Plagiarism Policy

The International Journal of Community Service (IJCS) is committed to maintaining high academic standards by ensuring all published articles are plagiarism-free. Therefore, we implement a strict plagiarism policy as follows:

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism in an academic context refers to using another person's work—in part or whole—without proper attribution. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct plagiarism: Copying text, images, tables, or graphics from other sources without citation or permission.
  • Mosaic plagiarism (Patchwriting): Using phrases from other sources with minor modifications without proper citation.
  • Self-plagiarism: Republishing one’s previously published work without proper citation or acknowledgement.
  • Paraphrasing without citation: Rewriting someone else's ideas or research findings without giving appropriate credit.

2. Plagiarism Detection and Screening

  • All submitted manuscripts will be screened for plagiarism using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or other reliable tools).
  • The similarity index should not exceed 20%, excluding references and commonly used technical terms.
  • If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the review process, authors will be notified and required to revise their manuscript.

3. Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is found in a submitted manuscript:

  • Manuscripts with minor plagiarism (10-20% similarity) will be returned to the author for revision.
  • Manuscripts with significant plagiarism (>20%) will be automatically rejected.
  • If plagiarism is found after publication, the article may be retracted, and the author(s) may be blacklisted from future submissions.

4. Author Responsibility

Authors must ensure that:

  • Their work is original and properly cited.
  • They have obtained permission for third-party materials (e.g., images, tables, or figures).
  • They disclose any prior publications related to the submitted manuscript.

By submitting a manuscript to IJCS, the authors agree to comply with this plagiarism policy.