Plagiarism Policy

1.   Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to maintain the integrity and quality of the published work in Maldives Journal of Engineering and Technology (MJET) by preventing and addressing plagiarism in all submitted manuscripts.

MJET is strictly against any unethical act of copying or any form of plagiarism. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, including the duplicate publication of an author's own work, either in whole or in part, without proper citation. All manuscripts submitted for publication to MJET will be cross-checked for plagiarism using Turnitin software. Authors are required to cite all sources at the point they are used in the manuscript and must declare the originality of their work upon submission.

2.   Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unethical practice of copying someone else's ideas, processes, results, or words without proper acknowledgment of the original author and source. This includes copying text, images, data, or other material from another source without appropriate acknowledgment. Self-plagiarism occurs when an author reuses substantial parts of their own previously published work without appropriate references. This includes publishing the same manuscript in multiple journals or altering a previously published manuscript with new data. Plagiarism involves the use of someone else's work or ideas without proper attribution. This includes:

  • Direct Copying: Using text from other sources without proper citation.
  • Paraphrasing: Rephrasing substantial sections of another's work without acknowledgment.
  • Claiming Others' Work: Presenting someone else's experimental results, data, or ideas as one’s own.
  • Unauthorized Use: Using figures, tables, or graphs from other sources without permission and appropriate attribution.

3.   Types of Plagiarism

MJET respects intellectual property and is committed to protecting and promoting the original work of its authors. Manuscripts containing plagiarized material violate the standards of quality, research, and innovation. Therefore, all authors submitting articles to MJET are expected to adhere to ethical standards and avoid any form of plagiarism. MJET considers the following types of plagiarism.

4.   Full Plagiarism

Full plagiarism occurs when previously published content is used without any changes to the text, ideas, or grammar. This involves presenting exact text from a source as one's own. Full plagiarism is handled as severe plagiarism.

4.1  Partial Plagiarism

Partial plagiarism happens when content is a mixture from multiple sources, with the author extensively rephrasing the text. Partial plagiarism may be considered as minor or moderate plagiarism and handled accordingly.

4.2  Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism occurs when an author reuses complete or portions of their previously published research without appropriate citation. This can mislead readers about the novelty of the work. Complete self-plagiarism happens when an author republishes their own previously published work in a new journal. Except for complete self-plagiarism, most instances of self-plagiarism may be considered moderate. Refer to section ‎7.3 for details on handling of self-plagiarism. The following section highlights the acceptable overlap and disclosure requirement for self-plagiarism.

4.2.1   Acceptable Overlap
  • Theses and Dissertations: Content derived from an author’s thesis or dissertation is generally not considered self-plagiarism if properly disclosed and cited. Authors must inform the journal if their manuscript contains significant overlap with their thesis or dissertation.
  • Preprints: Posting a manuscript as a preprint on a non-commercial server such as arXiv is acceptable and not considered prior publication. Authors must disclose any preprint postings during submission.
4.2.2   Author Responsibilities

Authors must disclose any overlap with previously published work, including theses, dissertations, or preprints, in the cover letter and manuscript. The following steps should be taken:

  • Citation: Properly cite the thesis, dissertation, or preprint in the manuscript.
  • Transparency: Clearly state in the cover letter and manuscript any overlapping content and explain the context of its previous publication.

5.   Submission Process and Initial Check

  1. All manuscripts submitted to MJET must be original works and must not have been previously published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  2. During the initial submission process, authors must declare that their work is original and free from plagiarism.
  3. Authors must also disclose the use of any AI tools during the preparation of their manuscript.

6.   Plagiarism Detection

  1. Every manuscript submitted to MJET will be checked for plagiarism using Turnitin during the initial check before the review process.
  2. Turnitin Settings Used:
    • Exclude bibliographic material from Similarity Index.
    • Exclude quoted material from Similarity Index.
    • Exclude small matches (less than 10 words).

7.   Handling Plagiarism Cases

Manuscripts are considered free from plagiarism if their overall similarity index is      10% or less with no individual source exceeding 3% of similarity or between 11% to      20% with no individual source exceeding 5     % of similarity. In case of self-plagiarism, the individual similarity index of the author's own previously published work should not exceed 10%, inclusive. The overall similarity index, including all sources, can be up to 20% with no other individual source exceeding 3% of similarity to be considered free from plagiarism. The remaining cases of similarity index will be categorized as follows and handled accordingly. The following table summarizes the similarity indexes used for categorizing the plagiarism cases. The editorial board will determine the similarity using this table as a guideline.

