Plagiarism Policy

Policy Statement

Biocentra: Journal of Medical and Health Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered unacceptable and constitutes a serious violation of publication ethics. Every submitted manuscript is evaluated for originality before entering the peer-review process.

Originality Requirement

Authors must submit original work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal. All ideas, text, figures, tables, datasets, and other materials derived from previously published works must be properly cited and acknowledged in accordance with accepted academic standards.

Similarity Screening

Screening Process
All submitted manuscripts are screened using recognized plagiarism detection software before editorial assessment and peer review.

Editorial Assessment
Similarity reports are evaluated by the Editorial Board. A high similarity score does not automatically constitute plagiarism, as properly cited quotations, references, methodological descriptions, and commonly used scientific terminology are considered during evaluation.

Acceptable Similarity
Biocentra generally expects manuscripts to have an overall similarity index of 20% or lower, excluding references, quotations, and unavoidable standard terminology. The final decision is based on editorial judgment rather than similarity percentage alone.

Forms of Plagiarism

  • Direct copying of text without proper citation.
  • Inappropriate paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source.
  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication.
  • Improper citation or omission of relevant references.
  • Unauthorized reproduction of figures, tables, images, or datasets.
  • Translation plagiarism without appropriate attribution.
  • Fabrication or falsification of references to disguise copied content.

Editorial Actions

When plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct are suspected, the Editorial Board will investigate the matter in accordance with internationally accepted ethical guidelines. Depending on the severity of the case, editorial actions may include requests for clarification or revision, manuscript rejection, withdrawal of accepted manuscripts, publication of corrections, or retraction of published articles.

Author Responsibilities

  • Ensure that all submitted work is original and properly referenced.
  • Accurately acknowledge all sources of information.
  • Obtain permission for the use of copyrighted materials when required.
  • Review manuscript originality before submission.
  • Cooperate fully with the Editorial Office during investigations of suspected plagiarism or publication misconduct.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

Biocentra promotes responsible research, transparency, and ethical scholarly communication. The journal encourages authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold honesty, originality, proper attribution, and research integrity throughout every stage of the publication process.

Important Notice

Submission of a manuscript to Biocentra: Journal of Medical and Health Sciences constitutes the authors' declaration that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and complies with this Plagiarism Policy. Violations may result in editorial sanctions consistent with international publication ethics and the journal's editorial policies.