Edutech Research is firmly committed to maintaining the integrity and originality of published scholarly work. The journal adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards intentional plagiarism and research misconduct. Similarity screening is applied to all submissions, and each case is evaluated individually by the editorial board in accordance with the thresholds and guidelines outlined below. Any manuscript found to contain intentional plagiarized content will be rejected at any stage of the evaluation or publication process.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person's ideas, text, data, figures, images, or other intellectual property without proper attribution, regardless of whether the source is published or unpublished. The following forms of misconduct are considered violations of Edutech Research's plagiarism policy:
- Plagiarism: Presenting another author's work, ideas, or expressions as one's own without proper citation
- Self-plagiarism: Reproducing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without appropriate acknowledgement or disclosure
- Duplicate submission: Submitting the same manuscript, or a substantially similar version, to more than one journal simultaneously
- Mosaic plagiarism: Paraphrasing or combining text from multiple sources without proper attribution
- Data fabrication and falsification: Inventing, manipulating, or selectively reporting research data to support a particular conclusion
- Improper citation: Misrepresenting sources, citing non-existent references, or failing to acknowledge the original source of an idea or finding
Screening Process
All manuscripts submitted to Edutech Research are screened using plagiarism detection software before being sent to peer review. The following similarity thresholds are applied as general guidelines:
- Overall similarity index: Should not exceed 20%
- Single-source similarity: Should not exceed 3% from any one source
- Quotations, references, bibliography, and boilerplate text are excluded from similarity calculations where possible
These thresholds serve as guidelines rather than absolute limits. The editorial board evaluates each case individually, taking into account the nature and context of the similarities identified.
Consequences of Plagiarism
Depending on the severity of the violation, the following actions may be taken:
- Pre-publication: The manuscript will be immediately rejected and the authors will be formally notified. The authors may be prohibited from submitting future manuscripts to Edutech Research for a specified period.
- Post-publication: The article will be retracted and a retraction notice will be published on the journal's website. The authors' affiliated institutions and relevant funding bodies will be formally notified.
- In all cases: The editorial office reserves the right to report confirmed cases of misconduct to the relevant authorities in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Authors' Responsibilities
Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality of their submitted work. By submitting a manuscript to Edutech Research, authors confirm that:
- The submitted work is original and has not been published previously in any form
- The manuscript is not under simultaneous consideration by another journal
- All sources, ideas, data, and quotations have been properly cited and attributed
- Any previously published material included in the manuscript has been clearly identified and the necessary permissions have been obtained
- The manuscript does not contain any form of data fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting
Handling Suspected Plagiarism
Suspected cases of plagiarism in manuscripts under review, in early view, or already published should be reported to the editorial office at [email protected]. All reports will be treated confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE's Guidelines for Dealing with Allegations of Misconduct. The editorial board will communicate its findings and any actions taken to all relevant parties.
