Plagiarism is the unethical act of using another person’s ideas, methods, results, or words without proper acknowledgment of the original author and source. This includes direct copying, close paraphrasing, or presenting previously published material as new.
Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their own previously published work without appropriate citation. This may range from submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals to republishing a modified version of earlier work with minimal new content.
The International Journal of Communication and Media Studies (IJCMS) maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of plagiarism. All manuscripts submitted to IJCMS are screened for originality using Turnitin or equivalent plagiarism detection software.
During initial review: Manuscripts with significant plagiarism (similarity index exceeding acceptable limits, generally 25%) will be rejected outright.
After publication: If plagiarism is detected post-publication, the Editor-in-Chief will initiate a formal investigation, possibly in consultation with a dedicated Fact-Finding Committee (FFC). Proven cases will result in appropriate corrective action, which may include retraction, institutional notification, and author sanctions.
Full Plagiarism – Copying previously published content verbatim without any changes or proper attribution.
Partial Plagiarism – Combining content from multiple sources with or without paraphrasing, but failing to provide adequate citation.
Self-Plagiarism – Republishing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without proper acknowledgment or permission.
When suspected plagiarism is identified:
Author Notification – The corresponding author will be contacted and asked to provide an explanation within two (2) weeks.
Fact-Finding Committee Review – If necessary, the case will be forwarded to the FFC for a thorough investigation.
Institutional Involvement – If no satisfactory explanation is provided, the journal will notify the author’s institution (Director, Dean, Head of Department, or Vice Chancellor) and, if applicable, the funding agency.
Depending on the severity of the misconduct, IJCMS may take one or more of the following actions:
Retract the published paper and remove it from the journal’s website and all indexing databases.
Append a “Plagiarized Manuscript” notice to the article title and mark all pages of the PDF.
Suspend or permanently ban the author(s) from submitting to IJCMS (duration may range from 3 to 10 years, or permanent ban).
Publish the names and affiliations of offending authors on the journal’s website.
Notify other relevant academic publishers or editors.
IJCMS values intellectual property and is committed to promoting research integrity. We strongly encourage authors to check their manuscripts for originality before submission and to ensure that all sources are properly cited in accordance with APA 7th edition guidelines.
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