Plagiarism Policy

The Research Journal of Social Sciences and Policy Review (RJSSPR), published by Research Journals Online (SMC-Private) Limited, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical research. All manuscripts submitted to RJSSPR must be the authors’ original work and must properly acknowledge all sources, ideas, and materials derived from other scholars.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the use of another individual’s intellectual work without proper attribution. This includes:

  • Direct Copying: Using text verbatim from another source without quotation marks or proper citation
  • Improper Paraphrasing: Rewriting someone else’s ideas, interpretations, or findings without acknowledgment
  • Misuse of Data or Visuals: Using tables, figures, images, or datasets without appropriate credit
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing previously published or submitted work without disclosure or proper citation

Similarity Threshold

RJSSPR follows internationally recognized academic standards and enforces a maximum similarity index of 19%. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be returned to authors for revision or rejected to ensure originality and scholarly quality.

Detection and Author Responsibility

All manuscripts are screened using reliable plagiarism detection tools (e.g., Turnitin). Authors are fully responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and proper citation of all sources. Manuscripts that fail to meet these standards will not proceed to peer review.

Handling Violations

  • Minor Overlap: Manuscripts with small citation or referencing issues may be returned for correction
  • Major Plagiarism: Extensive copying or lack of proper attribution will result in immediate rejection or retraction if already published
  • Repeated or Severe Violations: Authors may be blacklisted, and their affiliated institutions may be notified

Author Declaration

All authors must submit a Statement of Originality, confirming that:

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished
  • All sources are properly cited
  • The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere

AI-Generated Content Policy

RJSSPR does not permit AI-generated content (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, Gemini) in manuscripts.

❌ Submissions containing AI-generated text, analysis, or interpretation will be rejected or retracted.
✅ Only original human-authored research is acceptable.

Transparency and Retraction

In confirmed cases of plagiarism, RJSSPR will issue a formal retraction notice to ensure transparency and protect the integrity of the scholarly record.