Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction

The Research Journal of Psychology (RJP) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical research. Plagiarism is a serious offense that undermines the credibility of scientific research and violates the intellectual property rights of others. This policy outlines the expectations for authors regarding proper citation and the consequences of plagiarism.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else's work and presenting it as your own without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Verbatim copying of text without quotation marks or a citation.
  • Paraphrasing or summarizing someone else's ideas without proper attribution.
  • Claiming someone else's data or results as your own.
  • Self-plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of your own previously published work without proper citation.

3. Author Responsibilities

All authors submitting to RJP are responsible for:

  • Conducting their research ethically and in accordance with relevant research guidelines.
  • Clearly and accurately citing all sources of information used in their manuscript.
  • Using quotation marks and proper formatting to distinguish their own work from that of others.
  • Ensuring that all co-authors have contributed significantly to the research and are listed appropriately.
  • Disclosing any potential conflicts of interest.

4. Plagiarism Detection and Prevention

RJP uses plagiarism detection software to screen all submitted manuscripts. Additionally, reviewers are trained to identify potential plagiarism.

5. Consequences of Plagiarism

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be subject to the following consequences:

  • Minor plagiarism (less than 10% similarity): The manuscript will be returned to the authors for revision and resubmission.
  • Moderate plagiarism (10-20% similarity): The manuscript may be rejected, or the authors may be required to provide a detailed explanation for the plagiarism.
  • Major plagiarism (greater than 20% similarity): The manuscript will be rejected, and the authors may be reported to their academic institutions or professional organizations.

RJP may also take additional steps, such as:

  • Publishing a retraction of the plagiarized article.
  • Informing the author's institution or funding agency.
  • Blacklisting the author from submitting to RJP in the future.