Plagiarism Policy

The Academia Journal of Global Social and Economic Studies (AJGSES) is committed to publishing only original research. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable and is handled in line with the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

What Constitutes Plagiarism

  • Direct copying: verbatim use of text from another source without quotation marks and citation.
  • Paraphrasing without credit: rewording another person's ideas, arguments or findings without attribution.
  • Misuse of data or images: using tables, figures, images or datasets from other works without permission and reference.
  • Self-plagiarism / duplicate publication: reusing one's own published or submitted work without disclosure and citation.

Screening of Manuscripts

Every submitted manuscript is checked for similarity with plagiarism-detection software (Turnitin or an equivalent tool) during initial screening, before it is sent for peer review. Accepted manuscripts are checked again before publication.

Similarity Threshold

In line with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan guidelines, the overall similarity index must not exceed 19%. Similarity reports are always reviewed by an editor: a score below the threshold does not guarantee acceptance if substantial copying from a single source is found, and properly quoted and cited material is taken into account.

Handling of Plagiarism Cases

Type of case Action
Minor overlap (e.g. missing citations, limited similar wording) Returned to authors for correction before review continues
Major plagiarism (e.g. large-scale copying, unattributed data) Manuscript rejected; authors and, where appropriate, their institution informed
Plagiarism found after publication Investigated following COPE flowcharts; a correction or retraction notice is published
Repeated or severe misconduct Rejection and a ban on future submissions; institution informed

Author Declaration

At submission, all authors confirm that the manuscript is original and unpublished, that all sources are properly acknowledged, and that it is not under consideration elsewhere.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

  • AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini) cannot be listed as authors, because they cannot take responsibility for the work.
  • Generative AI must not be used to create research data, results, analysis, interpretation or substantial parts of the text.
  • Limited use for language polishing must be disclosed in the manuscript (e.g. in the Acknowledgements). Authors remain fully responsible for the content.
  • Undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI leads to rejection or, after publication, correction or retraction.

Appeals

Authors who believe a plagiarism decision was made in error may submit a reasoned appeal to the editorial office at jawad@academia.edu.pk. The appeal is re-evaluated by an editor not involved in the original decision.