Anti-plagiarism Policy

The International Journal of Journalism and Mass Communication (IJJMC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and does not accept plagiarized manuscripts for publication. Authors submitting manuscripts to IJJMC must ensure that their work is original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism. All sources must be appropriately acknowledged in accordance with accepted academic standards.

Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo mandatory plagiarism screening before being considered for peer review. The journal uses Crossref Similarity Check powered by iThenticate (or equivalent plagiarism-detection software) to detect textual overlap and similarity with previously published works.

Manuscripts are evaluated based on the similarity index, which measures the extent of textual overlap.

Acceptable Similarity Limits

  • Manuscripts should normally have a similarity index below 20%.

  • Excessive similarity, even if properly cited, may result in rejection.

  • Editors evaluate similarity reports to distinguish between acceptable overlap and plagiarism.

Manuscripts exceeding acceptable similarity limits will be returned to the authors for revision or may be rejected without peer review.

Types of Plagiarism Considered Misconduct

IJJMC considers the following practices as plagiarism and academic misconduct:

  • Direct copying of text without proper citation

  • Improper paraphrasing or patchwriting

  • Self-plagiarism or redundant publication

  • Unattributed use of data, tables, or figures

  • Use of another author's ideas without acknowledgment

Editorial Action

If plagiarism is detected during the editorial process:

  • The manuscript will be rejected immediately.

  • Authors may be required to revise and resubmit in cases of minor overlap.

If plagiarism is discovered after submission or publication:

  • The manuscript may be rejected or retracted.

  • A notice of retraction may be issued if already published.

In cases of serious plagiarism or repeated misconduct, the journal reserves the right to:

  • Ban the authors from future submissions to IJJMC.

  • Inform the authors’ affiliated institutions if necessary.

Author Responsibility

Authors are strongly advised to:

  • Check their manuscripts for plagiarism before submission.

  • Ensure proper citation and referencing.

  • Submit only original and unpublished work.

Submission to IJJMC implies that the manuscript is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.