At Puitika, we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. This policy outlines our stance on plagiarism, research misconduct, and ethical responsibilities for authors, reviewers, and editors.
- Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity. Puitika defines plagiarism as the act of presenting another person’s work, ideas, or intellectual property as one’s own without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:
Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, figures, or data from another source without citation.
Self-Plagiarism (Redundant Publication): Republishing one’s own previously published work (in whole or in part) without proper citation or justification.
Paraphrasing without Attribution: Rewriting another author’s ideas in different words without citing the source.
Uncredited Use of Others’ Research: Presenting another researcher’s findings, arguments, or interpretations as original without proper acknowledgment.
1.1. Plagiarism Detection and Consequences
All submissions to Puitika are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin as the plagiarism detection software before the peer review process begins. If plagiarism is detected at any stage, the following actions will be taken:
Minor plagiarism (≤10% similarity, excluding references and common phrases): The manuscript will be returned to the author for proper citation and revision.
Moderate plagiarism (10–25% similarity): The manuscript will be rejected, and the author will be asked to revise and resubmit with proper attribution.
Severe plagiarism (>25% similarity or verbatim copying of significant portions of text): The manuscript will be immediately rejected, and the author’s institution may be informed. If plagiarism is discovered post-publication, the article will be retracted from the journal’s archives.
Puitika reserves the right to notify the author’s affiliated institution, funding agencies, or other relevant authorities in cases of repeated or severe plagiarism.
- Ethical Responsibilities of Authors
All authors submitting to Puitika must adhere to the following ethical principles:
2.1. Originality and Authorship
Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under review in another journal or conference.
All listed authors must have made a significant contribution to the research and writing of the manuscript.
Honorary or ghost authorship is strictly prohibited.
2.2. Proper Citation and Acknowledgment
All sources, including direct quotes, paraphrased ideas, datasets, and figures, must be properly cited.
Funding sources, institutional affiliations, and contributions from colleagues should be acknowledged appropriately.
2.3. Data Integrity and Research Misconduct
Authors must ensure that all data presented is accurate, reliable, and reproducible.
Fabrication (creating false data), falsification (manipulating research findings), and selective reporting of results are considered unethical and will lead to immediate rejection.
Authors should be prepared to provide raw data or supporting documentation upon request for verification purposes.
- Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers
Peer reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the journal’s academic integrity. All reviewers must:
Provide objective, constructive, and fair evaluations of manuscripts, avoiding personal criticism.
Maintain confidentiality and not share or use unpublished materials for personal benefit.
Disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect their judgment.
Identify and report any instances of plagiarism, duplication, or ethical concerns in manuscripts under review.
- Ethical Responsibilities of Editors
Editors at Puitika are responsible for overseeing a fair and transparent publication process. They must:
Make publication decisions based solely on scholarly merit, free from personal, political, or commercial influence.
Ensure that manuscripts undergo a rigorous peer review process and that any ethical concerns are addressed.
Respond promptly and transparently to any allegations of plagiarism, research misconduct, or ethical violations.
Take appropriate action, including corrections or retractions, if ethical breaches are discovered post-publication.
- Retraction and Correction Policy
If a published article is found to violate ethical standards due to plagiarism, data fabrication, or other serious misconduct, Puitika will take the following actions:
Correction Notice: If an honest error (e.g., misattribution, incorrect data reporting) is identified, a correction notice will be issued.
Retraction: If a severe ethical violation is confirmed, the article will be retracted, and a retraction notice will be published. The article will remain accessible with a clear retraction statement.
Institutional Notification: In cases of deliberate misconduct, the journal may report the violation to the author’s affiliated institution, funding agencies, or relevant authorities.
- Ethical Guidelines and Compliance
Puitika adheres to the ethical guidelines established by:
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) recommendations
Principles of Transparency and Best Practices in Scholarly Publishing
Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to comply with these standards to ensure the integrity and credibility of academic publishing.
By submitting to Puitika, authors acknowledge their commitment to ethical research and publishing practices. Violations of these principles may result in rejection, retraction, or further disciplinary action.