Introduction
This policy aims to maintain academic integrity, ethical conduct, and originality in MDA. Plagiarism undermines the credibility of scholarly research and compromises trust in our publication. This policy provides clear guidelines and procedures to detect and address plagiarism in manuscripts submitted for publication in MDA.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, language, data, or work as one's own, without proper attribution, permission, or acknowledgment. This includes:
- Copying verbatim sentences, paragraphs, or sections from other sources without proper citation.
- Paraphrasing or rephrasing someone else's work without appropriate acknowledgment.
- Reusing substantial parts of one's previously published work (self-plagiarism) without proper citation or justification.
- Unauthorized use of copyrighted material, including images, figures, tables, or other content, without obtaining the necessary permissions and providing appropriate attribution.
Self-plagiarism, also known as duplicate publication, occurs when an author republishes significant portions of their previously published work without proper citation or editorial approval. This includes submitting identical or nearly identical manuscripts to multiple journals, or publishing papers with minimal additions to previous work without disclosure.
Journal Policies
Originality Check
All submitted manuscripts will undergo plagiarism screening using plagiarism detection software to ensure originality. Authors are responsible for ensuring their work is original and has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere.
Author Responsibilities
Authors must guarantee that their submission is original and properly cited. If the work or ideas of others are used, authors must obtain permission and provide appropriate credit. Submitted manuscripts should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, nor should they have been published previously.
Penalties for Plagiarism
If plagiarism is detected, the following actions may be taken based on the severity of the case:
- Minor Plagiarism: Authors will be required to correct the manuscript by providing proper citations and acknowledgments. The manuscript will be subject to further review to ensure compliance with ethical standards.
- Major Plagiarism: Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism will be rejected outright.
- Self-Plagiarism: If an author republishes previously published work without proper citation or disclosure, the manuscript may be rejected. Editorial decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, considering the extent of duplication.
- Repeated Offences: Authors found guilty of repeated plagiarism may face severe consequences, including a permanent ban on future submissions and notification of their institution or employer.
Plagiarism Investigation
Upon receiving a complaint or detecting plagiarism during the peer-review process, the Journal's Editorial Board will initiate an investigation. The corresponding author will be notified of the alleged plagiarism and provided with an opportunity to respond to the accusation.
Reporting Plagiarism
Readers, reviewers, and members of the scientific community are encouraged to report suspected cases of plagiarism in published articles to the Journal's Editorial Board. All reports will be treated confidentially, and appropriate actions will be taken to address the issue.