Plagiarism Policy

Journal of Digital and Information Computing maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication. Academic integrity is paramount, and the journal is committed to publishing only original research that contributes genuinely to the fields of digital and information computing.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism constitutes the unacknowledged use of another person's work, ideas, data, or words as one's own. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim from another source without proper attribution, quotation marks, or citation.

  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else's ideas or structure without acknowledging the original author.

  • Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): Reusing significant portions of one’s own previously published work without disclosure or proper citation.

  • Data Fabrication/Falsification: Inventing or manipulating research data to support a hypothesis.

2. Screening and Detection Process

To ensure originality, all submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous screening prior to the peer-review process.

  • The Journal of Digital and Information Computing utilities Turnitin (or iThenticate) to check the originality of all submissions.

  • Similarity Index Threshold: The maximum acceptable similarity index is 20% (excluding references, bibliography, and standardized mathematical formulas). Additionally, the similarity from a single source must not exceed 2% - 3%.

3. Editorial Action on Plagiarism Detection

A. Detected During the Pre-Review Stage

If a manuscript exceeds the similarity threshold or exhibits clear signs of plagiarism before peer review:

  • Minor Similarity (21% - 30%): The manuscript will be returned to the authors for revision and rewriting. The authors will be given a specific deadline to resubmit the corrected version.

  • Major Plagiarism (> 30% or blatant copying): The manuscript will be rejected immediately. The Editor-in-Chief will notify the authors, and the journal reserves the right to bar the authors from submitting to the journal for a specified period.

B. Detected During the Peer-Review or Production Stage

If plagiarism is identified after the peer-review process has begun or during typesetting:

  • The review or production process will be suspended immediately.

  • The editorial board will conduct an internal investigation. If proven, the manuscript will be formally rejected.

C. Detected Post-Publication

In rare cases where plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published online:

  • Journal of Digital and Information Computing will follow the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  • An investigation will be conducted. If plagiarism is verified, the article will be formally retracted. A "Retraction Note" will be publicly attached to the article PDF and metadata to inform readers and indexing databases.

4. Author Responsibility

Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. If authors have used the work and/or words of others, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. Co-authors must also review the final version of the manuscript and take collective responsibility for its originality before submission.