Plagiarism Policy

Archives of Community Medicine and Public Health (ACMPH) strictly adheres to ethical research practices and follows a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism. All submissions undergo rigorous plagiarism detection to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the practice of using someone else’s intellectual work without proper acknowledgment. It includes but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, ideas, or data from another source without citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Republishing an author’s own previously published work without proper attribution.
  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else’s work without crediting the original source.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism: Mixing words and ideas from multiple sources without proper acknowledgment.
  • Fabrication or Falsification: Creating false data, sources, or citations.

Plagiarism Detection Process

All submitted manuscripts to ACMPH are screened for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection software such as:

  • iThenticate – A globally recognized plagiarism detection tool.
  • Turnitin – Ensures originality and academic integrity.

Manuscripts found with significant plagiarism will be rejected immediately without further review.

Acceptable Similarity Index

The acceptable similarity index is determined as follows:

  • Less than 10%: Considered acceptable, with minor revisions if necessary.
  • 10% - 25%: Requires revision and proper citation of sources.
  • Above 25%: Automatically rejected due to excessive plagiarism.

Consequences of Plagiarism

ACMPH enforces strict actions against plagiarism, including:

  • Manuscript Rejection: Immediate rejection of the submission.
  • Author Ban: Repeat offenders may face a permanent submission ban.
  • Retraction: Published articles found to contain plagiarism will be formally retracted and removed.
  • Institutional Notification: The author’s affiliated institution may be informed.

How to Avoid Plagiarism?

To ensure compliance with ethical publishing standards, authors should:

  • Cite Sources Properly: Give credit to original authors using appropriate citation styles (APA, Harvard, Vancouver, etc.).
  • Use Quotation Marks: For direct quotes, always enclose the text in quotation marks.
  • Paraphrase Correctly: When paraphrasing, ensure originality and proper acknowledgment of sources.
  • Use Plagiarism Detection Tools: Authors are encouraged to check their work using Grammarly Plagiarism Checker or iThenticate before submission.

Self-Plagiarism and Duplicate Submission

Authors must ensure that:

  • Self-plagiarism is avoided by not submitting previously published work as new research.
  • Duplicate submission is not practiced, meaning the manuscript should not be submitted to multiple journals simultaneously.

Reporting Plagiarism

If you suspect plagiarism in any published article, please report it to:

Email: [email protected]

Ensuring Ethical and Original Research for a Trusted Academic Community!