Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy and Publication Ethics

The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in academic publishing. All submitted manuscripts are screened using iThenticate to detect textual similarity and ensure originality.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's work (ideas, processes, results, or words) as one's own without proper acknowledgment. It includes:

    • Direct Plagiarism: Word-for-word copying without quotation marks and citation.
    • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Using another author's ideas/text with minor changes without proper citation.
    • Self-Plagiarism (Redundant Publication): Reusing substantial parts of one's own previously published work without adequate citation and permission.
    • Idea Plagiarism: Using another person's unique ideas or research methods without attribution.

2. Screening Process and Similarity Thresholds

The Journal utilizes iThenticate software to compare submitted manuscripts against a vast database of academic and online content.

Type of Similarity
Acceptable Threshold
Journal Action
Total Similarity Index Must not exceed 20 Manuscripts with up to 20% are forwarded for peer review.
Single Source Match Must not exceed 5% Similarity above 5% with any single source will trigger a careful editorial review, regardless of the Total Index.
    • Action for 20% – 30% Index: The manuscript is returned to the authors for mandatory revision (paraphrasing and proper citation).
    • Action for >30% Index: The manuscript is rejected immediately due to serious concerns regarding originality.
    • Exclusions: References/Bibliography, universally accepted phrases, and standard methodological terms are generally excluded from the similarity calculation.

3. Sanctions and Consequences

Plagiarism is a grave violation of ethical standards, leading to serious consequences:

Discovery Time
Consequences
Pre-Publication Immediate and final rejection. The authors may be subject to a ban (1 to 5 years) from submitting future manuscripts to the Journal.
Post-Publication (Confirmed Plagiarism) Article Retraction. An official Retraction Notice is published and indexed. The published PDF is clearly marked "Retracted". The authors' institutions may be notified, and the authors are permanently banned from publishing in the Journal.

4. Policy on Self-Plagiarism

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submitted work is novel. Reusing one's own previously published material is generally unacceptable unless the following conditions are met:

    • The previous work is clearly and explicitly cited.
    • The reused text is minimal, and the submission contains a significant amount of new data/results.
    • Permission has been obtained from the copyright holder (usually the previous publisher) for reusing figures or tables.

5. Reporting Potential Plagiarism

Readers, reviewers, or third parties who suspect plagiarism in a published article or a manuscript under review should follow this procedure:

  • Contact: Send an email to the Editorial Office at info@hsr-journal.com.
  • Information Required:
    • Full reference of the work in question (title, author, publication date).
    • Full reference(s) of the original source(s) believed to have been plagiarized.
    • Specific details (sections, paragraphs, figures) of where the alleged plagiarism occurs.
    • Any supporting evidence (e.g., iThenticate report, if available).

The Editorial Office treats all allegations confidentially and will follow the COPE guidelines for investigation.

Complaint Handling and Investigation Procedure

The Journal adheres to the principles of transparency and ethics. The plagiarism complaint procedure includes:

  • Preliminary Analysis: Within 10 business days of receiving a complaint, the Editorial Office conducts an internal verification of the facts.

  • Author Inquiry: If the suspicion is confirmed, the author receives an official notice requesting an explanation.

  • Decision Making: The Editorial Board makes a final decision on sanctions (rejection or retraction) based on evidence and COPE recommendations.

  • Notification: The complainant receives a written response regarding the investigation results.

  • Cross-reference: The article withdrawal procedure (retraction) is carried out according to the policy described in the "Editorial Ethics" section.