Plagiarism Policy

 

The International Journal of Sport and Health Sciences (IJSHS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and does not tolerate plagiarism in any form. All submissions are expected to represent original work that has been properly cited and ethically prepared.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of others’ ideas, words, data, figures, or creative work without appropriate acknowledgment. This also includes self-plagiarism, redundant publication, and substantial overlap with previously published work without proper citation or justification.

Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to IJSHS are screened for plagiarism using appropriate similarity detection tools prior to peer review and, when necessary, at later stages of the publication process. Manuscripts found to contain unacceptable levels of similarity may be rejected or returned to authors for clarification or correction.

Acceptable Similarity

Minor similarity resulting from commonly used phrases, methodological descriptions, references, or properly quoted and cited material is generally acceptable. However, excessive textual overlap, even when cited, may be considered inappropriate if it compromises the originality of the manuscript.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and that all sources are appropriately cited. Any reuse of previously published material, including the authors’ own work, must be clearly indicated and properly referenced. Authors should disclose related manuscripts or prior publications at the time of submission.

Editorial Actions

In cases where plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or unethical publication practices are suspected, the editorial office will follow the procedures and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Depending on the severity of the case, actions may include manuscript rejection, request for revision, notification of authors’ institutions, or retraction of published articles.

Post-Publication Issues

If plagiarism or significant overlap is identified after publication, IJSHS reserves the right to issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions, as appropriate, in order to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.