Plagiarism Policy

Zero tolerance for plagiarism to protect research integrity

Definition

Plagiarism is the use of others' published and unpublished ideas, words, or other intellectual property without proper attribution. This includes direct copying, paraphrasing without credit, self-plagiarism, and presenting others' data or images as one's own.

Types of Plagiarism

Direct Plagiarism

Verbatim copying of text without quotation marks and proper citation.

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Rephrasing others' ideas without proper attribution.

Self-Plagiarism

Reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without disclosure.

Data Fabrication

Presenting invented data or results as genuine research findings.

Image Manipulation

Altering or reusing figures/images in a misleading manner.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Combining text from multiple sources without proper citation, even if individual phrases are modified.

Detection

All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review
A similarity index above 20% (excluding references and common phrases) triggers further investigation
Editors may conduct additional manual checks at any stage of the review process

Consequences

Depending on the severity:

Pre-publication: Immediate rejection of the manuscript
Post-publication: Retraction of the published article with a retraction notice
Notification: The author's institution and/or funding agency may be informed
Ban: Authors found guilty of serious plagiarism may be barred from submitting to any Upubscience journal for a specified period

All actions follow COPE guidelines for handling suspected plagiarism.

Author Obligations

Original Work Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring their manuscript is original. All sources must be properly cited. Authors should use quotation marks for direct quotes and obtain permission for reproducing copyrighted material. When in doubt, cite.

Prepare Your Manuscript With Confidence

Review our author guidelines to ensure your submission meets all requirements

Author Guidelines