Plagiarism Policy

The Insights Sustainable Engineering Practices Journal (ISEP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism undermines the credibility of scientific research and can result in serious consequences. ISEP follows strict policies to detect and prevent plagiarism, ensuring that all manuscripts are original and properly attributed to their authors.

Key Aspects of the Plagiarism Policy:

1. Definition of Plagiarism:

   • Plagiarism refers to the act of using someone else's ideas, text, data, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment. This includes:
     • Direct Copying: Copying text, figures, tables, or data from another source without appropriate citation.
     • Paraphrasing Without Citation: Rewriting another person’s work in your own words without providing proper credit to the original source.
     • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing previously published work or data without citation or permission, including submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals.
     • Uncredited Use of Figures, Tables, or Other Content: Using visual content, charts, or data without proper citation.

2. Plagiarism Detection:

   • ISEP uses reputable plagiarism detection software (such as iThenticate or Turnitin) to screen all submitted manuscripts for potential plagiarism before they are sent for peer review.
   • Authors are strongly encouraged to use plagiarism detection tools to check their work before submission to ensure their content is free from plagiarism.

3. Actions in Case of Plagiarism:

   • Before Peer Review: If plagiarism is detected during the initial screening process, the manuscript will be returned to the author with feedback requesting that the plagiarized material be revised, removed, or properly cited.
   • During Peer Review: If plagiarism is identified during the review process, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author will be informed of the reason for rejection.
   • Post-Publication: If plagiarism is detected after the article has been published, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued. The retraction notice will clearly explain the reason for the retraction, and the article will remain accessible with the retraction notice attached.

4. Consequences of Plagiarism:

   • Rejection of Manuscripts: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be immediately rejected, and the author will be notified of the decision.
   • Permanent Ban on Submission: Authors found to have committed plagiarism may be banned from submitting to ISEP in the future.
   • Institutional Notification: In cases of severe misconduct, ISEP may notify the author's institution or relevant academic bodies about the plagiarism incident.
   • Legal Consequences: In cases where plagiarism involves significant intellectual property theft, legal action may be pursued.

5. Ethical Responsibility of Authors:

   • Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work. They must not submit work that includes plagiarized content, whether from other publications, online sources, or other authors.
   • Proper attribution should be given for all sources of information, data, and ideas that are not the author’s own.
   • Authors must ensure that all third-party material (e.g., figures, tables, images) used in their manuscript is properly cited or that they have obtained the necessary permissions for its use.

6. Prevention of Plagiarism:

   • Authors are encouraged to write their work in their own words and to paraphrase content appropriately while providing proper citation for original sources.
   • Proper citation styles should be followed as per ISEP’s guidelines to ensure that all references are correctly formatted and credited.

7. Transparency and Accountability:

   • ISEP promotes a transparent and accountable publication process. Any allegations of plagiarism will be investigated thoroughly, and appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with this policy.
   • The journal encourages authors to report any instances of plagiarism they may encounter during the submission, review, or publication process.

8. Retraction and Correction:

   • If an article is found to have plagiarized content after publication, it will be retracted, and the retraction notice will be published with a clear explanation.
   • Any corrections or clarifications related to plagiarism issues will be made publicly available, ensuring full transparency.

By adhering to this plagiarism policy, Insights Sustainable Engineering Practices Journal ensures that all published content maintains high academic standards, upholds the integrity of scholarly publishing, and contributes to the credibility of the research community. The journal remains committed to fostering ethical practices in academic writing and publishing.