Plagiarism Policy

Frontiers in Multidisciplinary Studies (FMS) is committed to ensuring the integrity and originality of the research it publishes. We have a strict Plagiarism Policy in place to maintain high academic standards and uphold the credibility of scholarly work. We consider plagiarism as a serious breach of academic ethics, and as such, any form of plagiarism will result in immediate rejection or retraction of the manuscript.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s work, ideas, or findings as your own, without proper citation or acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text or data from other sources without proper attribution.

  • Paraphrasing someone else’s work without acknowledgment.

  • Using figures, tables, or other content without permission or citation.

  • Submitting the same manuscript or parts of it to multiple journals (known as "self-plagiarism").

  • Reproducing large portions of published material without citation.

2. Detection of Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to FMS undergo plagiarism detection using leading plagiarism detection tools such as Turnitin or iThenticate. These tools compare the submitted work against a wide range of academic databases, journals, books, and websites to identify any similarities with existing published material.

3. Handling Plagiarism

  • Initial Review: Once a manuscript is submitted, the editorial team conducts an initial check for plagiarism. If significant similarities with existing literature are found, the manuscript is flagged for further review.

  • Author’s Response: If plagiarism is detected, the corresponding author will be contacted and asked to provide an explanation. Authors are required to make appropriate corrections, which may include revising the text, properly citing sources, or reformatting the manuscript to meet citation standards.

  • Rejection or Retraction: In cases where plagiarism is deemed significant (e.g., substantial copying from other works, or a history of multiple offenses), the manuscript will be rejected outright or retracted if it has already been published. Authors may be banned from submitting future work to FMS.

4. Types of Plagiarism

FMS identifies the following types of plagiarism, all of which are unacceptable:

  • Complete Plagiarism: Copying an entire work or large sections of it without proper citation.

  • Partial Plagiarism: Copying smaller portions of a work or using sections of someone else's work as one’s own.

  • Mosaic Plagiarism: Borrowing phrases or ideas from a source without proper citation while interweaving them with the author’s own text.

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one's own previously published work or parts of it without acknowledging that it has been published elsewhere.

  • Accidental Plagiarism: Failing to cite sources properly due to lack of awareness, carelessness, or ignorance of citation norms.

5. Consequences of Plagiarism

Authors who are found guilty of plagiarism will face the following consequences:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript.

  • If already published, the article may be retracted from the journal.

  • The authors may be banned from submitting future manuscripts to FMS.

  • The case may be reported to the authors' affiliated institutions or funding bodies if necessary.

6. Prevention of Plagiarism

To prevent plagiarism, authors are encouraged to:

  • Cite all sources of information, including data, figures, and ideas that are not their own.

  • Use quotation marks when directly quoting someone else’s work.

  • Paraphrase properly: When paraphrasing, ensure that the ideas are presented in your own words, and proper citations are provided.

  • Check the manuscript for plagiarism before submission using plagiarism detection tools.

7. Role of Reviewers and Editors

  • Reviewers: During the peer review process, reviewers are asked to check for potential instances of plagiarism and report any concerns to the editorial team.

  • Editors: Editors are responsible for ensuring that the submitted manuscripts meet the journal’s ethical standards and take immediate action if plagiarism is detected. Editors also assist in determining the severity of the plagiarism and decide whether the manuscript should be rejected or revised.

8. Author's Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript to FMS, authors agree to uphold the integrity of the research and ensure that all work is original, properly cited, and free from any form of plagiarism. Authors must ensure that all figures, tables, and content are either original or have the proper permissions and citations.