Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

The Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Allied Health and Pharmacy (JIRAP) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics. Plagiarism in any form constitutes a serious ethical violation and is unacceptable. This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to JIRAP, including those under review, accepted for publication, or already published.

JIRAP fully endorses and implements all anti-plagiarism policies, rules, regulations, and guidelines issued by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

2. Definition and Forms of Plagiarism

JIRAP adopts a comprehensive definition of plagiarism, which includes, but is not limited to:

  • Text Plagiarism:The verbatim or near-verbatim copying of text without adequate attribution.
  • Idea Plagiarism:Using ideas, concepts, or research data without permission or credit to the original source.
  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism:Inadequate paraphrasing of another's work without proper citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism (Redundant/Duplicate Publication):Submitting one's own previously published work as if it were new.
  • Data Fragmentation ("Salami Slicing"):Segmenting a single substantial study into multiple smaller papers.
  • Text Recycling:Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously written text without attribution.

Ignorance of the various forms of plagiarism will not be accepted as an excuse.

3. Permitted Similarity Percentage

All manuscripts will be screened using Turnitin software. The following thresholds and criteria will guide the editorial board's decision:

  • < 19% Overall Similarity Index:The manuscript may be considered for further review. The editorial board will still scrutinize the report to ensure that the similarities are appropriately cited and do not constitute a major form of plagiarism (e.g., duplicate publication).

Crucial Note: The similarity percentage is a preliminary screening tool. The nature of the matched text is of paramount importance. A low percentage with copied critical sections (e.g., methodology, key findings) is treated more severely than a higher percentage comprising correctly cited phrases and common terminology. Similarly, any evidence of self-plagiarism or duplicate publication, regardless of the percentage, will lead to immediate rejection and sanctions.

4. Screening and Detection

All manuscripts submitted to JIRAP will be screened for plagiarism using Turnitin. The similarity report will be assessed by the editorial board, focusing not only on the overall percentage but also on the source and context of the matched text.

5. Disciplinary Procedure and Sanctions

If plagiarism is confirmed, the following procedure will be initiated, guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE):

Immediate Action: The editorial board will reject the manuscript or retract a published article.

6. Policy on Duplicate Publication

Material submitted to JIRAP must be original and not under consideration elsewhere. Authors must declare any overlap with their previous work in the cover letter. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is strictly prohibited.

7. Policy for Reporting Plagiarism

Individuals reporting suspected plagiarism must provide substantive documentary evidence. All claims will be treated confidentially and investigated seriously.