Plagiarism Policy

IRMEA upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and all forms of academic dishonesty. All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original works that have not been published elsewhere and are not under consideration by any other journal.

1. Similarity Check

• Every submitted manuscript is screened using plagiarism-detection software before being sent for peer review.
• The similarity report is evaluated by the Editorial Team, taking into account:
  • Proper use of quotations and citations
  • Standard methodological or conceptual phrases that may naturally recur
  • Overlap with the author’s own previously published work (self-plagiarism)

IRMEA generally expects the overall similarity index to be within an acceptable range and, more importantly, that no substantial part of the manuscript is copied without proper attribution.

2. Forms of Plagiarism

The following practices are considered unethical and unacceptable:

• Direct plagiarism

Copying text, data, tables, or figures from another work without proper quotation marks, citation, or permission.

• Mosaic / patchwork plagiarism

Paraphrasing or blending phrases from different sources in a way that closely follows the original wording or structure without adequate acknowledgment.

• Self-plagiarism (text recycling)

Republishing substantial parts of the author’s own previously published work (e.g. identical theory sections, method, or results) without proper citation or clear disclosure that the material has appeared elsewhere.

• Data plagiarism

Using data, figures, or tables from other studies without permission, proper citation, or acknowledgment.

3. Editorial Actions in Case of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at any stage (submission, review, or after publication), the journal will take the following steps:

• Before acceptance / during review
  • The manuscript may be rejected outright, or
  • Returned to the authors for clarification and substantial revision, depending on the severity and nature of the overlap.
• After publication
  • A correction, expression of concern, or retraction may be issued, in line with the seriousness of the case and international publishing ethics guidelines.
  • Institutions or funders may be notified if serious misconduct is confirmed.

4. Author Responsibilities

• Authors must ensure that all ideas, text, data, and visual materials that are not their own are properly cited and referenced.
• When using their own previously published material, authors must:
  • Cite the original source, and
  • Clearly indicate how the current manuscript provides substantial new contribution beyond the prior work.

By submitting a manuscript to IRMEA, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to comply with this Plagiarism Policy.