Plagiarism Policy

This Plagiarism Policy outlines the procedures and standards applied to all manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy to ensure the originality, integrity, and credibility of published work. The journal is committed to preventing academic misconduct and upholding international standards of ethical publishing in line with best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

The primary plagiarism detection tool used by the Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy is Turnitin, a widely recognized similarity-checking system in academic publishing.

Plagiarism Detection Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using Turnitin prior to the peer review process. The similarity check compares submitted texts against a comprehensive database of academic publications, theses, conference proceedings, and other scholarly and non-scholarly sources.

A similarity report is evaluated by the editorial team to distinguish between acceptable overlap (such as references, standard methodological descriptions, or properly cited material) and unacceptable forms of plagiarism.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors are fully responsible for the originality and authenticity of their manuscripts. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

• The work is original and has not been published elsewhere.
• All sources of information, data, and ideas from other works are properly cited and acknowledged.
• Any reused content, including figures or tables, is accompanied by appropriate permission where required.

Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following practices:

• Copying text verbatim from other sources without proper citation.
• Paraphrasing substantial portions of another work without appropriate attribution.
• Self-plagiarism, defined as the reuse of one’s own previously published work without proper citation or disclosure.
• Using images, tables, figures, graphs, or other visual materials without permission or clear acknowledgment of the source.

Editorial Actions and Enforcement

When plagiarism or excessive similarity is identified, the editorial board of the Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy will take actions proportionate to the severity of the case, which may include:

• Notifying the corresponding author of the similarity findings.
• Requesting revision and correction of citations for minor cases.
• Rejecting the manuscript for substantial plagiarism or unethical reuse of content.
• Informing the authors’ affiliated institutions in cases of serious or repeated misconduct.

Appeals Process

Authors may submit an appeal regarding plagiarism decisions by providing a written explanation and supporting evidence demonstrating the originality of their work. Appeals are reviewed objectively by the editorial board, and the final decision will be communicated to the authors.

Policy Review and Updates

Maintaining academic integrity is essential to preserving the quality and credibility of the Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy. This Plagiarism Policy may be updated periodically to reflect evolving best practices in scholarly publishing. Authors are encouraged to review this policy prior to submission.