Plagiarism Policy

PLAGIARISM AND REDUNDANT/OVERLAPPING PUBLICATION POLICY

Maintaining the integrity and originality of academic work is fundamental to the mission of the Cepalo Journal. As a scholarly journal committed to the highest standards of publication ethics, we uphold strict policies against plagiarism and redundant or overlapping publication. These practices undermine the trust in academic publishing, dilute the value of original research, and can lead to significant ethical and legal consequences.

 

This Policy aims to clearly define these forms of academic misconduct and outline the procedures and consequences for handling violations. By setting these standards, Cepalo Journal strives to foster a culture of honesty, transparency, and respect for intellectual property within the academic community. Authors submitting to Cepalo are expected to adhere to these guidelines to ensure that their work is original, properly attributed, and contributes meaningfully to the body of legal scholarship.

PLAGIARSM

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim from another source without proper citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without appropriate citation.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism: Incorporating phrases or ideas from another source without proper citation, even if the text is paraphrased.
  • Accidental Plagiarism: Failure to cite sources properly due to oversight or misunderstanding.

To ensure the originality of manuscripts, Cepalo Journal employs the following measures:

  • iThenticate: All submitted manuscripts are scanned using iThenticate to detect potential plagiarism. This tool compares the manuscript against a vast database of academic work and other sources.
  • Manual Review: The editorial staff will manually review flagged sections for potential plagiarism and assess the context and nature of the flagged content.

If plagiarism is identified, the following procedures will be followed:

  • Initial Assessment: The editorial team will assess the extent and severity of the plagiarism. This includes reviewing the flagged content and the manuscript’s overall integrity.
  • Communication with Authors: If significant plagiarism is detected, the authors will be contacted for clarification and explanation. The authors will be required to provide evidence of originality or address the concerns raised.
  • Decision: Based on the authors' response and the editorial team's assessment, a decision will be made regarding the manuscript’s publication status. Options include requesting revisions, retraction, or outright rejection.

In cases where plagiarism is confirmed:

  • Rejection of Manuscript: The manuscript will be rejected, and a formal notice will be issued to the authors.
  • Reputational Impact: Authors found to have committed plagiarism may face reputational damage, which can affect their future submissions to Cepalo journal and other journals.
  • Reporting: Instances of serious plagiarism may be reported to relevant institutions and bodies, as necessary.

We encourage authors to actively engage in practices that prevent plagiarism and uphold the integrity of their research. Authors should thoroughly understand what constitutes plagiarism and ensure that all sources are appropriately cited in their work. To support this, we recommend that authors utilize plagiarism detection tools before submission to confirm the originality of their manuscripts. Additionally, our plagiarism policy undergoes periodic reviews to assess its effectiveness and to make any necessary updates, ensuring that it remains current and relevant.

REDUNDANT/OVERLAPPING PUBLICATION

Submitting a new manuscript containing the same hypotheses, data, discussion points, and/or conclusions as a previously published manuscript is considered duplicate publication. Unlike plagiarism, which involves copying text verbatim, duplicate publication involves replicating the same data, images, and study hypotheses in another paper. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) classifies duplicate publications into major and minor offenses.

  • Major Offense: A duplicate publication based on the same dataset with identical findings and/or evidence that authors have sought to conceal redundancy. This includes changing the title or author order, or failing to reference previous publications. Manuscripts identified as major offenses will be rejected.
  • Minor Offense (Salami Slicing): A duplicate publication with some element of redundancy or legitimate repetition or reanalysis (e.g., subgroup analyses, extended follow-ups, or repeated methods). Manuscripts with minor overlaps may be considered for publication under specific conditions, such as clear approval from the original publisher and proper citation of the original source.

At Cepalo Journal, we do not support substantial overlap between publications unless our editors determine that it will strengthen academic discourse and contribute meaningfully to research. In such cases, publication will only proceed with clear approval from the original publisher and proper citation of the original source.

Author Disclosure Requirements:

  • Authors must disclose any previous publications, submissions, or other forms of dissemination (e.g., preprints, conference presentations) that may be considered redundant or overlapping with the manuscript submitted to Cepalo Journal.
  • This disclosure should include detailed information about the previous work, including title, journal, authors, and a description of the overlap.
  • Authors must explain how the submitted manuscript offers new insights or distinct contributions beyond the previously disseminated work.
  • Authors should also indicate any prior dissemination, including preprints or conference presentations, and how this submission differs from those disseminations.

Consequences:

  • Manuscripts identified as cases of redundant publication will be rejected.
  • Manuscripts with overlapping content will be considered only if they meet the conditions set by our editors, including clear approval from the original publisher and proper citation of the original source.

We expect our readers, reviewers, and editors to report any suspicions of duplicate or redundant publication. By maintaining these standards, we aim to uphold the integrity and originality of the work published in Cepalo Journal, fostering a culture of honesty and respect for intellectual property within the academic community.

 

 
 
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