Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of the Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineering (JESChE) recognizes plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct as serious violations of research integrity. The journal is committed to maintaining the originality, accuracy, and reliability of the published scholarly record.

All submitted manuscripts are expected to contain original work and must properly acknowledge the contributions, ideas, data, and publications of other researchers.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of another person's ideas, words, data, figures, methods, or creative work without appropriate acknowledgment or citation. It includes both intentional and unintentional forms of misrepresentation of another person's work as one's own.

2. Forms of Plagiarism

JESChE considers the following practices as forms of plagiarism or academic misconduct:

  • Direct plagiarism: Copying text, sentences, paragraphs, or sections from another source without proper citation.
  • Mosaic plagiarism: Combining copied phrases, structures, or ideas from multiple sources without appropriate acknowledgment.
  • Self-plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of an author's previously published work without proper disclosure or citation.
  • Duplicate publication: Submitting or publishing substantially similar research in more than one journal.
  • Data plagiarism: Using research data, tables, figures, or results from others without permission or acknowledgment.
  • Image manipulation: Altering, fabricating, or presenting images in a misleading manner.

3. Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism screening before peer review or during the editorial process using appropriate similarity detection tools.

The editorial team evaluates similarity reports carefully because similarity does not always indicate plagiarism. Properly cited references, technical terms, and standard methodological descriptions may contribute to similarity scores.

4. Similarity Assessment

JESChE evaluates similarity reports according to the nature, location, and extent of matched content. The editorial team considers:

  • The percentage of similarity.
  • The source of the matched text.
  • Whether appropriate citations are provided.
  • Whether copied material affects the originality of the manuscript.

The journal does not rely only on a similarity percentage; editorial judgment is used to determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

5. Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts to JESChE must:

  • Submit original research that has not been published elsewhere.
  • Provide accurate citations and references for all sources used.
  • Obtain permission for copyrighted materials when necessary.
  • Clearly identify quotations, reused content, and adapted materials.
  • Disclose any previous publication or related manuscript submission.

6. Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

If plagiarism or significant similarity is identified, the journal may take one or more of the following actions depending on the severity of the case:

  • Request clarification or revision from the authors.
  • Reject the submitted manuscript.
  • Remove the manuscript from further consideration.
  • Notify the authors' institution or relevant authorities where appropriate.
  • Issue corrections or retractions for published articles.
  • Restrict future submissions from authors involved in serious misconduct.

7. Plagiarism After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after publication, JESChE will investigate the matter following established publication ethics procedures. Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice.

8. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals at the same time. Research findings should not be published repeatedly without clear justification and appropriate citation of previous work.

9. Editorial and Reviewer Responsibilities

Editors and reviewers should remain alert to possible plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, and other forms of research misconduct. Any ethical concerns identified during review should be reported to the Editor-in-Chief.

10. Ethical Standards

JESChE follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics and promotes responsible research practices among authors, reviewers, and editors.

Maintaining originality and academic integrity is essential for preserving trust in scientific communication and advancing knowledge in chemical engineering and related fields.

Contact Information

Questions regarding this Plagiarism Policy may be directed to:

Editor-in-Chief
Journal of the Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineering (JESChE)
Ethiopian Society of Chemical Engineering
Email: [Insert Journal Email Address]
Website: [Insert Journal Website]