Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Contemporary Social Sciences requires all submitted manuscripts to be original and properly referenced.

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words, ideas, arguments, data, images, tables, figures, or other intellectual work without appropriate acknowledgement.

TJCSS may examine submitted manuscripts using plagiarism detection software before or during the review process.

Forms of Plagiarism

The journal considers the following practices unacceptable:

Direct Plagiarism

Copying text from another source without quotation marks, citation, or permission where required.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Combining copied words or phrases from one or more sources with minor changes while presenting the resulting text as original.

Improper Paraphrasing

Changing a few words or rearranging sentences without adequately rewriting and citing the original source.

Self Plagiarism

Reusing substantial parts of the author’s previously published work without disclosure or citation.

Idea Plagiarism

Using another person’s original argument, interpretation, theory, method, or research idea without acknowledgement.

Data Plagiarism

Using data collected or produced by another person without permission, attribution, or disclosure.

Image and Figure Plagiarism

Using or modifying photographs, figures, tables, maps, charts, or illustrations without proper attribution or permission.

Translation Plagiarism

Translating previously published material from another language and presenting it as original work without citation.

Reference Plagiarism

Copying references from another publication without consulting the original sources or including fabricated and inaccurate references.

Similarity Reports

TJCSS does not judge plagiarism only through a fixed similarity percentage.

A similarity report may contain properly quoted material, references, standard terminology, institutional names, or commonly used phrases. Conversely, a low similarity score does not prove that a manuscript is free from plagiarism.

The editorial team will assess:

  • The nature of the matching text
  • The source of the match
  • Whether attribution is provided
  • The amount and location of copied material
  • Whether the similarity affects the originality of the study
  • Whether the conduct appears accidental or deliberate

Action Before Publication

If problematic similarity is identified before publication, the journal may:

  • Ask the author for an explanation
  • Request correction and proper citation
  • Return the manuscript for revision
  • Reject the manuscript
  • Suspend consideration while the matter is investigated
  • Contact the author’s institution in serious cases

Minor citation or paraphrasing problems may be corrected through revision. Substantial or deliberate plagiarism may result in rejection.

Action After Publication

If plagiarism is confirmed after publication, TJCSS may:

  • Publish a correction
  • Publish an expression of concern
  • Retract the article
  • Notify the author’s institution
  • Inform affected copyright holders
  • Take other appropriate action

Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.

Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for:

  • Quoting copied words correctly
  • Paraphrasing sources properly
  • Citing all borrowed ideas and material
  • Obtaining permission where required
  • Checking the accuracy of references
  • Disclosing previous publication of related material
  • Ensuring that all coauthors approve the submitted manuscript