Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy for Urdu Research Journal: ارمغانِ سرحد

Urdu Research Journal: ارمغانِ سرحد is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. The journal has a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and unethical practices related to academic writing. This policy is designed to prevent plagiarism and promote responsible research and publication practices among authors.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s work, ideas, data, or text without proper acknowledgment, presenting them as one’s own. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct plagiarism: Copying and pasting text from a source without citation.
  • Self-plagiarism: Reusing previously published work or parts of a work without proper acknowledgment.
  • Mosaic plagiarism: Borrowing phrases or ideas from a source without proper citation, even if the phrasing is altered.
  • Accidental plagiarism: Failing to cite sources correctly, which leads to unintentional plagiarism.

2. Author’s Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and for properly citing all sources of information, including:

  • Text, data, or images that are not original.
  • Previous publications or unpublished data (self-plagiarism).
  • Ideas, theories, or concepts that are not their own.

All manuscripts must be submitted with appropriate citations, and authors must avoid any form of plagiarism, intentional or unintentional.

3. Detection of Plagiarism

Urdu Research Journal: ارمغانِ سرحد uses advanced plagiarism detection tools to assess the originality of submitted manuscripts. These tools compare submitted works against a large database of scholarly content to identify similarities with existing publications. Manuscripts that exhibit high levels of similarity to previously published works may be flagged for further review.

4. Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the manuscript's review, publication, or post-publication process, the following actions may be taken:

  • Rejection of Manuscript: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content will be rejected immediately, and authors will be informed of the reasons.
  • Retracted Publications: If plagiarism is discovered after the manuscript has been published, the journal may retract the article and issue a retraction notice.
  • Banning from Future Submissions: Authors found guilty of plagiarism may be banned from submitting future manuscripts to the journal.
  • Reporting to Institutions: In cases of serious misconduct, the journal may report the incident to the author's academic or professional institution.

5. Handling Accidental Plagiarism

Accidental plagiarism may occur due to incorrect citation practices or misunderstanding of proper citation methods. If a manuscript is found to contain accidental plagiarism:

  • The journal will provide the author with an opportunity to revise the manuscript and properly cite all sources.
  • The author may be asked to provide an explanation and take corrective measures before resubmission.

6. Prevention of Plagiarism

To prevent plagiarism, the following measures are encouraged:

  • Authors should carefully reference all sources of information, including books, articles, websites, and any other materials used to support the research.
  • Authors should use proper citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago, depending on the journal's guidelines.
  • Authors should seek guidance on citation practices if they are unsure about how to properly acknowledge sources.

7. Editor and Reviewer Role

Editors and reviewers of the journal are responsible for maintaining high standards of academic integrity. They should:

  • Ensure that plagiarism checks are conducted on submitted manuscripts.
  • Report any suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns to the editorial board for investigation.
  • Ensure that the publication process is free from conflicts of interest and unethical practices.

8. Appeal Process

If an author believes that a plagiarism accusation is unjust, they may appeal the decision by submitting a formal appeal to the editorial board. The appeal should include the following:

  • A detailed explanation of why the manuscript should not be considered plagiarized.
  • Any evidence supporting the author's claim of originality.

The editorial board will review the appeal and make a final decision, which will be communicated to the author.