Health Sciences Australia Plagiarism Policy
ISSN: 2982-2181 (Online)
The editorial team of Health Sciences Australia is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards and integrity of published scientific content. The journal adheres to the plagiarism policies outlined by the ICMJE and follows stringent guidelines to handle plagiarism in all its forms. To ensure originality, Health Sciences Australia implements its own plagiarism policy during the manuscript review process.
Plagiarism Detection Process
Turnitin software is employed to screen submitted manuscripts. The similarity index (SI) must be less than 16%, in line with the policies of the journal. Plagiarism, including unacknowledged copying or misleading representations of original work (ideas, text, results, images, or figures), is not tolerated. Text recycling, or self-plagiarism, where authors reuse portions of their previous work without proper attribution or citation, will also be considered plagiarism. Manuscripts with such issues will not be considered for publication.
Disciplinary Actions for Plagiarism
A disciplinary committee, composed of the Editorial Board and the Editor-in-Chief, will handle cases of plagiarism or misconduct. The journal will communicate with the authors' institutions, funders, and appropriate authorities for necessary actions. Upon confirmation of misconduct, the journal will issue corrections or retract the publication.
Instances of Plagiarism
Plagiarism can occur in various forms, such as:
- Direct plagiarism: Appropriating someone else’s work and presenting it as one’s own.
- Self-plagiarism: Recycling previously published material without citation.
Exclusions During Plagiarism Checks
Certain elements are excluded from plagiarism checks, including:
- Properly cited quotations
- Bibliographic references
- Common phrases
- Mathematical or statistical formulas
- Institutional names or departments
Guidelines for Authors Regarding Plagiarism
- Plagiarism Identification and Correction: If plagiarism is identified during the submission or review process, authors will be notified and requested to correct the content or properly cite references. Manuscripts with plagiarism levels of 16% or above risk rejection and may require revision and resubmission.
- Reporting Plagiarism Instances: Scholars are encouraged to report any instances of plagiarism in any journal, providing detailed evidence so that appropriate editorial offices can take necessary action.
- Post-Publication Plagiarism Investigation: If plagiarism is detected after publication, Health Sciences Australia will conduct a thorough investigation. Authors will be contacted, and any plagiarized content will be clearly marked in the PDF. Depending on the severity, the paper may be formally retracted.
- Handling Publications in Other Languages: Authors must disclose if their work has been previously published in another language. Proper citation is required, and translations may be accepted if appropriately referenced or fully rewritten.
- Self-Plagiarism Guidelines: Self-plagiarism, where authors reproduce significant portions of their previous work without citation, is not permitted. However, referencing prior work with proper attribution is acceptable.
- Impact on Research Ethics: Plagiarism undermines research ethics and devalues the contributions of scholars.
Appeal to Authors
Health Sciences Australia urges all authors to prioritize integrity and accountability, ensuring that their manuscripts are free of plagiarism and adhere to the highest ethical standards in research.
HSA by Health Sciences Australia is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
