Anti-plagiarism policy

 

1. PURPOSE OF THE POLICY

The Anti-Plagiarism Policy defines the principles, mechanisms, and procedures for checking scientific materials for plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other violations of copyright.
The purpose of the Policy is to ensure academic integrity, transparency, and high quality of publications.

2. SCOPE OF APPLICATION

This Policy applies to:

  • all manuscripts submitted to the journal by authors;

  • articles undergoing peer review;

  • published materials in cases of repeated verification or upon request;

  • all types of content: research papers, reviews, short communications, case studies, scientific-practical materials, etc.

3. DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

Academic Integrity – a set of ethical principles and rules adhered to by researchers in the process of creating, presenting, and publishing research results, excluding fraud, misappropriation, or manipulation of data.

Plagiarism – publishing or presenting ideas, texts, formulations, data, illustrations, or research results obtained from another person as one’s own without proper citation, permission, or acknowledgement of authorship.

Self-Plagiarism – reuse by an author of significant parts of their previously published works without appropriate citation or informing the editorial office.
Self-plagiarism includes duplicate publications, reuse of the same text in several articles, and presenting the same data as new.

Translated Plagiarism – using text, data, or ideas translated from another language and presented as original work without citing the source.

Technical Plagiarism – altering the structure of the text, rearranging sentences, or substituting synonyms to conceal borrowing without proper citation.

Mosaic Plagiarism – combining fragments from various sources without proper citation or with partial concealment of the source.

Automated Plagiarism Check – verification of manuscripts using specialized software systems that analyze text for matches with open and closed databases.

Falsification – deliberate distortion of research results or manipulation of data, graphs, or tables to achieve desired conclusions.

Fabrication – complete or partial invention of data, experiments, sources, or research results that did not actually exist.

Duplicate Publication – submitting or publishing the same materials or substantial parts of them in two or more outlets without appropriate citation or informing the editorial office.

Similarity Index – a percentage indicating the portion of text matching other sources. It is not proof of plagiarism by itself and requires editorial analysis.

Originality of the Manuscript – the degree of novelty and independence of the presented results, ideas, or formulations that do not replicate previous research without justified citation.

4. PLAGIARISM CHECKING TOOLS

4.1 The editorial office uses:

  • specialized software (Unicheck, StrikePlagiarism, Grammarly Plagiarism Checker, or others);

  • internal expert analysis by editors and reviewers;

  • manual verification of references, structure, and comparison with authors’ previous works.

4.2 The journal may modify or expand the list of tools depending on technical capabilities.

5. PROCEDURE FOR VERIFICATION

5.1 Primary Check

Conducted by the Managing Editor or an authorized editor upon receipt of the manuscript.

5.2 Pre-Review Check

A manuscript is admitted to peer review only if:

  • the similarity index does not exceed 15–20% (excluding references, table titles, etc.);

  • no substantial unjustified matches with other works are found.

5.3 Additional Check

May be conducted at any stage:

  • upon reviewer’s request;

  • after major revisions;

  • after receipt of a complaint.

6. ACCEPTABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE MATCHES

6.1 Acceptable:

  • up to 2–3% match from each individual source;

  • overall technical similarity of 15–20%;

  • standard expressions, methods, generally known formulations;

  • properly cited and formatted fragments.

6.2 Unacceptable:

  • large text matches (>5% from one source) without citation;

  • borrowing structures, tables, figures without permission and citation;

  • translated borrowing without citing the source;

  • repeat publication of one’s own materials without indication of prior publication.

7. EDITORIAL ACTIONS IN CASE OF SUSPECTED PLAGIARISM

7.1 If plagiarism is detected during primary verification

The manuscript is rejected or returned to authors for revision with requirements to:

  • rewrite the text;

  • add references;

  • remove unethical borrowing.

7.2 If plagiarism is detected during peer review

The editorial office:

  • suspends the review process;

  • notifies the author;

  • requests an explanation.

7.3 If plagiarism is substantial

The editorial office may:

  • reject the manuscript;

  • block submissions from the author for up to 1 year;

  • notify the author’s institution (in severe cases).

7.4 If plagiarism is found in an already published article

The editorial office may:

  • publish a correction (erratum);

  • issue a warning;

  • retract the article;

  • notify indexing databases.

8. COMMUNICATION WITH AUTHORS

8.1 Authors receive an official notification containing:

  • the similarity index;

  • a list of unacceptable fragments;

  • requirements for revision or the editorial decision.

8.2 Authors may submit a justified explanation or appeal.

9. AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITY

9.1 Authors guarantee the originality of their work.
9.2 Authors are responsible for all submitted materials.
9.3 Authors confirm that the article is not submitted to other journals simultaneously.
9.4 Authors agree to verification using any available tools.

10. STORAGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY

10.1 All plagiarism reports are stored by the editorial office for at least 3 years.
10.2 Access is restricted to editorial staff only.
10.3 Information is not disclosed to third parties.

11. FINAL PROVISIONS

11.1 This Policy enters into force upon approval and is mandatory for all authors, reviewers, editors, and staff.
11.2 The journal reserves the right to update or amend the Policy in accordance with international ethical standards, legislative changes, or editorial practice.
11.3 All changes are published on the journal’s website and take effect upon publication.
11.4 If any provision contradicts updated legislation or COPE standards, it is automatically aligned without invalidating the entire Policy.