Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Innovative Research and Technology (JIRT) maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts must be the original work of the authors and free from any form of copied or uncredited content. The journal follows international publishing ethics standards and adheres to COPE guidelines for handling plagiarism and related misconduct.

Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to JIRT undergo a thorough plagiarism check using reputable similarity-detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent).
The screening includes:

  • Duplicate text from published sources

  • Self-plagiarism

  • Improper paraphrasing

  • Missing or insufficient citations

  • Duplicate submission or publication

Acceptable Similarity Threshold

  • An overall similarity index below 15–20% is generally considered acceptable (excluding references, quotations, and commonly used phrases).

  • Any individual source showing more than 5–7% similarity may require revision.

  • Similarity detected in critical sections—including abstract, results, and conclusion—may lead to rejection.

Types of Plagiarism Considered Misconduct

JIRT treats the following as serious violations:

  • Copying text, ideas, images, tables, or data without proper citation

  • Self-plagiarism (resubmitting previously published work without disclosure)

  • Mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting or paraphrasing too closely)

  • Duplicate submission to more than one journal

  • Data fabrication or manipulation disguised within plagiarized content

Actions Taken for Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at any stage:

Before Review

  • Manuscript is returned to authors for revision, or

  • Rejected outright in cases of extensive plagiarism.

During or After Peer Review

  • Manuscript may be rejected, and authors may be asked to provide an explanation.

  • Repeated violations may lead to blacklisting of the authors.

After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered post-publication:

  • A formal retraction or correction notice will be published.

  • The article may be removed from indexing repositories depending on severity.

  • Authors may be banned from future submissions.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must:

  • Ensure all content is original

  • Properly credit all sources

  • Obtain permission for reused tables/figures

  • Avoid submitting the same work to multiple journals

  • Disclose any overlapping or related work at the time of submission

Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities

Editors and reviewers must:

  • Report suspected plagiarism

  • Maintain confidentiality

  • Provide objective feedback

  • Support ethical handling of misconduct cases

Handling Suspected Plagiarism

All suspected cases of plagiarism are handled following the COPE Flowcharts, ensuring fairness, confidentiality, and transparency during the investigation.