Plagiarism Policy

NTU Journal of Pure Sciences (NTU-JPS) upholds the highest standards of academic integrity. All manuscripts submitted to NTU-JPS undergo a rigorous screening process to ensure originality.

Definition of Plagiarism NTU-JPS defines plagiarism as presenting someone else’s work, words, or ideas as one’s own without proper attribution. Misconduct includes:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim copying of text from another source without using quotation marks or proper citation.
  • Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Changing a few words or the sentence structure of a source while retaining the original meaning, without citing the source.
  • Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): Reusing substantial portions of one’s own previously published work (including data or figures) without disclosure or proper citation.
  • AI-Generated Content: Using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to generate text without clear disclosure is considered a breach of integrity. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

Screening Process (Turnitin) Every manuscript is screened using Turnitin similarity detection software immediately upon submission.

  • Similarity vs. Plagiarism: A high similarity score does not automatically constitute plagiarism. Editors analyze the report to distinguish between legitimate overlap (e.g., standard terminology, common methodological phrases) and unethical copying.

Similarity Thresholds While every case is judged individually, NTU-JPS applies the following general benchmarks:

  • Acceptable: Similarity index below 20% (excluding references and bibliography).
  • Requires Revision: Similarity between 20%–25% may be sent back to authors for rewriting, provided the matches are not substantial blocks of text.
  • Rejection: Manuscripts with similarity exceeding 25% (or significant copying of a single source) are generally rejected without peer review.

Consequences of Plagiarism If plagiarism is confirmed at any stage:

  1. Rejection: The manuscript will be immediately rejected.
  2. Ban: The authors may be prohibited from submitting to NTU-JPS for a defined period.
  3. Notification: In severe cases, the authors’ institutions or funding agencies may be notified.
  4. Retraction: If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be formally retracted.