Plagirism Policy

1. Policy Overview

The South East Asia Journal of Medical Sciences is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. All submissions are evaluated for plagiarism in accordance with the guidelines and flowcharts provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Screening and Detection

  • Initial Screening:
    Every submitted manuscript is screened for plagiarism using advanced detection software (Urkund/Turnitin), prior to peer review.

  • Thresholds:

    • Plagiarism below 5%: Generally considered acceptable and will not require changes (excluding references, methods, or standard phrases).

    • Plagiarism between 5-20%: Authors will be asked to revise and resubmit after addressing the specific similarities.

    • Plagiarism above 20%: Manuscripts will be rejected outright due to significant overlap.

  • Peer Review Stage:
    If plagiarism is identified during peer review, the editorial office will follow COPE’s recommended process. Manuscripts with considerable novel contribution but moderate similarity will be considered for revision and resubmission. Severe plagiarism leads to rejection.

3. Post-Publication Plagiarism

  • If substantial plagiarism is discovered after publication, the journal will issue a correction, retraction, or withdrawal, based on COPE flowchart recommendations.

  • Corrections and retractions will be clearly marked and explained, maintaining transparency for readers.

4. Editorial Actions and Accountability

  • Editors and reviewers are trained in plagiarism detection and COPE best practices.

  • All decisions regarding suspected plagiarism follow the COPE flowchart:

    • Investigation initiated

    • Author(s) notified and asked for explanation

    • Manuscript may be rejected, corrected, or retracted based on severity and author response

5. Author Responsibilities

  • Authors must submit original work and appropriately cite all sources.

  • Self-plagiarism (reusing content from the authors’ previous publications without citation) is treated as academic misconduct.

  • Authors must affirm, during submission, that their work is original and does not contain uncredited copied material.

6. Reference and Resources

  • Committee on Publication Ethics. Suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript, Flowchart on What to do if you suspect plagiarism.
    (COPE Flowchart)

  • Authors and reviewers are encouraged to consult COPE guidelines for additional guidance.

7. Continuous Monitoring

  • The journal regularly reviews and updates its plagiarism policy to reflect evolving best practices, software capabilities, and international standards.

Note: All cases of plagiarism are taken seriously. The editorial board will act decisively to protect the integrity of scientific publishing and ensure the original contribution of all published works.

This policy ensures transparency, fairness, and alignment with COPE and global ethical publishing standards for academic journals.