  Overall Similarity index Similarity index of individual source
Generally Acceptable similarity index <= 20% (Any individual work should not exceed 30% of the overall similarity)
Own work shouldn't exceed 50% of the overall similarity
Minor Plagiarism <= 25% Any individual work should not exceed 40% of the overall similarity and
Own work shouldn't exceed 50% of the overall similarity
Moderate Plagiarism <= 30% Any individual work should not exceed 50% of the overall similarity and
Own work shouldn't exceed 50% of the overall similarity
Self-Plagiarism <= 35% Own work shouldn't exceed 60% of the overall similarity
Severe Plagiarism <= 30% If any individual work exceeds 50% of the overall similarity
>35%  

7.1  Minor Plagiarism

During the initial check, if the manuscript’s similarity index falls between 21% to 25% with no individual source exceeding 10% of similarity, or if the overall similarity index is 20% or less with no individual sources exceeding 8% similarity, it can be considered a minor case of plagiarism.

7.1.1   Evaluation of Minor Plagiarism

Editorial office evaluates the flagged content to determine if the overlaps are indeed minor and do not significantly impact the originality of the work. While evaluating, special attention is given if the flagged content includes properly cited quotations, generic phrases, or incidental similarities such as:

  • Direct quotes from other works that are correctly cited.
  • Commonly used phrases or terminology that are widespread within a specific field or discipline.
  • Unintentional overlaps in wording that can occur when discussing similar topics or findings, without copying from a source.
7.1.2   Author Notification of Minor Plagiarism

If minor instances of plagiarism are detected, authors are informed about the flagged content within the initial check period specified in the SOP. Authors may be requested to revise the manuscript to reduce the similarity index further, ensuring proper citation and paraphrasing where necessary. Authors are given 2 weeks to revise the manuscript and resubmit for another plagiarism check.

7.1.3   Resubmission and Proceeding to Review

The revised manuscripts submitted by the author are again checked for plagiarism and it should show a lower similarity index, indicating that the minor plagiarism issues have been addressed. The editorial office can also consider returning the manuscript to the author for further correction if the similarity index is not reduced. Once the minor plagiarism concerns are resolved, the manuscript proceeds to the review process, where it is assigned to an associate editor for further evaluation.

7.2  Moderate Plagiarism

Moderate plagiarism refers to instances where the similarity index is higher than what is considered minor but not as severe as full plagiarism. This typically indicates that a noticeable portion of the manuscript matches content from other sources, suggesting significant copying or insufficient paraphrasing.

During the initial check, if the manuscript’s similarity index falls between 21% to 30%, with no individual source exceeding 12% of similarity or if the overall similarity index is 20% or less, with no individual sources exceeding 10% similarity, it can be considered a moderate case of plagiarism.

Depending on the severity a manuscript with moderate plagiarism may be rejected, and the authors will be informed about the reason for rejection. Authors may be asked to rewrite and resubmit their manuscript as a new submission.

7.2.1   Evaluation of Moderate Plagiarism

The editorial office conducts a thorough evaluation of the flagged sections to assess the extent and nature of the overlaps. This review focuses on whether the similarities are due to improper citation, extensive use of similar wording, or direct copying without proper attribution.

7.2.2   Author Notification of Moderate Plagiarism

If moderate instances of plagiarism are detected authors are informed about the flagged content within the initial check period specified in the SOP. Authors are required to make significant revisions to address the moderate plagiarism. This may involve rewriting sections to ensure originality, properly citing sources, and ensuring that any borrowed ideas are adequately referenced. Authors are given 2 weeks or more based on the severity to revise the manuscript and resubmit for another plagiarism check.

7.2.3   Resubmission and Proceeding to Review

The revised manuscript submitted by the author is again checked for plagiarism and the editorial office re-evaluates the revised manuscript to ensure that the moderate plagiarism issues have been effectively resolved and that the similarity index has been sufficiently reduced. If the revised manuscript meets the originality standards, it proceeds to the review process and is assigned to an associate editor. If the plagiarism concerns persist, further revisions may be requested, or the manuscript may be rejected.

7.3  Self plagiarism

If a significant portion of the similarity index is derived from an author’s thesis or dissertation or preprint. This typically indicates that a noticeable portion of the manuscript matches content from other sources, suggesting significant copying or insufficient paraphrasing.

During the initial check, if the manuscript’s similarity index falls between 21% to 35%, with no individual similarity of the author’s own work exceeding 18% or if the overall similarity index is 20% or less, with     no individual similarity of the author’s own work exceeding 12%, it can be considered as a case of self-plagiarism. High similarity with other individual works will be categorized under minor or major plagiarism, and the editorial team will make decision on a case by case basis.

