Plagiarsm Policy

Plagiarism Screening Policy

Plagiarism Screening

Opinio Doctorum is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to plagiarism screening before entering the peer review process.

The Editorial Board uses Turnitin Similarity Check, supported by editorial assessment, to detect potential plagiarism, duplicate publication, self-plagiarism, citation manipulation, and other forms of academic misconduct.

Similarity Threshold

Opinio Doctorum applies the following similarity standards:

  • ? 15% Similarity Index
    Eligible to proceed to the editorial review process.

  • 16%–25% Similarity Index
    Returned to the author for revision, clarification, and resubmission.

  • > 25% Similarity Index
    Rejected due to excessive textual similarity.

The overall similarity percentage is not the sole basis for editorial decisions. Editors also evaluate the nature, location, sources, and context of the similarities identified.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person's ideas, words, arguments, legal analysis, data, figures, tables, images, or other intellectual work without proper acknowledgment and attribution.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying without proper citation;

  • Inadequate paraphrasing;

  • Improper citation practices;

  • Self plagiarism or redundant publication;

  • Data plagiarism;

  • Figure or table plagiarism;

  • Duplicate submission and duplicate publication.

Editorial Policy

All submitted manuscripts must:

  • Be original works of the author(s);

  • Not have been published previously;

  • Not be under review by another journal simultaneously;

  • Properly acknowledge all sources used.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that quotations, paraphrased materials, legal documents, court decisions, figures, tables, images, and other borrowed content are appropriately cited.

Where copyrighted material is reproduced, authors must obtain written permission from the copyright holder before submission.

Classification of Plagiarism

Minor Plagiarism

Minor plagiarism refers to:

  • Small portions of copied text;

  • Inadequate citation;

  • Minor paraphrasing deficiencies;

  • Limited textual overlap that does not affect the originality or scientific contribution of the study.

Editorial Action

  • Authors will be requested to revise the manuscript.

  • Proper citation and attribution must be added before further editorial consideration.

Moderate Plagiarism

Moderate plagiarism refers to:

  • Significant textual overlap without proper attribution;

  • Extensive copying from previously published sources;

  • Substantial self plagiarism or redundant publication.

Editorial Action

  • Manuscript rejection.

  • Authors may be required to provide clarification before future submissions are considered.

Severe Plagiarism

Severe plagiarism refers to:

  • Misappropriation of another author's original ideas, legal arguments, data, findings, or conclusions;

  • Duplicate publication of substantially identical work;

  • Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research content;

  • Any form of intentional academic misconduct.

Editorial Action

  • Immediate rejection.

  • Formal investigation by the Editorial Board.

  • Notification to the authors' affiliated institutions when appropriate.

  • Additional sanctions may be imposed in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Self Plagiarism

Authors must properly disclose and cite their previously published work.

Reusing substantial portions of one's own published material without proper citation constitutes self-plagiarism and may result in rejection of the manuscript.

Exceptions may apply to:

  • Standard methodology descriptions;

  • Conference papers substantially expanded into journal articles;

  • Translated publications accompanied by proper disclosure and the necessary permissions.

In all cases, authors must clearly identify previous publications and obtain any necessary permissions.

Duplicate Submission

Simultaneous submission of the same or substantially similar manuscript to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behavior.

If duplicate submission is detected, the manuscript will be rejected, and appropriate actions may be taken in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policy and COPE guidelines.

Post-Publication Discovery

If plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct are identified after publication, Opinio Doctorum will follow COPE procedures and may issue:

  • Corrections;

  • Expressions of Concern;

  • Retractions;

  • Article Removal (in exceptional circumstances).

Author Responsibility

All authors share collective responsibility for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the submitted manuscript.

By submitting a manuscript to Opinio Doctorum, authors confirm that:

  • The manuscript is original.

  • Proper citations and acknowledgments have been provided.

  • The manuscript does not violate copyright or intellectual property laws.

  • The manuscript has not been submitted or published elsewhere.

  • The manuscript complies with the publication ethics and plagiarism policies of Opinio Doctorum.