
• Obtain permission when required to reproduce copyrighted figures, tables, images, or other protected materials.
• Disclose relevant overlap with previous publications, including related conference papers, preprints, theses, or other prior dissemination where applicable.
• Do not attempt to evade similarity screening by changing document formatting, substituting characters, inserting hidden text, or using other deceptive methods.

7. Interpretation of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports identify matching text; they do not independently determine whether plagiarism has occurred. Editors should consider the nature, extent, location, attribution, and context of matching material.

References, properly quoted passages, standard methodological descriptions, and commonly used terminology may be considered during interpretation. Any exclusions applied by screening software should be documented and applied consistently. Meeting the numerical thresholds does not exempt a manuscript from ethical review.

8. Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

Depending on the severity, evidence, and circumstances, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

• Request clarification, correction, or rewriting of improperly attributed material.
• Return the manuscript for substantial revision before further consideration.
• Reject the manuscript when the concerns are serious or remain unresolved.
• Refer credible concerns involving published work to relevant authors, institutions, or other appropriate parties when warranted.
• Issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction for a published article when justified by the evidence and the journal's procedures.
• Restrict future submissions in serious or repeated cases where justified, proportionate, and consistent with the journal's documented procedures.

Authors will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to significant concerns where appropriate. Decisions should be evidence-based, proportionate, and documented.

9. Responsibilities of Authors

• Submit original work and acknowledge all sources appropriately.
• Check the manuscript for unintentional text overlap before submission.
• Ensure that all authors approve the final manuscript and accept responsibility for its integrity.
• Disclose relevant overlap with prior publications and obtain permissions where necessary.
• Cooperate with reasonable editorial requests relating to similarity reports and research integrity.

10. Alignment with COPE Guidance

JOCSAIC refers to relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when developing and reviewing its procedures for handling plagiarism allegations and other publication ethics concerns.

Potential cases are assessed in context, with attention to available evidence, fair treatment of the parties involved, and appropriate editorial action.

11. Policy Implementation and Review

This policy should be read together with JOCSAIC's Publication Ethics, Allegation of Research Misconduct, Author Guidelines, AI Ethics & Procedure, and Correction & Retraction Policy. The journal may review this policy as scholarly publishing practices and relevant ethical guidance evolve.

Commitment to Original Research

JOCSAIC promotes responsible scholarly communication through proper attribution, transparent editorial assessment, and respect for intellectual property.