Plagiarism and AI Content Policy

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Content Policy

The International Journal of Medical Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJMRIAS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, scientific honesty, research transparency, and ethical publishing. All manuscripts submitted to IJMRIAS must represent original scholarly work prepared by the listed author(s).

Plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, unethical authorship practices, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is treated as a serious violation of publication ethics and may result in rejection, correction, withdrawal, or retraction.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words, ideas, data, images, tables, clinical observations, experimental results, medical interpretations, research methods, or scientific conclusions without proper acknowledgment, citation, or permission.

2. Types of Plagiarism

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text, data, tables, images, figures, case descriptions, or research findings from another source without proper citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published or submitted work without disclosure or proper citation.
  • Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism: Combining copied phrases, paragraphs, or ideas from multiple sources with minor wording changes and presenting them as original work.
  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting another author’s ideas, findings, clinical interpretation, or scientific discussion without proper acknowledgment.
  • Data Plagiarism: Using another researcher’s clinical data, laboratory results, survey data, trial findings, or experimental observations without permission or citation.
  • Image or Figure Plagiarism: Reusing medical images, microscopy images, graphs, diagrams, radiological images, charts, or figures without permission or proper credit.
  • Source-Based Plagiarism: Citing incorrect, misleading, fabricated, or non-existent references.
  • Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Submitting or publishing substantially similar work in more than one journal without disclosure.
  • Improper Authorship: Adding authors who did not contribute, removing genuine contributors, or submitting work prepared by others as one’s own.

3. Plagiarism Detection and Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to IJMRIAS may undergo plagiarism and similarity screening using recognized tools such as Turnitin, iThenticate, Crossref Similarity Check, or equivalent software.

The Editorial Office evaluates both the similarity percentage and the nature of textual overlap. Similarity arising from references, standard medical terminology, methods, trial registration details, ethical approval statements, and commonly used scientific phrases may be interpreted contextually.

  • Up to 10–15% similarity: Generally acceptable, excluding references and standard terminology.
  • 15–25% similarity: Manuscript may be returned for revision, clarification, or citation correction.
  • Above 25% similarity: Manuscript may be rejected or subjected to detailed editorial investigation.

The final decision rests with the Editorial Board based on the seriousness, location, and nature of the overlap.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

IJMRIAS recognizes that AI-assisted tools may support limited aspects of scholarly writing and research preparation. However, AI tools cannot replace human scientific judgment, clinical reasoning, ethical responsibility, or author accountability.

AI tools may be used for limited assistance such as grammar correction, spelling improvement, formatting support, language polishing, reference organization, coding assistance, translation support, or statistical programming assistance.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate clinical data, generate false patient information, invent references, manipulate images, create fake results, alter scientific conclusions, or produce misleading medical claims.

5. Prohibited AI Practices

  • Submitting substantially AI-generated manuscripts as original human research.
  • Using AI to create fabricated medical, clinical, laboratory, or experimental data.
  • Generating false references, fake DOI numbers, or non-existent sources.
  • Using AI to manipulate images, graphs, radiology scans, pathology images, or microscopy figures.
  • Using AI-generated content without human verification.
  • Allowing AI tools to replace author responsibility, clinical judgment, or scientific interpretation.
  • Listing AI tools as authors or co-authors.

6. AI Use Declaration

Authors must disclose any significant use of AI-assisted tools during manuscript preparation. The declaration should specify the tool used and the purpose for which it was used.

Suggested declaration:

Declaration of AI Use: The author(s) declare that AI-assisted tools were used only for language improvement, grammar correction, formatting assistance, or technical support. The intellectual content, scientific analysis, medical interpretation, conclusions, and final manuscript were reviewed and approved by the author(s), who accept full responsibility for the work.

If no AI tool was used, authors may state:

No AI Tool Declaration: The author(s) declare that no artificial intelligence tool or AI-assisted technology was used in the preparation of this manuscript.

7. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting to IJMRIAS must ensure that:

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished.
  • The work is not under consideration by another journal.
  • All sources are properly cited.
  • All clinical, laboratory, statistical, and experimental data are accurate.
  • Human or animal research has received required ethical approval.
  • Patient consent has been obtained where applicable.
  • Copyright permissions have been secured for third-party material.
  • AI-assisted tools, if used, have been disclosed honestly.
  • No fabricated references, false data, manipulated images, or misleading findings are included.

8. Handling of Plagiarism and AI Misuse

If plagiarism, unethical overlap, fabricated content, or prohibited AI-generated material is suspected, IJMRIAS may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Request clarification from the author(s).
  • Return the manuscript for correction.
  • Suspend the peer review process.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Notify the corresponding author.
  • Restrict future submissions for a defined period.
  • Inform the author’s institution where serious misconduct is confirmed.

9. Post-Publication Action

If plagiarism, AI misuse, data fabrication, image manipulation, duplicate publication, or serious ethical violation is discovered after publication, IJMRIAS reserves the right to:

  • Issue a correction.
  • Publish an editorial notice.
  • Issue an expression of concern.
  • Retract the article.
  • Link the retraction notice to the original article.
  • Notify relevant institutions or indexing services where appropriate.

10. Appeals

Authors who disagree with plagiarism-related or AI-related editorial decisions may submit a formal written appeal with supporting evidence. Appeals will be reviewed by the Editorial Office, and additional expert opinion may be sought where necessary. The final decision rests with the Editor-in-Chief.

11. Continuous Ethical Monitoring

IJMRIAS may investigate credible concerns regarding plagiarism, AI misuse, research misconduct, data manipulation, image duplication, fabricated references, or ethical violations at any time, including after publication. Appropriate editorial action will be taken to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

12. Commitment to Research Integrity

IJMRIAS is committed to transparent, ethical, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal encourages authors to follow proper citation practices, disclose AI use honestly, respect intellectual property, maintain data accuracy, and uphold the highest standards of biomedical and applied science research.