Plagiarism, Research Integrity & Retraction Policy
Plagiarism
The American Journal of Science and Medical Research (AJSMR) maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. As stated in the journal's Author Guidelines, all submissions are considered on the understanding that no part of the work has been published previously in any media, and that the manuscript is not under consideration by another journal. All manuscripts submitted to AJSMR are checked with similarity-detection software as part of the initial editorial evaluation, before peer review, and again before publication if substantially revised.
Similarity Check and Actions
The similarity report is read by an editor; the percentage alone does not decide the outcome. As a guide:
- Minor overlap (for example, standard methods wording or properly cited short passages): authors may be asked to rephrase or add citations.
- Substantial unattributed overlap with other published work: the manuscript is rejected, and the authors are told why.
- Plagiarism found after publication: handled under the Corrections and Retractions section below, following the COPE flowcharts.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- Copying text, data, or ideas from another source without proper citation
- Closely paraphrasing another author's work without appropriate attribution
- Self-plagiarism — reusing substantial portions of the authors' own previously published work without disclosure and citation
- Submitting a translated version of previously published work without disclosure
- Presenting fabricated or falsified data as original findings
Authorship and Research Integrity
- The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors have read and approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission.
- Authors are solely responsible for the authenticity of cited literature and the originality of the data reported, as stated in the journal's Author Guidelines.
- Manuscripts reporting experiments on animals must include a certification statement confirming that the study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the relevant institutional/national committee and internationally accepted principles for laboratory animal use and care.
- Redundant or duplicate publication of substantially similar work, without appropriate disclosure to the editor, is considered a breach of research integrity.
Corrections and Retractions
AJSMR follows COPE guidelines for handling corrections and retractions:
- Correction: Where a published article contains a minor but significant error that does not affect the overall validity of the findings, a formal correction/erratum will be published and linked to the original article.
- Retraction: An article may be retracted where there is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to research or publication misconduct (e.g., data fabrication, plagiarism, duplicate publication), or where the work was published in serious violation of the journal's ethical guidelines. Retractions are clearly labeled and linked to the original article. The retracted article is not removed; it stays online, marked "RETRACTED", with a notice explaining who retracted it and why, following the COPE Retraction Guidelines.
- Expression of Concern: Where an investigation is ongoing or its results are inconclusive, the journal may publish an expression of concern linked to the article.
- Authors who discover a significant error in their own published work are expected to promptly notify the Editorial Office and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction as appropriate.
Reporting Concerns
Concerns regarding suspected plagiarism, data integrity, or other research misconduct relating to an AJSMR publication should be reported to the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. M. Praveen Kumar, Ph.D., at editorajsmr@gmail.com. All reports are treated confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Last updated: September 2026