Anti-Plagiarism Policy

Anti-Plagiarism Policy

Overview

The Review of Economics, Accounting, Business, and Management Studies (REABMS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical scholarly publishing. The journal requires that all submitted manuscripts represent original scholarly work and comply with internationally recognized principles of responsible research and publication. Plagiarism in any form undermines the integrity of the scholarly record and is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

To safeguard the quality and credibility of published research, every manuscript submitted to REABMS undergoes originality screening before entering the peer review process. The journal employs plagiarism detection software as one component of its editorial assessment while recognizing that editorial judgment remains essential in evaluating the significance and context of textual similarities.

Originality Requirement

Authors submitting manuscripts to REABMS certify that their work:

  • Is original and created by the listed authors
  • Has not been previously published, except where appropriately disclosed
  • Is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal or publisher
  • Properly acknowledges all ideas, data, figures, tables, methods, and text derived from other sources
  • Complies with applicable copyright and licensing requirements
Authors remain fully responsible for ensuring the originality of their submissions.

Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin or another internationally recognized plagiarism detection system before peer review. Screening is conducted to:

  • Assess originality and detect potential plagiarism
  • Identify self-plagiarism or redundant publication
  • Verify appropriate citation and attribution
  • Support ethical editorial decision-making

The similarity report serves as an editorial assessment tool and does not, by itself, determine editorial decisions.

Editors evaluate the similarity report by considering:

  • Nature of the matched material & context of overlap
  • Whether appropriate attribution has been provided
  • Significance of the overlap to originality

Definition of Plagiarism

REABMS considers plagiarism to include, but not be limited to:

• Copying text without appropriate citation
• Presenting another person's ideas, theories, analyses, or interpretations as one's own
• Copying figures, tables, images, graphs, or illustrations without permission or proper attribution
• Using another researcher's data without authorization or acknowledgment
• Submitting another person's work under different authorship
• Improper paraphrasing that closely follows original wording without adequate attribution
• Translation plagiarism, where material published in another language is presented without acknowledgment
• Misappropriation of unpublished manuscripts, peer review materials, grant proposals, or confidential research

Plagiarism may occur regardless of whether the original source is published, unpublished, printed, or available electronically.

Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

REABMS also considers inappropriate reuse of one's own previously published work to be unethical. Examples include:

  • Republishing substantially identical manuscripts
  • Reusing extensive portions of previously published text without citation
  • Duplicate publication of the same data or findings
  • Fragmentation of a single study into multiple publications ("salami publication")
  • Submitting substantially overlapping manuscripts to different journals simultaneously
Legitimate reuse may be acceptable when: appropriate citation is provided, required copyright permissions are obtained, overlap is transparently disclosed to the Editorial Office, and the new manuscript represents a substantial scholarly advancement beyond previous publications.

Acceptable Similarity

The journal recognizes that certain textual similarities are unavoidable and do not necessarily constitute plagiarism. Examples include:

Standard methodological descriptions Statistical reporting conventions Common technical terminology Properly quoted material Correctly cited definitions References and bibliographic entries Standard institutional names Legally required statements Established reporting guidelines

Such similarities are evaluated within their scholarly context. The journal does not rely on fixed similarity percentage thresholds when determining originality.

Author Responsibilities

Before submission, authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • Screen manuscripts using reputable similarity detection software
  • Properly cite all sources & distinguish original from previously published work
  • Obtain permission for copyrighted content
  • Accurately quote/reference borrowed text
  • Maintain complete records of original data

By submitting, authors affirm that:

  • The manuscript represents original scholarly work
  • Appropriate citations have been provided
  • All co-authors have reviewed/approved the submission
  • No unethical text reuse has occurred

Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism

The use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted writing tools does not exempt authors from responsibility for originality. Authors remain fully responsible for ensuring that:

  • AI-generated content does not reproduce copyrighted material without attribution
  • All generated text has been carefully reviewed and verified
  • Sources suggested by AI systems are accurate and properly cited
  • AI tools are not used to fabricate references, data, analyses, or research findings
Undisclosed or inappropriate AI-assisted plagiarism will be treated as a publication ethics concern.

Actions for Confirmed Plagiarism

Where plagiarism or unethical text reuse are confirmed, REABMS may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request revision and attribution for minor cases
  • Suspend editorial assessment pending investigation
  • Reject or withdraw the manuscript
  • Retract a published article / publish a correction notice
  • Notify affiliated institutions, funding agencies, or appropriate bodies
  • Restrict future submissions from authors engaging in deliberate misconduct

Editorial actions will be proportionate to the severity and intent of the violation.

Editorial Assessment

When substantial similarities are identified, the journal may request clarification, revision, additional citations, or explanation from the authors, and may seek advice from subject experts. Decisions are based on the seriousness, extent, and intent of the overlap rather than numerical similarity alone.

Post-Publication Plagiarism

If credible allegations arise after publication, the Editorial Office will investigate. Outcomes may include publishing a correction, an Expression of Concern, retracting the article, removing the article (exceptional legal circumstances), or notifying institutions. Investigations will be conducted fairly, confidentially, and via due process.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

The Review of Economics, Accounting, Business, and Management Studies (REABMS) is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record by promoting originality, responsible authorship, accurate citation practices, and transparent research reporting. Through rigorous originality screening, careful editorial assessment, and adherence to internationally recognized publication ethics, the journal seeks to ensure that every published article represents a genuine scholarly contribution.

This policy is informed by the guidance and best practices of: