Plagiarism Policy

The INSIGHT Journal (IJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality and ethical scholarly publishing. All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original works that have not been published previously and are not under consideration by another publication. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification or any other form of academic misconduct.

This policy is guided by the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and forms part of the journal’s commitment to responsible research and publication practices.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the use of another person's words, ideas, data, images, figures, tables or intellectual work without appropriate acknowledgment, citation or permission. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying of text without quotation marks and proper citation.
  • Close paraphrasing or patchwork plagiarism.
  • Misappropriation of ideas, methods, results or interpretations.
  • Use of unpublished materials without permission.
  • Inappropriate reuse of copyrighted content.
  • Submission of work produced substantially by another individual without acknowledgment.

Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their own previously published work without proper citation, disclosure or justification. Examples include:

  • Republishing the same article in another journal.
  • Reusing large sections of text from previous publications without citation.
  • Submitting substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals.
  • Segmenting a single research project into multiple papers without adequate scholarly justification.

Authors must appropriately cite all previously published work, including their own publications.

Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection software before peer review and at any stage of the editorial process.

The editorial office evaluates similarity reports using professional judgment. A similarity percentage alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred. Legitimate similarities may arise from:

  • References and bibliographies.
  • Standard methodological descriptions.
  • Common technical terminology.
  • Properly quoted and cited material.

The editorial team assesses the nature, extent and context of overlapping content before making an editorial decision.

Editorial Assessment of Similarity

When significant textual overlap is identified, the editorial office may:

  • Request clarification from the author.
  • Request revision and proper citation of sources.
  • Return the manuscript for correction before peer review.
  • Reject the manuscript on ethical grounds.
  • Refer serious cases to the Editor-in-Chief for investigation.

The journal reserves the right to contact authors’ institutions when evidence of serious academic misconduct is identified.

Plagiarism Detected Before Publication

If plagiarism, self-plagiarism or redundant publication is identified during the review or editorial process, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request revision and correction.
  • Suspend the review process until concerns are resolved.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Prohibit future submissions from the responsible author(s) for a specified period.
  • Notify the authors’ affiliated institutions where appropriate.

Plagiarism Detected After Publication

If plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct are discovered after publication, the journal will investigate the matter in accordance with COPE guidance and may implement one or more of the following measures:

  • Publish a correction or clarification.
  • Publish an expression of concern.
  • Retract the article.
  • Remove the article where legally required.
  • Notify relevant institutions, funding bodies or regulatory authorities.

Retraction notices will remain publicly available as part of the scholarly record and will clearly state the reason for the retraction.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for:

  • Ensuring that submitted work is entirely original.
  • Properly acknowledging and citing all sources.
  • Obtaining permission for copyrighted materials where required.
  • Disclosing any related manuscripts, conference papers or prior publications.
  • Ensuring that the use of generative artificial intelligence tools complies with the journal’s policies and does not result in plagiarism or undisclosed text reproduction.

Responsibilities of Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers are expected to:

  • Remain vigilant for indications of plagiarism and publication misconduct.
  • Report suspected ethical concerns to the Editor-in-Chief.
  • Maintain confidentiality throughout any investigation.
  • Follow established editorial procedures and COPE recommendations when handling allegations of misconduct.

Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions related to plagiarism findings by submitting a detailed written explanation together with supporting evidence. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where necessary, members of the editorial board. The final decision of the journal shall be binding.

Policy Review

This plagiarism policy may be revised periodically to reflect developments in publication ethics, academic integrity standards and COPE recommendations. Authors are encouraged to review the latest version of the policy before submitting a manuscript.

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