Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

Purpose: This policy outlines the journal's stance on plagiarism and establishes mandatory guidelines for authors to ensure the originality and integrity of all submissions to the Research Corridor Journal of Engineering Science (RCJES).

Mandatory Screening Process: To ensure the highest ethical standards, all manuscripts submitted to RCJES undergo a mandatory plagiarism screening prior to the peer-review process. The journal utilizes iThenticate / Turnitin (via the OJS plugin) to detect similarities with previously published works.

Definition of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work or ideas without proper attribution. This includes:

  • Direct Copying: Using text from another source word-for-word without quotation marks and proper citation.

  • Paraphrasing: Restating ideas in your own words without acknowledging the source.

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing your own previously published work without proper acknowledgment or permission.

Similarity Thresholds: * Manuscripts with a Similarity Index of more than 20% will be returned to the author for revision or rejected immediately.

  • Any single source match exceeding 5% will be closely scrutinized by the Editorial Board, even if the total index is low.

Consequences of Plagiarism: If plagiarism is detected, the following actions will be taken according to COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines:

  1. Pre-publication: Immediate rejection of the manuscript.

  2. Post-publication: The article will be formally retracted, and a "Retraction Notice" will be linked to the article’s DOI.

  3. Notification: The journal may notify the author’s institution or employer.

  4. Banning: The author(s) may be banned from submitting to any Research Corridor journal for a period of 1–3 years.

Guidelines for Authors: * Cite All Sources: Use a recognized citation style (APA/IEEE) for every idea that is not your own.

  • Originality Statement: By submitting, authors confirm that the work is original and has not been published elsewhere.

  • Pre-Screening: Authors are encouraged to use professional plagiarism detection tools to check their manuscripts before submission.

Appeals: Authors may appeal a decision regarding plagiarism by providing a written explanation and evidence to the Editorial Board within 14 days of the decision.