Publication Ethics
Plagiarism Policy
The Indo Global Journal of Applied Management Science (IGJAMS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, ethical publishing, and responsible research communication. The journal adheres to the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and follows internationally accepted standards. IGJAMS adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, and any form of publication misconduct. All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by any other journal or publisher.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, words, data, images, tables, figures, methodologies, results, or intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgement, permission, or citation. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- Direct copying of text without proper citation
- Inadequate paraphrasing or unattributed reproduction of ideas
- Self-plagiarism or redundant publication
- Duplicate submission or duplicate publication
- Data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research findings
- Unauthorised reuse of copyrighted material
- Translation plagiarism and inappropriate citation practices
Similarity Screening and Assessment
All manuscripts submitted to IGJAMS are screened using recognised plagiarism-detection software before entering the peer-review process and may be re-screened prior to final publication. The editorial office evaluates similarity reports carefully because similarity percentages alone do not necessarily constitute plagiarism. The nature, context, and source of the overlap are also considered. Legitimate overlaps, such as references, standard methodological descriptions, commonly used definitions, legal statements, and properly quoted material, are excluded from the final editorial assessment whenever appropriate.
Acceptable Similarity Guidelines
| Threshold | Limit |
|---|---|
| Overall Similarity Index | Preferably less than 15% |
| Similarity from any single source | Preferably less than 3% |
Note: Manuscripts exceeding these limits may undergo additional editorial scrutiny and may require revision, clarification, or rejection depending on the nature and extent of the overlap.
Editorial Actions
Minor Overlap
Minor textual similarity resulting from standard terminology or properly cited material may be accepted after editorial verification or minor revision.
Moderate Overlap
Where substantial textual overlap is identified, authors may be requested to revise the manuscript, rewrite overlapping sections, improve citations, and resubmit for a fresh similarity assessment.
Major Overlap or Deliberate Plagiarism
Manuscripts containing significant unattributed copying, duplicate publication, falsified data, manipulated content, or evidence of intentional plagiarism shall be rejected immediately and may be subject to additional editorial action in accordance with COPE recommendations.
Plagiarism Detected During Peer Review
If plagiarism or publication misconduct is identified during editorial evaluation or peer review, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for clarification and revision, suspended from further review pending investigation, or rejected immediately where serious ethical concerns exist. The journal reserves the right to request explanations, supporting documents, raw data, or evidence of originality from the authors whenever necessary.
Plagiarism Detected After Publication
If plagiarism or publication misconduct is discovered after publication, IGJAMS will investigate in accordance with COPE guidelines and may publish a correction or clarification, issue an Expression of Concern, retract the published article, notify the authors' affiliated institutions, employers, or funding agencies where appropriate, and restrict future submissions from authors involved in proven cases of serious misconduct. Retracted articles shall remain clearly marked as retracted in order to preserve the integrity and transparency of the scholarly record.
Reporting Suspected Plagiarism
Authors, reviewers, readers, and institutions may report suspected plagiarism or publication misconduct by submitting documented evidence to the Managing Editor of IGJAMS. All allegations shall be handled confidentially, fairly, and objectively. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board shall investigate reported cases in accordance with COPE principles. Decisions regarding corrections, expressions of concern, retractions, or other editorial actions shall be final and based on evidence obtained during the investigation.
Statement of Ethical Commitment
IGJAMS is dedicated to promoting originality, transparency, accountability, and responsible research conduct. The journal expects all authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members to uphold the highest standards of publication ethics and to contribute to maintaining the credibility, reliability, and integrity of scholarly communication.