Plagiarism Policy

ACADEMIA International Journal for Social Sciences (AIJSS)
???? Upholding Academic Integrity

Introduction

At AIJSS, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic honesty and professional ethics. Plagiarism—whether intentional or accidental—undermines the credibility of research and tarnishes the integrity of the scholarly record. Therefore, AIJSS enforces a strict zero-tolerance plagiarism policy to ensure the originality of all published content.

???? What Constitutes Plagiarism?

Plagiarism refers to the use of another individual’s intellectual work without proper acknowledgment, including:

  • Direct Copying: Verbatim use of content from other sources without quotation and citation

  • Paraphrasing Without Credit: Rewording someone else’s ideas or findings without attribution

  • Data Misuse: Using graphs, tables, images, or datasets from external works without appropriate reference

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s own published or submitted material without disclosure or proper citation

???? Plagiarism Threshold

Standard Allowed Similarity
AIJSS Internal Policy Maximum 10%
HEC Benchmark Up to 19%

Although HEC Pakistan allows up to 19% similarity, AIJSS maintains a stricter standard of 10% to foster academic excellence and originality.

????️ Plagiarism Detection and Responsibility

  • All manuscripts are checked using industry-standard plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin).

  • Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality of their submission.

  • Manuscripts exceeding the similarity threshold will be flagged and reviewed by the editorial board.

⚖️ Handling of Plagiarism Cases

Type of Violation Editorial Action
Minor (e.g., missing citations or minor overlap) Returned to author for revision and correction
Major (e.g., large-scale copying, lack of attribution) Immediate rejection. If published, the article will be retracted
Repeated or severe violations Author(s) will be blacklisted; institutional notice may be issued

✍️ Author Declaration Required

All authors must submit a Statement of Originality, confirming:

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished

  • All external sources are properly credited

  • The work is not under consideration elsewhere

???? Appeals Process

If authors believe a plagiarism judgment was made in error, they may:

  • File a formal appeal to the editorial office

  • The AIJSS Editorial Board will re-evaluate the manuscript and issue a final decision

???? AI-Generated Content Policy

AIJSS strictly prohibits the use of AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Gemini, etc.) in any part of a manuscript.

❌ Submissions containing AI-generated text, analysis, or interpretation will be rejected or retracted.

✅ Manuscripts must reflect original human scholarship and independent research only.

???? Transparency and Retraction Policy

  • In cases of plagiarism-related retraction, AIJSS will publish a formal retraction notice.

  • This ensures transparency and protects the academic community from misinformation.

This policy is aligned with the ethical publishing standards set by HEC, COPE, and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).