Ethical Considerations and Plagiarism Policy

The American Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies (AJIS) is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. All stakeholders, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, are expected to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly research and publication.

Ethical Considerations

AJIS follows the ethical guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to international best practices in scholarly publishing. The journal enforces strict policies to ensure that:

✔ Research integrity is upheld – All submissions must be based on original, accurate, and verifiable research findings. Data manipulation, falsification, and fabrication are strictly prohibited.

✔ Authorship and contributions are properly recognized – All listed authors must have made substantial intellectual contributions to the manuscript. Ghostwriting and honorary authorship are not acceptable.

✔ Conflicts of interest are disclosed – Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, academic, or personal conflicts of interest that may influence the research findings or peer-review process.

✔ Human and animal research ethics are followed – Studies involving human participants or animals must comply with ethical guidelines established by relevant institutions and regulatory bodies. Ethical approval and informed consent must be obtained and documented.

✔ Peer review is conducted with fairness and objectivity – AJIS follows a double-blind peer-review process, ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated based on merit, without bias or discrimination.

✔ Confidentiality is maintained – All submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, and editorial decisions are treated as confidential information and are not disclosed to unauthorized individuals.

Plagiarism Policy

AJIS upholds a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism to ensure academic integrity and originality in research. Plagiarism in any form, including direct copying, self-plagiarism, paraphrasing without attribution, or improper citation of sources, is strictly prohibited.

Types of Plagiarism Considered Unacceptable:

  • Direct Plagiarism – Copying text, figures, or data from another source without proper citation or permission.
  • Self-Plagiarism (Redundant Publication) – Republishing one’s own work without substantial modifications or without proper citation of the original source.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism – Borrowing phrases or ideas from multiple sources without citation, even if reworded.
  • Improper Paraphrasing – Making minor changes to someone else’s work without providing proper credit.
  • Fabrication and Falsification – Presenting false data, manipulated findings, or misrepresenting research results.

Plagiarism Detection and Consequences

✔ Plagiarism Screening: AJIS uses advanced plagiarism detection tools to screen all submitted manuscripts before peer review. Any manuscript found with overlapping content beyond acceptable limits will be rejected or sent back for revision.

✔ Consequences of Plagiarism: If plagiarism is detected:

  • Before publication: The manuscript will be rejected immediately, and the authors may be blacklisted from submitting future work.
  • After publication: The article will be retracted, and a notice of retraction will be issued publicly.
  • In severe cases, AJIS reserves the right to inform the authors’ institution, funding agency, or regulatory body about ethical misconduct.

✔ Appeals and Corrections: Authors who believe plagiarism findings are incorrect may appeal to the editorial office with supporting evidence. Minor instances of unintentional plagiarism may be corrected through proper citation or content revision before publication.

 

How to Avoid Plagiarism

AJIS encourages authors to follow best practices for ethical writing to avoid unintentional plagiarism:

✔ Properly cite all sources – Always credit the original authors for their ideas, data, and concepts. Use standard citation styles (APA, IEEE, Chicago, etc.).

✔ Use quotation marks for direct excerpts – Any text copied verbatim must be enclosed in quotation marks with an appropriate reference.

✔ Paraphrase effectively – Rewriting content must involve a substantial transformation of structure and wording while maintaining original meaning and citing the source.

✔ Check for similarity before submission – Authors should use plagiarism detection tools before submission to identify and rectify any unintentional overlap.

✔ Understand fair use and copyright laws – Authors must obtain permission for copyrighted material such as images, tables, or large text excerpts.

Reporting Plagiarism and Ethical Violations

AJIS encourages readers, reviewers, and institutions to report suspected plagiarism or ethical violations by providing relevant evidence. The editorial team will conduct a thorough investigation, ensuring fairness and due process.

For plagiarism concerns, ethical violations, or appeals, contact:
Email: editor.ajis@americanscholarly.us