Plagiarism Policy

Research Stars Journals – Plagiarism Policy

The Research Stars Journals (IRS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, originality, and academic integrity. All submitted manuscripts must represent original scholarly work prepared ethically by the authors.

The journal follows a strict plagiarism screening policy to ensure the authenticity and credibility of published research.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, figures, tables, methodologies, or research findings without proper acknowledgment or citation.

The journal considers the following as plagiarism:

• Copying text from published sources without citation
• Paraphrasing without proper acknowledgment
• Using data, tables, or figures without permission
• Submitting previously published work as new research
• Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication
• Improper citation practices
• Translation plagiarism
• AI-generated copied content presented as original work
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• Plagiarism Screening Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening before entering the peer review process. The journal uses recognized plagiarism detection software Turnitin.

3. Acceptable Similarity Index

Research Stars Journals follows the following originality standards:

Note:

• References, bibliography, standard phrases, and methodology descriptions may be excluded during similarity evaluation.
• Even if similarity percentages are within acceptable limits, copied conceptual content or unethical paraphrasing may still result in rejection.

The journal adopts the following similarity and originality standards for manuscript evaluation:

4. AI-Generated Content Policy

The journal permits limited and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence tools for language improvement and technical assistance.

Authors must:

• Properly verify all AI-assisted content
• Disclose AI tool usage when applicable
• Ensure originality and factual accuracy
• Take full responsibility for the manuscript content

The following are prohibited:

• Fully AI-generated manuscripts
• AI-generated fake references or data
• Unverified AI-written interpretations
• Fabricated results or manipulated findings

Manuscripts containing excessive AI-generated content or unethical AI usage may be rejected without review.

5. Actions Taken in Case of Plagiarism

If plagiarism or unethical content overlap is identified, the journal may take the following actions depending on the severity of the issue:

Minor Similarity Issues

• Manuscript returned for correction
• Request for proper citation and paraphrasing

Moderate Plagiarism

• Mandatory revision before review
• Re-screening after resubmission

Major Plagiarism or Ethical Misconduct

• Immediate desk rejection
• Temporary submission restriction
• Notification to affiliated institutions if necessary
• Article retraction (if detected after publication)

6. Self-Plagiarism Policy

Research Stars Journals recognizes that limited text similarity may occur when authors reuse portions of their previously published work, particularly in methodology descriptions, theoretical background, or standard technical explanations. Such reuse must be properly cited and ethically justified.

Acceptable Self-Plagiarism Includes:

• Reuse of standard methodology descriptions with proper citation
• Limited reuse of theoretical explanations or definitions
• Extension of conference papers into full journal articles with substantial new contribution
• Use of previously published datasets with appropriate acknowledgment

Unacceptable Self-Plagiarism Includes:

• Republishing substantially similar manuscripts
• Reusing results, discussions, or conclusions without disclosure
• Duplicate publication in multiple journals
• Fragmented or salami publication practices
• Reusing large sections of previously published text without citation

Authors must clearly disclose any overlap with earlier publications during submission.

Important Evaluation Notes

• References, bibliography, quotations, legal statements, and commonly used technical terminology may be excluded during similarity evaluation.
• Similarity percentage alone does not determine plagiarism. Editorial evaluation also considers context, citation quality, conceptual originality, and ethical compliance.
• Even low similarity scores may result in rejection if unethical copying, paraphrasing manipulation, fabricated citations, or misleading AI-generated content are identified.

Manuscripts failing to comply with these originality and ethical standards may be desk rejected, returned for revision, or withdrawn from publication consideration.

7. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for:

• Ensuring manuscript originality
• Providing proper citations and references
• Obtaining permissions for copyrighted material
• Verifying AI-assisted content
• Maintaining ethical research practices
• Submitting authentic and unpublished work

All authors must confirm that the submitted manuscript is original and has not been published or submitted elsewhere.

8. Editorial Rights

The editorial board reserves the right to:

• Conduct plagiarism checks at any stage
• Reject manuscripts violating ethical standards
• Request clarification or supporting documents
• Retract published articles if misconduct is identified later

The journal’s decision regarding plagiarism and ethical violations shall be considered final.

9. Publication Ethics Commitment

Research Stars Journals strictly supports:

• Academic honesty
• Ethical publishing practices
• Transparency in research
• Responsible AI usage
• Original scholarly contribution

The journal aims to promote high-quality, credible, and ethically responsible research publications for the global academic community.