Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Research in Agriculture and Food Sciences (JRAFS) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and all forms of academic and publication misconduct. The journal is committed to protecting the originality, integrity, credibility, and reliability of the scholarly record.

JRAFS considers plagiarism a serious violation of publication ethics. All authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and that the words, ideas, data, figures, tables, methods, and other intellectual contributions of others are appropriately acknowledged and cited.

The journal follows relevant ethical principles and guidance provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing suspected plagiarism and other forms of publication misconduct.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when an author presents the words, ideas, data, results, figures, tables, methods, or other intellectual contributions of another person or source as their own without appropriate acknowledgment.

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to:

• Copying text from another source without appropriate quotation or attribution;

• Reproducing figures, tables, images, datasets, or other materials without appropriate acknowledgment or permission where required;

• Paraphrasing another person's work substantially without appropriate citation;

• Presenting another person's ideas, concepts, methods, or findings as one's own;

• Using translated material from another source without appropriate attribution;

• Reusing substantial portions of previously published material without appropriate disclosure or attribution;

• Submitting another person's work as one's own;

• Undisclosed substantial reuse of an author's own previously published material (self-plagiarism or inappropriate text recycling); and

• Submitting substantially the same manuscript or research to more than one journal simultaneously.

All sources must be appropriately acknowledged and cited according to accepted academic standards.

2. Plagiarism Screening

JRAFS screens all submitted manuscripts for plagiarism and inappropriate text overlap using iThenticate or an equivalent similarity-detection system.

Similarity screening is normally conducted before or during the editorial assessment and may also be repeated at later stages of the publication process when considered necessary.

The purpose of similarity screening is to identify potential plagiarism, inappropriate text reuse, duplicate publication, and other forms of problematic overlap.

A similarity report or similarity percentage does not, by itself, establish that plagiarism has occurred. The editorial team evaluates the sources and context of the detected overlap, including:

• The amount and location of overlapping text;

• Whether the material is properly cited;

• Whether the overlap occurs in standard terminology or methodology;

• Whether references, quotations, or other legitimate material account for the similarity;

• Whether the overlap involves previously published work by the same authors;

• Whether the overlap represents inappropriate reuse; and

• Whether the detected material affects the originality or integrity of the manuscript.

The journal does not rely solely on a predetermined similarity percentage to determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

3. Plagiarism Identified Before Peer Review

If substantial or inappropriate plagiarism is identified during the initial editorial assessment, the manuscript may be rejected without external peer review.

Depending on the nature and extent of the overlap, the Editor-in-Chief or designated editor may:

• Request clarification from the authors;

• Request revision where the problem is limited and can reasonably be corrected;

• Require appropriate citation or acknowledgment;

• Reject the manuscript; or

• Initiate a formal research-integrity investigation in serious cases.

Manuscripts containing extensive plagiarism, deliberate misappropriation of another person's work, fabricated attribution, or other serious forms of academic misconduct may be rejected immediately.

4. Plagiarism Identified During or After Peer Review

If plagiarism or substantial inappropriate text reuse is identified during peer review, the journal may suspend the review process while the matter is assessed.

The authors may be asked to provide an explanation or relevant documentation.

Depending on the findings, JRAFS may:

• Continue the review process;

• Require appropriate corrections or clarification;

• Reject the manuscript; or

• Initiate a formal investigation where serious misconduct is suspected.

Reviewers who identify suspected plagiarism should report their concerns confidentially to the editorial office rather than contacting the authors directly.

5. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If credible evidence of plagiarism is identified after an article has been published, JRAFS will assess the matter in accordance with its publication ethics and research-integrity procedures.

The journal may:

• Request an explanation from the authors;

• Investigate the allegation;

• Contact the relevant institution or responsible authority where appropriate;

• Publish a correction or clarification where the issue is limited;

• Publish an expression of concern where serious concerns remain unresolved; or

• Retract the article where the evidence demonstrates that the published work is substantially unreliable or contains serious plagiarism or other misconduct.

Any retraction or other corrective action will be clearly identified and linked to the affected article in order to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

6. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

JRAFS recognizes that authors may legitimately reuse limited amounts of previously published material in certain circumstances, particularly where standard methodological descriptions or established terminology are involved.

However, authors must not substantially reproduce their previously published text, data, figures, or other material without appropriate disclosure and attribution.

Substantial undisclosed reuse of previously published material may constitute self-plagiarism, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate publication, or redundant publication, depending on the circumstances.

Authors should disclose relevant previous publications when submitting a manuscript that overlaps substantially with earlier work.

7. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is prohibited.

JRAFS also considers redundant publication or substantial duplication of previously published research to be a serious publication-integrity concern.

Authors must inform the journal about related publications, manuscripts, preprints, conference proceedings, theses, datasets, or other publicly available materials that substantially overlap with the submitted work.

Failure to disclose substantial overlap may result in rejection or post-publication corrective action.

8. Legitimate Similarity

Not all text similarity constitutes plagiarism.

The editorial team may identify legitimate overlap resulting from:

• Common scientific or technical terminology;

• Standard descriptions of established methods;

• Properly quoted and cited material;

• Bibliographic references;

• Article titles or institutional names;

• Necessary descriptions of established procedures; or

• Other circumstances in which textual similarity does not represent inappropriate appropriation of another person's work.

The final assessment is therefore based on editorial and scholarly judgment rather than a similarity score alone.

9. Author Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring the originality and integrity of their manuscripts.

By submitting a manuscript to JRAFS, authors confirm that:

• The manuscript is their original work, except for material appropriately acknowledged and cited;

• All sources and intellectual contributions have been appropriately acknowledged;

• Any reused material has been properly cited and disclosed;

• The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;

• Relevant related publications and previous versions of the work have been disclosed;

• All authors have approved the submitted manuscript; and

• The information provided to the journal is accurate and complete.

Authors remain responsible for the originality and proper attribution of material prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence or other tools.

10. Consequences of Confirmed Plagiarism

Where plagiarism is confirmed, the editorial action will depend on the severity, extent, intent, and stage at which the problem is identified.

Possible actions include:

• Request for correction or clarification;

• Rejection of the manuscript;

• Termination of the peer review process;

• Retraction of a published article;

• Publication of an expression of concern;

• Notification of the relevant institution or responsible authority where appropriate; and

• Restriction on future submissions in serious or repeated cases.

Any restriction on future submissions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct.

The journal will not impose punitive action solely on the basis of an automated similarity score.

11. Investigations and Due Process

JRAFS will handle credible allegations of plagiarism fairly, objectively, and confidentially.

Where necessary, the journal may request explanations, supporting documents, original research materials, or other evidence from the authors.

In serious cases, the journal may contact the authors' institution or other appropriate authority to request an investigation.

The journal will follow relevant COPE guidance and flowcharts when addressing suspected plagiarism and related publication-integrity concerns.

The outcome of an investigation will be based on the available evidence and the circumstances of the individual case.

12. Confidentiality

All allegations and investigations concerning suspected plagiarism will be handled confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

Information relating to an investigation will be shared only with individuals who have a legitimate need to know, including editors, appropriate experts, institutions, or responsible authorities where necessary.

The journal will avoid making unsubstantiated allegations publicly while an investigation is ongoing.

13. Commitment to Research Integrity

JRAFS is committed to maintaining a scholarly record that is original, reliable, transparent, and ethically produced.

Through systematic similarity screening using iThenticate, editorial assessment, double-blind peer review, and established procedures for investigating suspected misconduct, the journal seeks to prevent plagiarism and protect the integrity of published research.

The journal expects all authors, editors, reviewers, and editorial board members to uphold the highest standards of academic honesty and publication ethics.