7.3.1   Evaluation of self-plagiarism

If plagiarism or self-plagiarism is detected, the editorial office will conduct a thorough investigation to identify the nature of the overlaps and determine if it is a case of self-plagiarism involving a reprint, thesis, or dissertation. Based on the investigation, appropriate action will be taken, which may include correction, retraction, or rejection of the manuscript.

7.3.2   Author Notification of self-plagiarism

Authors will be notified of the findings and given an opportunity to respond. If minor self-plagiarism is detected, authors may be asked to revise the manuscript to reduce the overlap and properly cite the previous work. If significant self-plagiarism is detected and not justified, the manuscript may be rejected. The authors will be notified and given an opportunity to respond.

If a significant portion of the similarity index is derived from an author’s thesis or dissertation then authors will be required to:

  • Provide a clear explanation to the editor regarding the nature of the overlap.
  • Highlight the new contributions and findings in the manuscript that extend beyond the thesis or dissertation.
7.3.3   Resubmission and Proceeding to Review

The revised manuscript submitted by the author is again checked for plagiarism and the editorial office re-evaluates the revised manuscript to ensure that the self-plagiarism issues have been effectively resolved and that the similarity index has been sufficiently reduced. If the revised manuscript meets the originality standards, it proceeds to the review process and is assigned to an associate editor. If the plagiarism concerns persist, further revisions may be requested, or the manuscript may be rejected.

5. Handling High Similarity Index

If a significant portion of the similarity index is derived from an author’s thesis or dissertation:

  • Citation: Ensure the thesis or dissertation is cited appropriately in the manuscript.
  • Explanation: Provide a clear explanation to the editor regarding the nature of the overlap.
  • New Contributions: Highlight the new contributions and findings in the manuscript that extend beyond the thesis or dissertation.

7.4  Severe Plagiarism

In cases of severe plagiarism (e.g., substantial portions of the manuscript), the manuscript will be rejected outright. The authors and their institutions will be notified of the ethical breach. Authors found guilty of severe plagiarism may be banned from submitting to MJET for a specified period or indefinitely, depending on the severity of the misconduct.

8.   Consequences of Plagiarism

  1. Manuscripts with severe plagiarism may be immediately rejected. The board has the right to contact the author for clarification before making a decision.
  2. Authors involved in plagiarism will be banned from submitting new manuscripts to MJET for a period ranging from one year to a permanent ban, based on the severity of the plagiarism.
  3. Severe cases of plagiarism will be reported to the authors' affiliated institutions, and other relevant bodies, to take further action as necessary.

9.   Author Responsibilities

  1. Authors must ensure that all sources are properly cited and that permission has been obtained for any content from other sources, including figures and tables.
  2. Authors are responsible for verifying the originality of their work before submission to MJET.
  3. Authors must declare any use of AI tools during the preparation of their manuscript and ensure that AI-generated content is properly attributed and cited.

10.  Use of AI Tools

  1. Authors are permitted to use AI tools for language editing and proofreading purposes. However, the use of AI tools must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript.
  2. AI-generated content must be properly attributed and cited. Authors must ensure that the use of AI does not result in plagiarism or the inclusion of inaccurate or misleading information.
  3. The use of AI tools to generate original research content, data analysis, or substantial portions of the manuscript is prohibited.

11.  Editorial Responsibilities

  1. The Editorial office is responsible for conducting initial plagiarism checks using Turnitin.
  2. All Editors must handle all detected cases of plagiarism in accordance with this policy.
  3. All Editors should remain vigilant and review flagged manuscripts thoroughly to ensure the integrity of the peer review process.

12.  Reviewer’s Role

  1. Reviewers are encouraged to report any suspected cases of plagiarism to the editorial office during the review process.
  2. Reviewers should ensure that citations are appropriate and that the manuscript adheres to the highest ethical standards.

13.  Retraction Policy

  1. If plagiarism or improper use of AI is discovered post-publication, the editorial board will investigate and may retract the paper.
  2. Retractions will be clearly indicated and documented to maintain the academic record's integrity.

14.  Appeals

  1. Authors who believe their manuscript was unfairly rejected due to plagiarism concerns can appeal the decision by providing a detailed justification and addressing the concerns raised.
  2. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-chief or editorial board member appointed by the Editor-in-chief, whose decision will be final.

15.  Continuous Improvement

  1. This plagiarism policy will be reviewed regularly to incorporate updates and improvements based on feedback from authors, reviewers, and editors.
  2. Any changes to the policy should be approved by the editorial board and communicated to all stakeholders promptly.

16.  Contact Information

Authors and stakeholders can contact the editorial office of MJET for guidance and for any questions regarding this policy.