Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Applied Finance and Economic Policy (JAFEP) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. This Plagiarism Policy outlines the procedures and guidelines to prevent plagiarism in all submitted manuscripts and to ensure the integrity of the work published in the journal.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's ideas, research, or words without proper acknowledgment or permission. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text or data from other sources without citation.
  • Paraphrasing another author’s work without proper attribution.
  • Submitting someone else’s work as one’s own.
  • Self-plagiarism, including submitting previously published work without appropriate acknowledgment or permission.

2. Plagiarism Detection

  • Pre-Submission Screening: All manuscripts submitted to JAFEP are screened for plagiarism using a plagiarism detection software, such as Turnitin or iThenticate. The purpose of this screening is to identify any unoriginal content and to ensure that the manuscript adheres to ethical standards.

  • During Review Process: If plagiarism is suspected after a manuscript has entered the peer review process, the editorial team will further investigate. This may include consulting with reviewers and authors to clarify the source of the alleged plagiarized content.

3. Handling Plagiarism Cases

  • Initial Evaluation: If plagiarism is detected in a manuscript, the editorial team will first evaluate the extent of the issue. Minor issues of plagiarism, such as improper citation or inadvertent mistakes, may be addressed with the author(s) by requesting corrections or clarifications.

  • Serious or Intentional Plagiarism: If plagiarism is found to be significant or intentional, the manuscript will be rejected. The authors will be informed of the decision, and a formal notification of the misconduct will be issued.

  • Consequences for Repeated or Severe Plagiarism: Authors found guilty of severe plagiarism may face additional consequences, such as being banned from submitting future manuscripts to the journal or being reported to the authors' affiliated institutions.

4. Author Responsibilities

  • Citations and Acknowledgments: Authors are responsible for properly citing all sources, including direct quotes, paraphrased ideas, and data used in their work. This applies to published articles, books, websites, unpublished work, and personal communications.

  • Originality of Work: Authors must ensure that the content they submit is entirely original and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others. Any previously published material should only be submitted with clear permission or in accordance with fair use practices.

  • Co-Author Responsibility: In cases of multi-author submissions, it is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that all co-authors are aware of and agree to the manuscript’s content. Co-authors should also confirm that no plagiarism is present.

5. Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Evaluation of Plagiarism: Peer reviewers are encouraged to carefully evaluate manuscripts for potential plagiarism. If they notice any content that appears to be plagiarized, they should report it to the editorial team. Reviewers should also be mindful of any ethical concerns during their evaluation of the manuscript.

6. Consequences of Plagiarism

  • For Authors: Any author found guilty of plagiarism will have their manuscript rejected and may be banned from submitting further articles to JAFEP. In cases of significant plagiarism, the author’s affiliated institution will be notified, and the author may face academic or professional sanctions.

  • For Published Articles: If plagiarism is detected after publication, the article will be retracted, and a formal notice of retraction will be issued. This notice will be clearly visible in the online journal and will outline the reason for the retraction.

7. Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse their own previously published work without properly citing it or obtaining permission. JAFEP considers self-plagiarism unethical and requires authors to avoid submitting manuscripts that reuse large sections of their previous publications without appropriate acknowledgment.

8. Education and Prevention

  • Raising Awareness: JAFEP is committed to educating authors about plagiarism and the importance of ethical writing practices. We provide guidelines and resources on proper citation techniques and the ethical use of sources.

  • Preventative Measures: Authors are encouraged to conduct their own plagiarism checks before submission to ensure their work is free from any unacknowledged use of other people's ideas or content.

9. Appeals Process

If an author disagrees with the plagiarism findings, they may appeal the decision by submitting a formal appeal letter to the editorial board. The board will re-evaluate the case and provide a final decision.

10. Changes to the Policy

This plagiarism policy is subject to periodic review and may be updated. Any changes to the policy will be communicated to authors and stakeholders via the journal's website.