Plagiarism Policy

 

The Journal of Computer and Data Science (JCODA) is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and is not tolerated. All submitted manuscripts must represent the authors' original work, with appropriate acknowledgment of ideas, data, methods, text, and other materials obtained from external sources.

Plagiarism Policy Statement

JCODA requires authors to ensure that their manuscripts are original, properly referenced, and free from plagiarism, including unattributed reuse of text, ideas, figures, tables, datasets, and other scholarly materials. All sources must be acknowledged through appropriate citation and referencing practices.

Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism may occur in several forms, whether intentional or unintentional. The following practices are considered unacceptable:

Direct Plagiarism

Copying text, sentences, paragraphs, or other content from another source without quotation marks where appropriate and without proper attribution.

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Rewriting another author's ideas or arguments without acknowledging the original source, even when the wording has been changed.

Self-Plagiarism

Reusing substantial portions of one's previously published work without proper disclosure, citation, or justification, particularly when this creates an impression of new and original content.

Data and Visual Plagiarism

Using another source's figures, tables, images, datasets, diagrams, software code, or other research materials without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Combining copied phrases, passages, or ideas from multiple sources without adequate attribution, even when individual words or sentences have been modified.

Unauthorized Reuse

Reproducing copyrighted or third-party material without obtaining permission when required, or using material in a manner inconsistent with its license.

Similarity Screening

JCODA may use plagiarism-detection software or other similarity-checking tools to assess submitted manuscripts for overlapping text and potential unattributed reuse. Screening may be conducted during initial submission, peer review, or editorial assessment.

Similarity reports are evaluated by the editorial team in context. A similarity percentage alone does not establish plagiarism, because legitimate quotations, references, standard terminology, methodological descriptions, and other appropriately attributed material may contribute to the overall score. Editorial decisions are based on the nature, extent, location, and context of the identified overlap.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to JCODA are responsible for ensuring the originality and ethical integrity of their work. Authors must:

1
Submit original scholarly work and accurately acknowledge all sources used in preparing the manuscript.
2
Provide appropriate citations for borrowed ideas, quotations, data, methods, images, tables, and other third-party materials.
3
Disclose any substantial reuse of previously published material and cite the relevant original publication.
4
Ensure that submitted materials comply with applicable copyright requirements, licenses, and permissions.
5
Respond honestly and promptly to editorial inquiries concerning similarity, originality, citations, and the use of previously published material.

Editorial Assessment and Actions

When potential plagiarism or unattributed reuse is identified, the editorial team will assess the available evidence and determine an appropriate response based on the seriousness of the concern, the extent of the overlap, the stage of publication, and the author's explanation where applicable.

Possible Editorial Actions
  • Request clarification, additional documentation, or appropriate revisions from the authors.
  • Require corrections to citations, quotations, attribution, or reused material where the issue can be appropriately resolved.
  • Reject a manuscript when substantial plagiarism or serious originality concerns are established.
  • Retract a published article when serious plagiarism or other grounds for retraction are established.
  • Notify the relevant author's institution or other appropriate parties when warranted by the evidence and applicable procedures.
  • Consider further editorial restrictions in serious or repeated cases, consistent with journal policy and a fair assessment of the circumstances.

All concerns will be handled fairly and confidentially to the extent possible. Authors will be given an appropriate opportunity to respond to allegations before a final decision is made, except where immediate action is necessary to protect the scholarly record or comply with applicable requirements.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

The use of artificial intelligence tools does not exempt authors from their responsibility to ensure originality, proper attribution, factual accuracy, and compliance with publication ethics. Authors must not present AI-generated content, ideas, or materials as original human-authored work when doing so would misrepresent their contribution or violate applicable journal policies. Any required disclosure of AI assistance must follow the journal's applicable policy. Authors remain responsible for verifying sources and ensuring that the manuscript does not contain plagiarized or improperly reused material.

Commitment to Originality and Academic Integrity

JCODA is committed to promoting responsible research, transparent attribution, and trustworthy scholarly communication. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that they have taken reasonable steps to ensure the originality of their work and that all sources and third-party contributions have been appropriately acknowledged.