Plagiarism Policy

Voice of Academia (VoA) enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and all forms of academic misconduct. The journal is committed to safeguarding the originality, integrity and transparency of the scholarly record. All manuscripts submitted to VoA must be original, unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere. Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and redundant publication, is strictly prohibited.

Suspected cases of plagiarism are handled following the ethical guidelines recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics and the best practices promoted by the Directory of Open Access Journals.

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidelines:  https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, figures, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Verbatim copying of text, tables, figures, or data without appropriate citation or quotation
• Paraphrasing substantial portions of another work without proper attribution
• Reuse of one’s own previously published work without disclosure (self-plagiarism)
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals
• Misrepresentation or manipulation of citations

Screening and Detection

All submitted manuscripts are systematically screened for similarity using recognized plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate and Turnitin) prior to peer review.

• Similarity reports are evaluated by the editorial office and/or handling editors
• Screening applies to all submissions without exception
• Reports are interpreted contextually; similarity scores alone do not determine outcomes

Editorial Assessment of Similarity

VoA does not rely on fixed similarity thresholds. Instead, editorial decisions are based on qualitative assessment, including:

• Nature, extent, and location of overlapping text
• Whether proper citation and quotation are used
• Acceptable overlaps (e.g., references, standard methodologies, technical phrases)
• Evidence of intentional or systematic copying

Manuscripts with significant overlap may be:

• Rejected at initial screening
• Returned to authors for revision with required corrections
• Escalated for further ethical review

Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure that:

• The manuscript is entirely original and has not been published previously
• All sources are appropriately cited and referenced
• Permissions are obtained for copyrighted materials
• Any prior dissemination (e.g., preprints, theses, conference proceedings) is fully disclosed at submission
• Proper quotation and paraphrasing practices are followed

Authors may be required to provide supporting documentation upon request.

Handling of Suspected or Confirmed Plagiarism

VoA follows procedures consistent with Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines in handling suspected misconduct.

Before Publication

• Manuscripts may be rejected or returned for correction
• Authors may be asked to provide explanations or revisions
• Serious cases may be reported to authors’ institutions

After Publication

If plagiarism is identified after publication, VoA will take appropriate corrective actions, including:

• Publication of corrections (errata or corrigenda)
• Issuance of expressions of concern
• Retraction of the article
• Notification to authors’ institutions or relevant bodies

All actions are taken transparently and in accordance with publishing ethics standards.

Corrections and Retractions Policy

VoA ensures the integrity of the scholarly record by clearly distinguishing between:

• Corrections: For minor issues that do not invalidate findings
• Retractions: For major ethical breaches, including confirmed plagiarism
• Expressions of Concern: When investigations are ongoing

All notices will be clearly linked to the original article and freely accessible.

Appeals and Author Rights

Authors have the right to respond to allegations of plagiarism. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the editorial office and will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, an independent ethics advisor.