Plagiarism Policy

—  Al-Zahrawi Journal of Medical Sciences  —

Plagiarism Policy

●  Editorial Standards ●  Publication Ethics ●  Scientific Affairs Department
●  Screening Tool: Turnitin — Crossref Similarity Check

All manuscripts submitted to the Al-Zahrawi Journal of Medical Sciences (ZJMS) are subject to plagiarism screening using Turnitin (Crossref Similarity Check) as part of the editorial evaluation process. Ensuring originality is a fundamental requirement for publication in this journal.

Plagiarism, in any form, is considered a serious violation of publication ethics. This includes, but is not limited to, duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, and improper attribution of authorship. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently is strictly prohibited and constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

20%
Max Threshold
General Similarity Threshold
The journal applies a general similarity threshold of up to 20%, provided that the overlapping content is properly cited and does not involve substantial copying of core ideas, results, or discussions. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be rejected or returned for revision at the discretion of the editorial board.

All submissions are automatically screened during the initial editorial stage. Editors may also conduct similarity checks at any stage of the review process or even after publication if concerns arise. Similarity reports indicate the percentage of text overlap with previously published sources; however, a high similarity score does not necessarily imply plagiarism. Properly cited materials, references, and commonly used technical phrases may contribute to the similarity index. Therefore, editorial judgment is essential in interpreting these reports.

01 Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the act of presenting another person's work, ideas, or intellectual property as one's own without proper acknowledgment or citation. It represents a fundamental breach of academic integrity, scientific honesty, and publication ethics. Any attempt to misrepresent the origin or ownership of intellectual content is considered a form of plagiarism, regardless of intent.

02 Types of Plagiarism

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, the following recognized forms:

Direct
Plagiarism		 Copying text verbatim from any source without the use of quotation marks or proper citation. This is the most obvious and severe form of plagiarism and is treated as a critical ethical violation.
Paraphrasing
Plagiarism		 Rewriting or rephrasing ideas, findings, or arguments from a source without providing appropriate attribution to the original author, even when the wording has been substantially altered.
Self-
Plagiarism		 Reusing one's own previously published work, data, or text without proper citation or acknowledgment. Any overlap with an author's prior publications must be clearly identified and cited in the submitted manuscript.
03 Plagiarism Detection and Actions

All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin tools prior to peer review. The editorial team carefully evaluates all similarity reports and thoroughly investigates any potential ethical concerns identified during the screening or review process.

If plagiarism is detected at any stage, the journal reserves the right to take one or more of the following actions:

1 Reject the manuscript immediately without further consideration or review.
2 Request revisions and require proper citation and attribution of all identified sources.
3 Notify the authors' affiliated institutions if serious research misconduct is identified.
4 Retract published articles if plagiarism or misconduct is confirmed after publication.
04 Responsibilities and Consequences
Consequences of Plagiarism

Manuscripts found to contain significant instances of plagiarism will be rejected outright and authors may be barred from future submissions to the journal. In cases of minor plagiarism, authors may be given a single opportunity to revise and resubmit their work after providing complete and proper citation of all relevant sources, subject to the editorial board's discretion.

Confidentiality of Plagiarism Checks

The results of all plagiarism checks will be treated with strict confidentiality by the entire editorial team. Editors and reviewers are fully obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the plagiarism detection process at every stage, and results shall not be disclosed to unauthorized parties under any circumstances.

Author Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality and authenticity of their submitted work. All contributions, ideas, data, or text derived from other sources must be appropriately cited and attributed. Authors are strongly advised against any form of self-plagiarism and must clearly identify, acknowledge, and properly cite any overlap with their own previously published work prior to submission.

 

ZJMS is committed to maintaining the trust and integrity of the scholarly record. By implementing stringent plagiarism checks and clear ethical guidelines, we aim to foster an environment of academic honesty and ensure that all published research authentically reflects the genuine and original intellectual contributions of its authors.

Al-Zahrawi Journal of Medical Sciences  —  Scientific Affairs Department