Plagiarism Policy

Commitment to Originality

The Academia Journal of Strategic Management and Finance (AJSMF) upholds the highest standards of research integrity and follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All submissions must be the original work of the authors and must properly acknowledge the work and words of others. Plagiarism in any form is unethical publishing behaviour and is not accepted.

What Constitutes Plagiarism?

  • Direct copying: using text verbatim from another source without quotation marks and citation
  • Paraphrasing without credit: rewriting another person's ideas or findings without attribution
  • Data and figure misuse: using tables, figures, graphs or datasets from external sources without permission or reference
  • Self-plagiarism / text recycling: reusing one's own previously published work without disclosure and citation
  • Duplicate (redundant) publication: submitting the same or substantially similar work to more than one journal

Plagiarism Screening

Every manuscript submitted to AJSMF is checked with similarity-detection software (Turnitin or an equivalent tool) during initial editorial screening, before it is sent for peer review. Manuscripts may be checked again after revision and before publication. The similarity report is examined by an editor; the percentage alone is never the sole basis of a decision.

Similarity Threshold

In line with the guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, AJSMF accepts an overall similarity index of no more than 19% (excluding references and properly quoted material), with no more than 5% from any single source. Manuscripts above this threshold are returned to the authors for revision or rejected, depending on the nature of the overlap.

Handling Plagiarism Cases

Suspected plagiarism is handled according to the relevant COPE flowcharts:

  • Before publication – minor overlap (e.g. missing citations): the manuscript is returned to the authors for correction.
  • Before publication – major plagiarism: the manuscript is rejected and the authors are informed of the reason.
  • After publication: the case is investigated and, depending on its severity, a correction, an expression of concern or a retraction is published in line with our Correction & Retraction Policy.
  • Serious or repeated misconduct: the authors' institution may be informed and future submissions from the authors may be refused.

Authors are always given the opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.

Author Declaration

On submission, the corresponding author confirms on behalf of all authors that:

  • the manuscript is original and has not been published previously;
  • it is not under consideration by any other journal;
  • all sources, data and contributions of others are properly cited and acknowledged.

Use of Generative AI Tools

AJSMF follows the COPE position statement on authorship and AI tools:

  • AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini) cannot be listed as authors, because they cannot take responsibility for the work.
  • AI-generated text, data, analysis or interpretation must not be presented as the authors' own original work.
  • Any use of AI tools (including for language editing) must be clearly disclosed in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscript. Undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI may lead to rejection or retraction.

Appeals

Authors who disagree with a decision related to plagiarism may submit a written appeal with supporting evidence to the Editor-in-Chief. Appeals are handled in accordance with the journal's Author Appeals Policy and COPE guidance.

Transparency

Retractions resulting from plagiarism are published openly, clearly labelled and linked to the original article to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.