Introduction

The Journal of Addiction Therapy and Research (JATR) strictly prohibits all forms of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or duplicate submission. Originality of scientific work is essential for the credibility of research and the journal’s reputation. This policy applies to manuscripts, figures, tables, and supplementary materials submitted for publication.

Key Principle: Plagiarism undermines trust in science. JATR enforces zero tolerance, guided by COPE, ICMJE and WAME ethical codes.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves presenting another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without appropriate acknowledgment. It includes but is not limited to:

Direct plagiarism: Copying text verbatim without quotation or citation.
Self-plagiarism: Republishing one’s previous work without disclosure or permission.
Mosaic plagiarism: Paraphrasing while retaining the original structure or ideas without citation.
Image or data plagiarism: Using charts, figures, or datasets from other sources without credit.

Even minimal duplication can constitute plagiarism if proper credit is not provided.

Screening and Detection Process

All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening before peer review using industry-standard tools such as iThenticate and Turnitin. Editors review the similarity reports manually to ensure accurate interpretation.

Acceptable similarity threshold: below 15 % excluding references, quotations and methods.
Higher similarity requires author clarification or revision before proceeding to review.
Confirmed plagiarism leads to rejection or retraction depending on severity.

Results are stored confidentially and not shared beyond the editorial office.

Categories of Misconduct

Plagiarism is classified in four levels for corrective action:

Minor: Small portions (under 10 %) copied with missing citations → Request for revision.
Moderate: Significant copied content (10–25 %) → Rejection and resubmission allowed after revision.
Major: Extensive duplication or copy-paste (> 25 %) → Immediate rejection and author ban for 12 months.
Extreme: Deliberate fabrication or copying of entire articles → Permanent blacklisting and institutional notification.

Editorial Actions and Sanctions

If plagiarism is detected before publication, the manuscript is returned to authors for explanation or rejected outright. If detected after publication, the article may be corrected, retracted, or marked with a “Plagiarized” notice depending on evidence.

Editors follow COPE Flowcharts for misconduct investigation.
Authors’ institutions may be notified when warranted.
All decisions are recorded to maintain transparency.

Responsibilities of Authors, Reviewers and Editors

Authors must verify originality before submission and appropriately cite all sources.
Reviewers should alert editors to any overlap or duplicated text noticed during review.
Editors must act consistently, maintaining confidentiality and fairness during investigations.

Ethical lapses can damage reputations and may result in formal sanctions by the publisher.

Self-Plagiarism and Duplicate Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript or substantial parts thereof to more than one journal simultaneously. Reusing portions of previously published text (e.g., literature review or methods) is acceptable only when clearly cited and not misleading.

When a study extends previous work, authors must reference their earlier publication and explain what is new.

Data Fabrication and Image Manipulation

Fabrication or falsification of data, figures, or images constitutes severe misconduct. Authors must not:

Alter, obscure or enhance images in a way that misrepresents results.
Generate fictitious data or selectively omit negative results.
Use AI-generated text or images without disclosure and verification.

When manipulation is suspected, editors may request raw data or instrument logs for confirmation.

Post-Publication Corrections

When plagiarism or data manipulation is discovered after publication:

Correction: For unintentional minor errors or missing citations.
Retraction: For confirmed deliberate plagiarism or falsification.
Expression of Concern: When investigation is ongoing.

Retractions remain permanently accessible with explanatory notices to protect the scholarly record.

Education and Prevention

JATR encourages ethical writing through author workshops, editorial checklists and plagiarism-awareness materials. The journal collaborates with academic institutions to train early-career researchers in citation practices and responsible authorship.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What happens if a similarity report is high but properly cited?

Editors manually review the report. Properly cited or quoted content is excluded from similarity percentage and not penalized.

Can authors check similarity before submission?

Yes. Authors are encouraged to run their manuscripts through tools like iThenticate or Grammarly Plagiarism Checker before submission.

Does JATR use AI-detection tools?

Yes. AI-assisted screening complements plagiarism checks to detect automatically generated or paraphrased text lacking attribution.

Will an honest mistake lead to rejection?

Minor citation oversights are corrected during revision. Intentional or repeated misconduct leads to rejection or blacklisting.

Plagiarism Policy