Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s words, ideas, data, images, or other work as one’s own without appropriate acknowledgement. It includes copying text without attribution, close paraphrasing without citation, and using another person’s research material without proper credit.
JCVD also considers undisclosed reuse of an author’s own published work. This may include duplicate or redundant publication, substantial text recycling, and salami slicing dividing substantially overlapping findings into separate papers without adequate disclosure or justification. Reuse is assessed in context: appropriate citation and disclosure may be necessary, but they do not automatically make a substantially duplicate publication acceptable.

Authors must ensure that their manuscript is original, that all sources are properly cited, and that any reproduced material is used with the necessary permission. They must disclose related publications, preprints, and manuscripts under consideration elsewhere in the cover letter, and provide copies if requested by the editors.
The same manuscript must not be submitted simultaneously to more than one journal, including in different languages. Work based on a thesis may be considered, provided that the thesis and related publications are disclosed and the submitted manuscript offers an appropriate original contribution. Authors remain responsible for understanding and complying with these requirements; lack of awareness is not an excuse for plagiarism or undisclosed overlap.

All submitted manuscripts will be screened using Turnitin. Authors who have already obtained a Turnitin report may upload it as a supplementary file, but JCVD may conduct its own screening.
The editorial team will review the matched material, its sources, citations, and location in the manuscript. A similarity percentage is not, on its own, a finding of plagiarism. For example, references, common terminology, and properly cited material may contribute to a score, while copied ideas or images may not be identified by text matching software. HEC’s guidance likewise requires interpretation of the report rather than a decision based solely on the overall score. For editorial screening, JCVD will apply the following thresholds:

These are JCVD’s editorial screening thresholds, not automatic definitions of plagiarism. A manuscript below a threshold may still contain plagiarism, and one above a threshold is not automatically plagiarized. The single source provision reflects HEC’s guidance that a match of 5% or more without citation requires revision.

If plagiarism or substantial undisclosed overlap is suspected at any stage, JCVD will pause further processing or publication while the matter is assessed. The editorial committee comprising the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, and relevant Associate or Assistant Editors will review the evidence. The corresponding author will be asked to provide an explanation and any supporting documents within 30 days of receiving the journal’s notice.
The committee will consider the extent and significance of the overlap, the authors’ explanation, and applicable COPE guidance before reaching a decision. If the explanation is satisfactory and the issue can be corrected, the journal may request revisions and resume editorial or peer review. If serious plagiarism is confirmed, the manuscript will be rejected. Failure to respond, or an unsatisfactory response, will be considered alongside the available evidence; it will not replace an assessment of that evidence.
Where justified by the findings, JCVD may refer the matter to the authors’ institution or an appropriate professional or regulatory body. The journal may also impose a proportionate restriction on future submissions following a documented editorial decision. If simultaneous submission is established, JCVD may inform the other journal’s editor as appropriate. Such actions will not be based on a similarity score alone.

JCVD will investigate credible allegations concerning published articles and invite the authors to respond. Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern while a significant issue remains unresolved, or a retraction. Limited unattributed material may be addressed by a correction; serious plagiarism or redundant publication may warrant retraction. A retraction notice will explain the reason and remain linked to the article so that the publication record is clear.

Readers, reviewers, and authors may report suspected plagiarism or overlapping publication to editorincharge@jcvdpic.org. A report should identify the manuscript or article, the source of the suspected overlap, and the material at issue. Claims of theft of ideas or data should include any available documentary evidence. JCVD will assess reports fairly and handle them confidentially as far as practicable.