Plagiarism and Scholarship Misconduct Policy

This policy outlines the definitions of plagiarism, the procedures for investigating allegations, and the potential consequences of violations. This policy applies to all submissions to the Scholar Publishing Academy.

I. Definitions:

A. Plagiarism: Plagiarism encompasses presenting another person's work or ideas as one's own, without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Exact Copying: Copying text, code, images, or other materials directly from a source without quotation marks and proper citation. This includes copying significant portions (i.e. more than 10%, or a substantial section regardless of percentage) of another work without attribution.
  2. Improper Paraphrasing: Restating another person's ideas in slightly altered words without attribution. This includes close paraphrasing where sentence structure or wording is very similar to the original without quotation marks and proper citation.
  3. Medley Plagiarism: Combining words or phrases from multiple sources to create a new text without proper attribution.
  4. Self-Plagiarism: Submitting substantially the same work to multiple publications or reusing significant portions of one’s own previously published work without explicit acknowledgement.
  5. Unauthorized Use of Materials: Using images, tables, figures, or other materials from another source without permission from the copyright holder and appropriate attribution.

 

B. Other Forms of Academic Misconduct: Beyond plagiarism, other forms of scholarship misconduct include:

  1. Data Fabrication and Falsification: Inventing or manipulating data to support a particular conclusion.
  2. Data Suppression: Intentionally omitting data that contradicts the results or conclusions.
  3. Authorship Disputes: Incorrectly claiming or omitting authorship credits.
  4. Duplicate Publication: Publishing the same or substantially similar work in multiple publications without disclosure.
  5. Forced Citation: Including citations that are not relevant to the work but serve to benefit another author or publication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II. Investigation Procedures:

A. Reporting Allegations: Allegations of plagiarism or other scholarship misconduct may be reported by anyone, including editors, reviewers, readers, or authors themselves. Reports should be submitted in writing to the Chief Publishing Editor of SPA (please create an email for the CPE and plug it here via hyperlink), providing sufficient evidence (e.g., URLs, copies of suspected plagiarized work).

B. Initial Assessment: Upon receiving an allegation, the CPE and the ethics committee will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine the validity of the claim. This may involve comparing the submitted work with potential sources.

C. Formal Investigation: If the preliminary assessment indicates a possible violation, a formal investigation will be conducted. This may include seeking clarification from the author and other relevant parties.

D. Use of Plagiarism Detection Software: SPA utilizes plagiarism detection software to assist in identifying potential instances of plagiarism.

E. Decisions: Based on the investigation's findings, the editors will determine the appropriate course of action, which may include:

  1. Correction Notice: If minor plagiarism is identified, a correction notice may be published alongside the original work.
  2. Retraction: For severe or multiple instances of plagiarism or other forms of scholarship misconduct, the paper may be retracted, which is a formal statement indicating the work is no longer considered part of the publication’s record.
  3. Rejection: Manuscripts identified as containing significant plagiarism or other academic misconduct will be rejected.
  4. Publication Ban: In cases of egregious violations, the editors reserve the right to impose a publication ban on the author.

 

III. Confidentiality:

The editorial board and the ethics committee will maintain confidentiality of investigations, unless legally required to disclose information.

IV. Disclaimer:

Scholar Publishing Academy is not obligated to discuss individual cases of alleged plagiarism or misconduct with third parties. We reserve the right to not proceed with an investigation if the complainant acts in an inappropriate or threatening manner or provides false or misleading information.

This expanded guideline provides a more detailed and comprehensive approach to handling plagiarism and academic misconduct, with clearly defined procedures and potential consequences.

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