Plagiarism Policy

Zoological Reports – An International Journal is firmly committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of scholarly ethics and is strictly prohibited. The journal defines plagiarism as the use of others’ ideas, data, text, figures, or results without proper acknowledgment, as well as the presentation of previously published work as original. This policy applies to all submitted and published manuscripts, regardless of the stage of the publication process.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subjected to plagiarism screening using reliable plagiarism detection tools before they are considered for peer review. The editorial team evaluates similarity reports carefully to distinguish between acceptable similarity, such as properly cited references or standard methodological descriptions, and unethical duplication of content. Manuscripts found to contain excessive similarity, uncredited reproduction of text, or misappropriation of intellectual property will be rejected without further consideration.

Self-plagiarism, including duplicate publication, redundant publication, or substantial overlap with an author’s previously published work, is also considered unacceptable unless clearly justified and appropriately cited. Authors are required to disclose any related manuscripts or previously published material that may overlap with the submitted work. Failure to do so may result in rejection or further corrective action.

If plagiarism is identified after publication, Zoological Reports will conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with established ethical guidelines. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, actions may include publication of a correction, expression of concern, or full retraction of the article. In serious cases, the journal may notify the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding agencies.

Authors, reviewers, and editors share responsibility for upholding ethical standards. Reviewers are encouraged to report any suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns to the editorial office. The journal remains committed to transparency, fairness, and accountability in handling all cases of plagiarism and reserves the right to update this policy to align with evolving international standards and best practices in scholarly publishing.