Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction

Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in scientific publishing. Plagiarism undermines the integrity of research and the trust between authors, researchers, and readers. As such, this Plagiarism Policy outlines the steps Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology takes to prevent, detect, and address plagiarism in the manuscripts submitted to the journal.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words, ideas, data, or research findings without proper attribution and presenting them as one’s own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, data, or images directly from a source without proper citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of one’s own previous work without proper citation or acknowledgment.
  • Mosaic Plagiarism: Borrowing phrases or ideas from a source and blending them into the manuscript without proper citation.
  • Paraphrasing without Citation: Rewriting someone else’s work or ideas in one’s own words without giving appropriate credit.
  • Data Falsification or Fabrication: Manipulating or inventing data to mislead or deceive.

3. Prevention of Plagiarism

Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology promotes good academic practices and encourages authors to prevent plagiarism by:

  • Ensuring Originality: Authors must ensure that their manuscript is entirely original. If authors use ideas, data, or text from other works, they must properly cite those sources.

  • Proper Citation: All sources of data, ideas, and prior work must be appropriately cited according to the journal’s citation style. This includes both direct quotes and paraphrased content.

  • Using Plagiarism Detection Tools: Authors are encouraged to use plagiarism detection tools (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate) before submitting their manuscripts to ensure that no part of the work is plagiarized.

4. Plagiarism Detection and Review Process

To maintain the integrity of the journal, all submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using reputable plagiarism detection tools (e.g., iThenticate). If plagiarism is detected, the following actions will be taken:

  • Minor Plagiarism: If only a small section of text or data is plagiarized, the author will be asked to correct the issue. The revised manuscript will be reviewed by the editorial team for resubmission.

  • Major Plagiarism: If significant plagiarism is detected (e.g., large sections of the manuscript copied from another source without proper citation), the manuscript will be rejected immediately, and the author will be notified about the issue.

  • Repeated or Intentional Plagiarism: If an author is found to have engaged in repeated or intentional plagiarism, they may be permanently banned from submitting to Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology. Serious cases will be reported to the author’s institution.

5. Handling Plagiarism After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology will take the following actions:

  • Retraction: If plagiarism significantly affects the validity or credibility of the article, it will be retracted. A retraction notice will be issued, explaining the reasons for the retraction. The retracted article will remain available in the journal’s archives, but the retraction notice will be clearly visible.

  • Correction: If the plagiarism is minor and does not affect the overall validity of the research, a correction notice will be issued, and the article will be updated.

  • Transparency: Retraction or correction notices will remain visible with the original article in order to maintain transparency. The retraction notice will explain the reasons for the retraction and provide context for readers.

6. Ethical Responsibility of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology are responsible for:

  • Avoiding Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their manuscript is free of plagiarism. If they use content from previous works, whether their own or others', they must properly cite the sources.

  • Disclosing Self-Plagiarism: If an author is reusing substantial parts of their own previously published work (such as figures, text, or data), they must disclose this and properly cite the earlier work. Authors should avoid reusing large portions of their own content without proper disclosure.

  • Data Integrity: Authors must present their research data honestly and accurately. Data falsification or manipulation will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript and potential further actions.

7. Ethical Responsibility of Reviewers

Reviewers play an important role in identifying plagiarism. Reviewers must:

  • Check for Plagiarism: Reviewers should assess whether the manuscript contains properly cited content and check for signs of plagiarism or data manipulation.

  • Report Suspected Plagiarism: If a reviewer suspects plagiarism, they must immediately report it to the editor, who will investigate the matter further.

8. Ethical Responsibility of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring the quality of the peer review process and taking appropriate action when plagiarism is detected:

  • Screen Manuscripts for Plagiarism: Editors must use plagiarism detection tools to screen all submitted manuscripts before they are sent for review.

  • Investigate Allegations of Plagiarism: If plagiarism is suspected, editors must investigate the issue thoroughly, contacting the author if necessary. Editors should take appropriate actions, including manuscript rejection or retraction, in line with the severity of the plagiarism.

  • Ensure Transparency: Editors must handle plagiarism issues transparently and communicate decisions and actions clearly to authors, reviewers, and other stakeholders.

9. Consequences of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity and will result in the following consequences:

  • Immediate Rejection: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected immediately.
  • Permanent Ban: Authors found to engage in repeated or severe plagiarism may be permanently banned from submitting to Trends in Life Sciences and Biotechnology.
  • Retraction: Articles found to have significant plagiarism after publication will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be issued.
  • Institutional Notification: In cases of severe or repeated plagiarism, the author’s institution may be notified of the issue.

10. Appeals Process

If an author disagrees with the findings of plagiarism or the actions taken, they may submit an appeal to the editorial board. The editorial board will review the case and provide a final decision.

11. Policy Review

This Plagiarism Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains in line with the latest best practices in academic publishing. Any updates or significant changes to this policy will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors promptly.