Plagiarism Policy

Al-Bahath Plagiarism & Academic Integrity Policy

Policy Statement:

Al-Bahath maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward all forms of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate submission, data fabrication, and scientific misrepresentation. Every manuscript submitted to Al-Bahath undergoes rigorous automated and manual screening prior to peer review.

1. Definition of Misconduct Covered Under This Policy

  • Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim copying of sentences, paragraphs, or ideas from another source without proper quotation marks and explicit attribution.

  • Self-Plagiarism & Text Recycling: Reusing substantial portions of the author’s own previously published work without explicit citation and justification.

  • Redundant / Duplicate Submission: Submitting the same manuscript (or substantially overlapping content) to more than one journal simultaneously.

  • Data Fabrication & Image Manipulation: Falsifying research results, raw datasets, or manipulating charts, images, and visual evidence to mislead readers.

  • Uncited Generative AI Usage: Generating core text, data, or technical analysis using Generative AI tools without clear disclosure in the methodology or acknowledgments.

2. Plagiarism Screening Thresholds & Standards

All incoming manuscripts are screened immediately upon submission using industry-standard detection software (e.g., Turnitin / iThenticate / Crossref Similarity Check).

Metric / Category Journal Standard Required Action / Outcome
Overall Similarity Index < 15% Standard threshold acceptable for peer review.
Single-Source Similarity < 3% No single external source should account for more than 3% overlap.
Methods & References Section Excluded / Evaluated Contextually Standard formulas, commonly used lab protocols, and bibliography citations are evaluated manually.
High Similarity (15% – 25%) Minor / Moderate Overlap Returned to authors for revision prior to peer review.
Severe Overlap (> 25%) Major Plagiarism / Copying Immediate Desk Rejection without peer review.

3. Plagiarism Investigation & Escalation Workflow

 

1.Automated Similarity Screening:Initial Submission.

The Managing Editor runs the manuscript through similarity detection software. A detailed similarity report is generated flagging matching text blocks across global academic databases.

2.Manual Contextual Analysis:Desk Evaluation.

The Editorial Board reviews flagged sections manually. Standard technical terms, properly block-quoted literature, and cited definitions are distinguished from uncredited copying.

3.Author Notification & Right to Respond:Notice & Inquiry.

If uncredited text or text recycling is identified, the Editor-in-Chief writes to the corresponding author with the similarity report, requesting a formal explanation and raw evidence within 14 calendar days.

4.Editorial Board Determination:Adjudication.

If the response is unsatisfactory or confirms deliberate plagiarism, the manuscript is rejected. If published prior to discovery, a formal Retraction Notice is issued per COPE guidelines.

 

4. Policy on Generative AI & AI-Assisted Technologies

In accordance with COPE and ICMJE guidelines regarding authorship:

  1. AI Cannot Be an Author: Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) do not meet authorship requirements because they cannot take legal or ethical responsibility for submitted work, sign copyright agreements, or manage conflicts of interest.

  2. Disclosure Requirement: Authors who utilize AI tools for editing, translation, or data coding must disclose this in the Methods or Acknowledgments section, detailing the specific tool used and the prompt/scope of usage.

  3. Plagiarism in AI Output: Authors are fully accountable for the accuracy and originality of any text or code generated by AI tools. AI-generated text that copies existing literature without citation is treated as author plagiarism.

5. Sanctions for Plagiarism

If an author is found guilty of deliberate plagiarism, duplicate submission, or severe data fabrication, Al-Bahath may enforce the following sanctions:

  • Immediate Rejection: Formal rejection of the flagged manuscript and any other pending manuscripts by the same author(s).

  • Submission Ban: A temporary or permanent embargo (ranging from 1 to 5 years) preventing all co-authors from submitting new work to Al-Bahath.

  • Institutional Notification: Formal notification sent to the author’s university, department head, or funding body detailing the infraction.

  • Public Retraction: If the article has already been published online, a official Retraction Notice titled "Retracted: [Article Title] due to Plagiarism" will be permanently attached to the article DOI.