Plagiarism Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Healthcare Research (PJHR) upholds the highest standards of academic integrity. We are committed to ensuring that all manuscripts published in the journal are free from plagiarism and that authors adhere to ethical research practices. This plagiarism policy outlines the measures taken by the journal to detect, prevent, and address plagiarism in submitted and published manuscripts.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the act of using someone else’s work, ideas, or words without proper acknowledgment, thereby presenting them as one’s own. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text or large portions of text from another source without citation.
• Paraphrasing text from a source without proper attribution.
• Using figures, tables, or images from another source without permission or citation.
• Submitting a manuscript that has been previously published elsewhere (self-plagiarism) without appropriate reference.

2. Prevention of Plagiarism

• Author Responsibility: Authors submitting manuscripts to PJHR are expected to ensure that their work is original and free from plagiarism. All sources of information, ideas, data, and quotations should be appropriately cited, with full references provided.
• Proper Citation and Referencing: Authors must cite all sources of data, ideas, and text that are not their own, including but not limited to articles, books, reports, and websites. The journal uses a standardized citation style (e.g., APA, Harvard) that must be adhered to for all references.
• Self-Plagiarism: Authors are advised against submitting manuscripts that have been previously published or are under consideration elsewhere. Any previously published material included in a new submission must be appropriately cited.

3. Plagiarism Detection

• Use of Plagiarism Detection Software: All manuscripts submitted to PJHR will be checked for plagiarism using reputable plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate). This is done as part of the submission process to ensure the originality of the work.
• Threshold for Similarity: Manuscripts with a similarity index higher than 20-25% may be flagged for further review. The editorial team will evaluate the nature of the matches to determine whether they are properly cited or constitute potential plagiarism.
• Manual Review: In addition to automated checks, the editorial team may manually review any manuscripts flagged by the plagiarism detection software for further scrutiny, especially if there is concern about the originality of the content.

4. Handling Plagiarism Cases

• Initial Evaluation: If plagiarism is detected during the review process, the editorial team will inform the corresponding author and request an explanation or clarification. The author will be given the opportunity to correct the issue by properly citing the sources, revising the manuscript, or providing justification.
• Minor Instances: For minor instances of plagiarism (e.g., improper citation), the author may be required to revise the manuscript and provide the necessary citations before the manuscript can proceed through the review process.
• Major Instances: If significant plagiarism is detected (e.g., substantial portions of the manuscript being copied from another source or self-plagiarism without acknowledgment), the manuscript will be rejected, and the author will be notified. In severe cases, the manuscript may be blacklisted, and the author may be prohibited from submitting to PJHR in the future.
• Retraction of Published Articles: If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, PJHR may retract the article. The retraction notice will be published, stating the reasons for the retraction. The article will also be removed from the online archive if deemed necessary.

5. Consequences for Authors

• Rejection: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected at the editorial or review stage. Authors may be provided with feedback on the issue and will be asked to revise their work accordingly.
• Ban on Future Submissions: Authors who repeatedly submit plagiarized work may face a ban from submitting to PJHR, and their names may be added to a list of authors flagged for misconduct.
• Retracted Articles: Articles found to contain plagiarism after publication will be formally retracted. Authors whose articles are retracted will be notified, and a retraction notice will be published alongside the original article. In some cases, a formal warning will be issued to the authors regarding future submissions.

6. Ethical Compliance

• Commitment to Integrity: PJHR is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic publishing and follows strict ethical guidelines in all stages of the publication process.
• Transparency and Accountability: We encourage authors, reviewers, and editors to report any suspected cases of plagiarism or unethical research practices. Reports will be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.

7. Author Responsibilities

• Authors are responsible for ensuring that the manuscript they submit is free from plagiarism.
• Authors must ensure that they have the necessary permissions to use any third-party content (e.g., images, tables, data) in their manuscript.
• Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest or financial support related to their work.

8. Policy Review

• This plagiarism policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure that it aligns with current best practices in academic publishing. Any updates or changes to the policy will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors.