Plagiarism is defined as the intentional or unintentional use of others’ ideas, plans, or formulas for creating one's own content and introducing them as new and original. This unethical act is done without obtaining suitable consent from the person who originally developed the ideas and words, and it commonly occurs in the field of science and research. Plagiarists unlawfully obtain their content from published and unpublished research grant applications, institutional review board applications, and other manuscripts. It is crucial to address such scientific malpractice as it can affect the overall integrity of any scientific field.
Self-plagiarism is a type of plagiarism in which an author uses their own content repeatedly in different publications. This can involve using the exact content multiple times or using the same idea but with different words and sentences. Sometimes, the author may be unaware of repeated use due to the common practice of rephrasing. Although self-plagiarism does not involve the ideas of others and does not typically fall under scientific misconduct, it may violate the copyright assigned to the publisher.
Types of Plagiarism:
- Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, including ideas and plans, with exact wording and sentences.
- Mosaic Plagiarism: Plagiarism of ideas and beliefs from any original source or published manuscripts.
- Accidental Plagiarism: Neglecting to cite sources or misquoting sources, even unintentionally.
Guidelines for Reporting Plagiarism:
- Inform the editor about plagiarized articles in the published journal.
- Provide editors with both the original and plagiarized articles.
- If evidence of plagiarism is confirmed, the editor can either reject the manuscript or conduct a meeting to rectify the issue.
- The plagiarist must be asked to provide an explanation.
- If a suitable response is not provided, the article/manuscript should be permanently removed.
- The author who committed plagiarism should be restricted and debarred for 6 months from publishing any article.
- All these procedures should be performed under the head of the institution.
Handling Plagiarism Cases:
Minor Plagiarism
Minor instances of plagiarism (e.g., a small portion of text without proper citation) will be handled by:
- Informing the authors about the detected plagiarism.
- Requesting the authors to revise the manuscript to properly attribute the original source.
Major Plagiarism
Major instances of plagiarism (e.g., extensive copying of text or data, entire sections of another work without attribution) will be handled by:
- Rejecting the manuscript without further review.
- Informing the authors and their affiliated institutions about the detected plagiarism.
- Banning the authors from submitting new manuscripts to RJPT for a specified period.