Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy

Introduction

Wisdomgale Journals is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, originality, and responsible scholarly communication.

Plagiarism and inappropriate reuse of existing work undermine trust in scientific publishing and may affect the reliability of the scholarly record.

This Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy describes Wisdomgale Journals' approach to identifying, evaluating, and addressing potential cases of plagiarism and excessive textual similarity.

All manuscripts submitted for publication in Wisdomgale Journals are checked for plagiarism using iThenticate software.

Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to Wisdomgale Journals, including original research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications, and other scholarly contributions.

This policy applies to:

• Authors and manuscript contributors;
• Editors and editorial staff;
• Reviewers involved in manuscript evaluation;
• Published articles where post-publication concerns are identified.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, words, data, images, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgement or attribution.

Plagiarism may occur when authors present existing material as original work or fail to provide appropriate references to the original sources.

Plagiarism may involve text, concepts, research findings, visual materials, datasets, or other forms of scholarly content.

Types of Plagiarism

Potential forms of plagiarism may include, but are not limited to:

• Direct copying of text without appropriate citation;
• Copying substantial parts of another work without acknowledgement;
• Unacceptable paraphrasing that does not sufficiently acknowledge the original source;
• Using another researcher's ideas or concepts without attribution;
• Unauthorized reuse of figures, tables, images, or other materials.

The evaluation of potential plagiarism depends on the context, extent, originality of the material, and scholarly purpose.

Self-Plagiarism and Duplicate Publication

Authors should avoid inappropriate reuse of their own previously published work without proper acknowledgement and justification.

Self-plagiarism may include:

• Reusing substantial portions of previously published text without citation;
• Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously;
• Publishing substantially similar research findings without appropriate disclosure;
• Fragmenting research outputs in a way that misrepresents originality.

Legitimate reuse of previously published material may be acceptable when properly cited, justified, and consistent with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

Text Similarity and Similarity Reports

Wisdomgale Journals may use similarity detection tools to assist editors in identifying possible overlap between submitted manuscripts and existing published materials.

Similarity reports are intended to support editorial evaluation and should not be interpreted as an automatic determination of plagiarism.

Editors consider similarity information together with:

• The nature of the identified overlap;
• The location and context of similar content;
• Appropriate citation practices;
• The overall originality of the manuscript.

Use of Similarity Detection Software

Wisdomgale Journals may use recognized similarity checking systems as part of the manuscript assessment process.

These tools may assist in identifying:

• Potential text overlap;
• Unreferenced similarities;
• Possible duplicate publication concerns;
• Reuse of previously published material.

The final assessment remains the responsibility of qualified editors based on professional judgment and publication ethics principles.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to Wisdomgale Journals are responsible for ensuring that their work is original and properly acknowledges all sources.

Authors should:

• Provide accurate citations and references;
• Obtain permission for reused copyrighted materials where required;
• Clearly identify previously published content;
• Ensure that submitted manuscripts represent original scholarly contributions.

Authors are responsible for the integrity and originality of their submitted work.

Editorial Assessment of Similarity Reports

Editors evaluate similarity reports carefully and consider the context of any identified overlap before making editorial decisions.

A high similarity percentage does not automatically indicate plagiarism, and a low similarity percentage does not guarantee originality.

Editorial decisions may consider:

• The amount and significance of overlapping content;
• Whether sources are properly acknowledged;
• The contribution and originality of the manuscript;
• Relevant disciplinary standards.

Acceptable Similarity and Editorial Judgment

Some forms of similarity may occur naturally in academic writing, including:

• Standard methodological descriptions;
• Technical terminology;
• Commonly used scientific expressions;
• Required descriptions of established procedures.

Editors use academic judgment to distinguish acceptable overlap from inappropriate reuse.

Handling Suspected Plagiarism Before Publication

When potential plagiarism or inappropriate similarity is identified during the submission or review process, Wisdomgale Journals may conduct an additional assessment before making a publication decision.

Depending on the nature and severity of the concern, actions may include:

• Requesting clarification from the authors;
• Requesting revisions with appropriate citations and acknowledgements;
• Rejecting the manuscript where substantial plagiarism or unethical reuse is identified;
• Taking further action in accordance with applicable publication ethics procedures.

Authors will be given an opportunity to provide relevant explanations where appropriate.

Handling Plagiarism After Publication

Concerns regarding plagiarism may also be raised after an article has been published.

Wisdomgale Journals will review reported concerns carefully and may investigate the matter in accordance with established publishing practices.

Possible actions may include:

• Correction of the published article;
• Publication of an editorial notice;
• Restriction or removal of improperly used material where appropriate;
• Retraction of the article in cases involving serious plagiarism or unethical publication practices.

Actions will be determined based on the evidence available and the significance of the issue.

Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Actions

Wisdomgale Journals aims to preserve the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record.

Where plagiarism or inappropriate content reuse affects the validity or originality of a published article, appropriate editorial actions may be taken.

Such actions may include:

• Issuing corrections to address attribution problems;
• Publishing clarification notices;
• Retracting articles where necessary;
• Updating publication records to maintain transparency.

Editorial actions will be applied according to the seriousness of the concern and relevant publishing standards.

Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers play an important role in maintaining academic integrity during the publication process.

Editors are responsible for:

• Evaluating potential plagiarism concerns objectively;
• Considering similarity reports within appropriate context;
• Applying consistent editorial judgment.

Reviewers who identify possible plagiarism or inappropriate reuse should inform the editor and provide relevant information when appropriate.

Reviewers should not independently investigate or contact authors regarding suspected plagiarism unless requested by the editor.

Research Integrity and Ethical Compliance

Plagiarism and inappropriate reuse of scholarly materials are considered violations of research integrity.

Wisdomgale Journals expects all authors and contributors to follow responsible research and publication practices, including:

• Honest representation of original work;
• Proper acknowledgement of sources and contributions;
• Transparent reporting of previous publications;
• Respect for intellectual property rights.

Maintaining originality and proper attribution contributes to trust in scholarly communication.

Policy Compliance and Enforcement

Wisdomgale Journals expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to comply with this Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy.

Where violations or concerns are identified, Wisdomgale Journals may take appropriate actions, including:

• Requesting additional information;
• Rejecting manuscripts that do not meet originality requirements;
• Correcting or retracting published content where necessary;
• Taking further measures consistent with publication ethics standards.

All decisions will be made based on available evidence, professional evaluation, and applicable publishing principles.

Changes to This Policy

Wisdomgale Journals may update this Plagiarism and Similarity Check Policy periodically to reflect developments in publishing practices, research integrity standards, and technological tools.

Updated versions of this policy will be published on the Wisdomgale Journals website together with the applicable revision date.

Authors, reviewers, and readers are encouraged to review this policy regularly.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or reports regarding plagiarism, similarity issues, or originality of published content, users may contact Wisdomgale Journals through the official communication channels provided on the website.

Wisdomgale Journals welcomes responsible communication regarding research integrity and aims to maintain trustworthy scholarly publishing practices.