Plagiarism Policy

1. Purpose

The Gazette of Medicine (TGM) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is regarded as a serious breach of publication ethics and scientific integrity.

This policy establishes the procedures for detecting, preventing, investigating, and managing plagiarism before and after publication. It applies to all authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, guest editors, and contributors.

TGM aligns its plagiarism practices with internationally accepted standards including the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

2. Policy Statement

The Gazette of Medicine adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and all forms of academic misconduct.

Every manuscript submitted to the journal must:

· Be an original scholarly work.

· Not have been previously published except where appropriately disclosed.

· Not be under consideration by another journal.

· Properly acknowledge all sources.

· Accurately cite previously published work.

· Obtain permission for copyrighted materials where necessary.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes the authors' declaration that the work is original and complies with this policy.

3. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the presentation of another person's intellectual work, ideas, words, figures, tables, images, methods, or data as one's own without proper acknowledgement.

Plagiarism includes both published and unpublished material.

4. Forms of Plagiarism

TGM recognizes the following forms of plagiarism.

4.1 Direct (Verbatim) Plagiarism

Copying sentences, paragraphs, or substantial portions of another work word-for-word without quotation marks and appropriate citation.

4.2 Mosaic (Patchwork) Plagiarism

Combining phrases, ideas, or sentences from multiple sources while making only superficial changes in wording.

4.3 Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Rewriting another author's work without substantial originality and without proper attribution.

4.4 Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling)

Reusing one's previously published work without appropriate citation, disclosure, or editorial approval.

Examples include:

· Duplicate publication

· Redundant publication

· Recycled introduction

· Recycled discussion

· Recycled figures

· Recycled tables

Limited overlap within the Methods section may be acceptable where scientifically necessary, provided it is transparent and appropriately cited.

4.5 Data Plagiarism

Using another researcher's:

· Datasets

· Statistical analyses

· Laboratory findings

· Clinical results

without permission or acknowledgement.

4.6 Figure and Image Plagiarism

Unauthorized use or manipulation of:

· Photographs

· Radiological images

· Graphs

· Illustrations

· Charts

· Microscopy images

· Diagnostic images

Without citation or copyright permission.

4.7 Idea Plagiarism

Presenting another researcher's:

· Hypothesis

· Research concept

· Methodology

· Innovation

· Interpretation

 

Without appropriate acknowledgement.

4.8 Translation Plagiarism

Publishing translated material from another language as original work without attribution.

4.9 AI-Assisted Plagiarism

The undisclosed use of artificial intelligence tools to generate substantial portions of manuscripts that reproduce existing copyrighted or published content without proper attribution or human oversight constitutes plagiarism and publication misconduct. Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.

5. Similarity Screening

Every manuscript submitted to TGM shall undergo plagiarism screening before peer review.

The Editorial Office may use recognized originality-checking software such as:

· iThenticate

· Crossref Similarity Check

· Turnitin (where appropriate)

· Other equivalent plagiarism detection software

 

Similarity reports shall be evaluated by editors rather than relying solely on the percentage score.

6. Interpretation of Similarity Scores

Similarity percentages serve only as screening tools.

Editorial assessment remains the determining factor.

Generally acceptable

· Less than 15% overall similarity 

· No single source exceeding 3–5% 

· Overlap limited mainly to:

- references

- standard methodology

- institutional names

- commonly used scientific phrases

Moderate similarity (15–25%)

The manuscript may be:

· Returned for revision

· Subjected to further editorial evaluation

· Revised before peer review

High similarity (greater than 25%)

The manuscript may be:

· Rejected without peer review

· Investigated for plagiarism

· Referred to the editor-in-chief

Severe plagiarism

Manuscripts demonstrating:

· Extensive copied text

· Copied figures

· Copied data

· Duplicate publication

· Fabricated originality

Will normally be rejected immediately. Editors retain discretion to act irrespective of similarity percentages where misconduct is evident.

