Plagiarism Policy
Journal Information
Plagiarism Policy
Xplore Environment: An International Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, originality, and transparency in academic publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious breach of professional ethics and is strictly prohibited by the journal.
1. Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s work, ideas, or words as one’s own without proper acknowledgment. This includes but is not limited to:
Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, figures, or data verbatim without citation.
Mosaic Plagiarism: Borrowing ideas, phrases, or structures from a source without credit.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of one’s own previously published work without disclosure or citation.
Data Plagiarism: Using another researcher’s data, images, or results without permission or acknowledgment.
Improper Paraphrasing: Rewording content from other sources without adequate citation.
2. Plagiarism Detection
All manuscripts submitted to the journal are checked for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent tools).
The Editorial Office evaluates similarity reports carefully, distinguishing between acceptable similarity (e.g., references, technical terms) and unethical copying.
3. Acceptable Similarity Index
The journal follows a strict policy where the similarity index must not exceed 15–20% (excluding references, author names, and boilerplate text).
Submissions with higher similarity will be returned to authors for revision or may be outright rejected depending on severity.
4. Consequences of Plagiarism
If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the publication process:
- Before Acceptance: The manuscript will be rejected immediately.
- After Acceptance but Before Publication: The manuscript will be withdrawn from the review or production process.
- After Publication: The article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be published on the journal’s website.
Additionally:
- All authors involved may be blacklisted from submitting to the journal in the future.
- The authors’ affiliated institutions may be notified of the misconduct.
5. Responsibilities of Authors
Ensure that the manuscript is original and properly cites all sources.
Use quotation marks and appropriate references for any directly quoted material.
Disclose overlapping or closely related manuscripts submitted elsewhere.
Submit only work that complies with ethical publishing standards.
6. Responsibilities of Reviewers and Editors
Reviewers should notify the Editorial Office if they suspect plagiarism.
Editors are responsible for verifying plagiarism reports and making impartial decisions in line with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
7. Policy on Self-Plagiarism
Authors must not submit manuscripts that substantially overlap with their previously published work.
Reuse of methods or background sections must be explicitly cited.
Duplicate submissions to multiple journals are strictly forbidden.
8. Appeals and Clarifications
If authors disagree with a plagiarism decision, they may submit a written explanation to the Editorial Office. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and the Ethics Committee, whose decision will be final.
By submitting a manuscript to Xplore Environment, authors agree to abide by this Plagiarism Policy and uphold the principles of academic honesty and integrity.