Plagiarism Policy

Journal of Finance Integration and Business Independence (JoFIBI) maintains the highest standards of academic integrity and originality in scholarly publishing. Plagiarism in any form is strictly unacceptable, and the journal enforces robust measures to prevent and address such violations.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, data, tables, images, or figures from other sources without proper citation and acknowledgment.
  • Submitting previously published work as original (self-plagiarism or redundant publication).
  • Paraphrasing significant portions of others’ work without appropriate attribution.
  • Using content from other authors or sources while claiming it as one’s own.

2. Screening for Plagiarism

  • All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) during the initial submission stage.
  • A similarity index exceeding 20%, excluding properly cited references and quotations, will lead to further scrutiny.
  • Manuscripts with unacceptable levels of similarity will be:
    • Returned to authors for revision.
    • Rejected outright if the plagiarism is significant or repeated.

3. Levels of Plagiarism and Consequences

  1. Minor Plagiarism (small portions of text copied without citation):

    • Authors will be asked to revise and resubmit the manuscript with proper citations.

  2. Moderate Plagiarism (significant copied content without acknowledgment):

    • The manuscript will be returned to authors for major revision, requiring clear explanations and corrections.
    • Resubmission will undergo a rigorous review to ensure compliance.

  3. Severe Plagiarism (substantial copied content, self-plagiarism, or complete duplication):

    • The manuscript will be rejected immediately.
    • The authors’ affiliated institutions and funding bodies will be notified.
    • Authors may be banned from submitting to JoFIBI for a specified period.

4. Self-Plagiarism

  • Authors must not submit previously published work as new.
  • Text, data, or figures reused from an author’s earlier publications must be clearly cited and referenced.
  • Manuscripts with redundant or duplicate publication will be rejected and may lead to retraction of previously published works.

5. Ethical Responsibility of Authors

Authors must:

  • Submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere.
  • Provide accurate citations for all sources, ideas, and data used.
  • Avoid paraphrasing large amounts of existing content without proper attribution.
  • Submit a declaration of originality during the submission process.

6. Handling Allegations of Plagiarism

  • Allegations of plagiarism identified during peer review or post-publication will be thoroughly investigated following COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
  • If plagiarism is confirmed:
    • The manuscript will be rejected if under review.
    • If already published, the article will be retracted, and a formal notice will be issued in the journal.
    • Relevant institutions and funding bodies will be notified.
    • The offending authors may face restrictions on future submissions.

7. Commitment to Awareness and Prevention

To promote ethical writing and prevent plagiarism, JoFIBI:

  • Educates authors on proper citation and referencing practices.
  • Provides clear guidelines for maintaining originality in research.
  • Encourages transparent reporting and ethical research practices.

By enforcing this plagiarism policy, JoFIBI ensures that all published work maintains academic integrity, credibility, and trustworthiness, fostering a culture of originality and ethical scholarship.