Plagiarism Policy

Policy Statement:

Policy Research Journal (PRJ) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical research. Plagiarism, in any form, is considered a serious breach of these standards and will not be tolerated. This policy outlines the expectations for authors regarding plagiarism and the procedures followed in case of detection.

Definitions:

  • Plagiarism: The act of presenting someone else's work or ideas as one's own without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to, copying text, data, or figures without citation, paraphrasing without attribution, and claiming someone else's research findings as one's own.
  • Self-plagiarism: The reuse of one's own previously published work without proper citation or attribution.

Author Responsibilities:

  • Originality: Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work. All submitted manuscripts must be the authors' own original work and must not have been published elsewhere in any language.
  • Citation: Authors must properly cite all sources used in their work, including published works, data sets, and unpublished materials. Citations should be formatted according to the journal's style guide.
  • Transparency: Authors should disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may have influenced their research.

Detection and Procedures:

  • Plagiarism Screening: All submitted manuscripts will be screened for plagiarism using specialized software. PRJ also reserves the right to conduct additional checks at any stage of the review process.
  • Initial Findings: If plagiarism is detected, the corresponding author will be notified and provided with a detailed report of the identified instances. The author will be given the opportunity to respond and explain the findings.
  • Investigations: The Editor-in-Chief will appoint a committee to investigate the case further. The committee may request additional information from the author and may consult with external experts if necessary.
  • Outcomes: Based on the investigation, the following actions may be taken:
    • Rejection: The manuscript may be rejected outright if the plagiarism is deemed to be intentional or significant.
    • Revision: The author may be required to revise the manuscript to remove the plagiarized material and properly cite all sources.
    • Retraction: If plagiarism is discovered in a published article, the article may be retracted and a corrigendum published.
    • Other Sanctions: In severe cases, PRJ may take further disciplinary action, such as reporting the author(s) to their institution or professional association.

Appeal Process:

Authors may appeal any decision made by the Editor-in-Chief regarding plagiarism. Appeals should be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief and should clearly state the grounds for the appeal. The Editor-in-Chief will review the appeal and make a final decision.