7. Acceptable Overlap

The following may not constitute plagiarism when appropriately cited:

· Standard methodological descriptions

· Established laboratory protocols

· Ethical approval statements

· Informed consent wording

· Statistical procedures

· Universally accepted definitions

· Legal declarations

8. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors shall:

· Submit only original work;

· Cite all published and unpublished sources appropriately;

· Obtain permission for copyrighted material;

· Disclose prior publication or preprint status;

· Avoid duplicate submissions;

· Accurately acknowledge contributors;

· Maintain research records supporting originality;

· Disclose any use of ai-assisted writing tools in accordance with tgm's ai policy.

9. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors shall:

· Screen manuscripts for originality;

· Investigate suspected plagiarism;

· Maintain confidentiality during investigations;

· Follow established publication ethics procedures;

· Make impartial decisions;

· Document all plagiarism cases;

· Communicate findings to authors.

10. Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

· Report suspected plagiarism;

· Identify uncited published work;

· Notify editors of duplicate publications;

· Maintain confidentiality;

· Avoid using unpublished material for personal benefit.

11. Investigation Procedure

When plagiarism is suspected, TGM shall:

1. Review the similarity report.

2. Compare overlapping material.

3. Assess the severity.

4. Contact the corresponding author.

5. Request an explanation.

6. Review supporting evidence.

7. Consult editorial board members where necessary.

8. Reach a documented editorial decision.

Investigations shall follow COPE guidance wherever applicable.

12. Editorial Actions

Depending on severity, TGM may:

Minor overlap

· Request correction

· Request additional citations

· Require rewriting

Moderate plagiarism

· Return manuscript for major revision

· Delay peer review

· Request author explanation

Major plagiarism

· Reject manuscript

· Notify all authors

· Notify affiliated institution where appropriate

· Prohibit resubmission

Published articles

Where plagiarism is identified after publication, TGM may:

· Publish corrections;

· Issue expressions of concern;

· Retract the article;

· Notify indexing databases;

· Notify institutions and funding agencies where appropriate.

13. Sanctions

Depending on seriousness, sanctions may include:

· Manuscript rejection;

· Temporary submission ban (1–3 years);

· Permanent submission ban for severe or repeated misconduct;

· Notification of institutional authorities;

· Notification of research sponsors;

· Withdrawal or retraction of published articles;

· Publication of a retraction notice.

14. Appeals

Authors may appeal plagiarism decisions by submitting:

· A written explanation;

· Supporting evidence;

· Corrected documentation where applicable.

 

Appeals shall be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and, where appropriate, members of the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board's decision shall be final.

15. Post-Publication Allegations

TGM welcomes credible allegations of plagiarism after publication.

Such allegations may be submitted by:

· Readers;

· Reviewers;

· Institutions;

· Editors;

· Publishers;

· Whistleblowers.

Every allegation shall be investigated fairly and confidentially.

16. Protection of Whistleblowers

Individuals reporting suspected plagiarism in good faith shall be treated confidentially.

Retaliation against whistleblowers is prohibited.

17. Record Keeping

The Editorial Office shall maintain confidential records of:

· Similarity reports

· Investigations

· Editorial correspondence

· Decisions

· Sanctions.

Records shall be retained in accordance with journal record-retention policies.

18. Education and Prevention

TGM encourages authors to:

· Receive training in responsible research conduct;

· Understand proper citation practices;

· Use plagiarism-detection software before submission;

· Maintain accurate research records;

· Seek permission for copyrighted materials;

· Disclose prior dissemination of research.

 

19. Relationship to Other Journal Policies

This policy should be read alongside the TGM:

· Editorial Policy

· Publication Ethics Policy

· Peer Review Policy

· AI and Generative Technology Policy

· Retraction and Correction Policy

· Open Access Policy

· Copyright Policy

· Data Sharing Policy

20. Policy Review

This policy shall be reviewed every three (3) years, or earlier where necessary, to remain consistent with evolving international publication ethics standards and best practices.

Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to The Gazette of Medicine (TGM), all authors certify that the manuscript is original, appropriately referenced, free from plagiarism, not under consideration elsewhere, and compliant with this Plagiarism Policy. Authors acknowledge that violations may result in rejection, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, and other editorial sanctions deemed appropriate.