Plagiarism Policy

At Vexido Publications LLP, we are committed to upholding the principles of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism, in any form, is a serious violation of these principles. This policy outlines the measures and processes for detecting, preventing, and addressing plagiarism in all submissions to our journals.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves the use of someone else’s work, ideas, data, or text without proper acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to:

Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim copying of text without proper citation.
Self-Plagiarism: Republishing an author’s previously published work without acknowledgment.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else’s ideas or text without attribution.
Data Fabrication or Falsification: Using fabricated or manipulated data and presenting it as original.
Improper Attribution: Failing to credit collaborators, institutions, or funding sources.

2. Plagiarism Detection

All manuscripts submitted to our journals are screened for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection tools, including Turnitin. Submissions exceeding acceptable similarity thresholds may be flagged for further review.

2.1 Acceptable Similarity Levels

A similarity index of less than 15% is generally acceptable, excluding references, methodology, and quotes.
Similarity levels above 15% may be considered problematic and require further scrutiny.

3. Author Responsibilities

Authors are required to:

Ensure their submissions are original and free from plagiarism.
Properly cite and acknowledge all sources of ideas, data, and text.
Provide proper attribution for reproduced figures, tables, or datasets.

4. Editorial Review Process

Initial Screening: Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism as part of the initial editorial review.
Action on Plagiarism Detection: If plagiarism is detected:
- Minor overlap: Authors will be asked to revise and resubmit.
- Significant overlap: Manuscripts may be rejected outright.

5. Consequences of Plagiarism

Depending on the severity of the plagiarism, the following actions may be taken:

For Minor Offenses: Authors are required to correct and resubmit the manuscript.
For Major Offenses: The manuscript is rejected, and the author’s institution may be notified.
Post-Publication Detection: If plagiarism is identified after publication:
- A Correction or Retraction notice will be issued.
- The author may be barred from future submissions.

6. Plagiarism Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions related to plagiarism by:

Submitting a written explanation to the Editor-in-Chief.
Providing evidence of originality or proper citation.

7. Reviewer and Editor Responsibilities

Reviewers: Report suspected plagiarism to the editorial office.
Editors: Investigate all claims of plagiarism thoroughly and ensure a fair resolution.