Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction

Health and Medical Discoveries (HMD) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ensuring that all published content is free from plagiarism. Plagiarism undermines the credibility of the scientific community, and the journal takes all necessary steps to prevent and address it. This Plagiarism Policy outlines how the journal detects and handles plagiarism in submitted manuscripts and published articles.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the act of using someone else’s ideas, words, data, or work without proper acknowledgment, presenting it as one’s own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Verbatim Copying: Directly copying text, images, or data without citation.
  • Paraphrasing Without Attribution: Rewriting someone else’s ideas, text, or findings without giving proper credit.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s previously published work or parts of it without proper citation.
  • Data Fabrication or Falsification: Manipulating or inventing data and results.

3. Prevention of Plagiarism

To prevent plagiarism, HMD expects authors to:

  • Ensure Originality: Manuscripts must be original and free of plagiarism. All sources of ideas, data, or text that are not the author’s own must be cited properly.
  • Use Plagiarism Detection Software: Authors are encouraged to check their manuscripts for plagiarism before submission using reputable plagiarism detection tools, such as iThenticate or Turnitin.
  • Proper Citation: Authors must provide full and accurate citations for any work or data that is not their own, including previous publications, books, articles, and online resources.

4. Plagiarism Detection and Review Process

To ensure the originality of the work submitted to HMD, we use advanced plagiarism detection tools, such as iThenticate, to screen all manuscripts before they are sent for peer review. If plagiarism is detected, the following actions will be taken:

  • Minor Plagiarism: If the plagiarism is deemed minor (e.g., inadvertent or small instances of uncited paraphrasing), the author will be notified and asked to revise the manuscript to properly cite the sources or remove the plagiarized content. A revised manuscript will be re-evaluated.

  • Major Plagiarism: If significant plagiarism is found (e.g., substantial portions of the manuscript copied verbatim from other sources without proper attribution), the manuscript will be rejected immediately. The author will be informed of the issue and will be prohibited from submitting the manuscript to HMD or any of its affiliated journals in the future.

  • Repeated or Intentional Plagiarism: If an author is found to have engaged in repeated or intentional plagiarism across multiple submissions, HMD will inform the author’s institution and may impose a permanent ban on future submissions to the journal.

5. Handling Plagiarism After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the following steps will be taken:

  • Retraction: If the plagiarism is significant and affects the scientific integrity of the article, the article will be retracted. A retraction notice will be published, stating the reasons for the retraction.
  • Correction: If the plagiarism is minor and does not significantly affect the findings or conclusions of the article, a correction may be issued to address the issue, clearly indicating the changes made.
  • Transparency: Retraction or correction notices will remain visible on the published article, and the article will be appropriately labeled to reflect the retraction or correction.

6. Ethical Responsibility of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to HMD are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work. They must:

  • Avoid Plagiarism: Authors must not engage in plagiarism in any form, whether direct copying or improper paraphrasing.
  • Disclose Sources: Any sources that contributed to the work must be properly cited.
  • Ensure Ethical Conduct: Authors must adhere to ethical guidelines in research, including proper ethical approval for studies involving human participants or animals.

7. Ethical Responsibility of Reviewers

Reviewers play an essential role in identifying instances of plagiarism during the peer review process. They are expected to:

  • Evaluate for Plagiarism: Reviewers should assess whether the manuscript presents original work and is free from plagiarism. If reviewers suspect plagiarism, they should inform the editor immediately.
  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential, sharing them only with authorized parties (e.g., editors or other reviewers).

8. Ethical Responsibility of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that plagiarism is detected and addressed. They must:

  • Screen Manuscripts: Editors will use plagiarism detection tools to assess the originality of submitted manuscripts.
  • Act on Plagiarism Allegations: If plagiarism is suspected or detected, editors must take appropriate action, including contacting the author, investigating the matter, and implementing corrective measures (e.g., rejection, retraction, or correction).
  • Transparency: Editors will handle plagiarism issues in a transparent manner, ensuring that all parties involved are informed of the actions taken.

9. Consequences of Plagiarism

  • Immediate Rejection: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected, and the author will be informed of the reasons for rejection.
  • Banning from Future Submissions: Authors involved in plagiarism may be banned from submitting future manuscripts to HMD.
  • Institutional Notification: In cases of significant or repeated plagiarism, HMD may notify the author's affiliated institution, funding bodies, or other relevant parties.
  • Public Retraction: Published articles found to contain plagiarism will be retracted, and the retraction notice will be visible to the public.

10. Appeals Process

If an author disagrees with the findings of plagiarism or the actions taken, they may appeal the decision in writing. The editorial board will review the appeal and respond accordingly within 10–15 business days. The final decision will be communicated to the author.

11. Policy Review

This Plagiarism Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains up-to-date with best practices in academic publishing. Any significant changes to the policy will be communicated to authors, reviewers, and editors.