Plagiarism and AI-Generated Content Policy

Vagisha International Multidisciplinary Research Journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and unethical use of AI tools to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and scholarly responsibility. All manuscripts submitted to VIMRJ are expected to be the original work of the authors, properly cited, and free from any form of plagiarism or academic misconduct.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, data, results, or concepts from other authors without proper acknowledgment.

  • Reproducing text or figures from previously published papers, including the author’s own work (self-plagiarism), without appropriate citation or permission.

  • Paraphrasing significant portions of another work without proper credit.

  • Using images, tables, or figures from other sources without citation or authorization.

  • Any form of redundant or duplicate publication.

2. Plagiarism Detection

  • All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using advanced similarity detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or similar tools).

  • The editorial team carefully reviews similarity reports to assess the originality and significance of overlaps.

3. Acceptable Similarity Index

  • As a guideline, the total similarity index should not exceed 15–20%, excluding references, standard quotations, and common methodological phrases.

  • The editorial board reserves the right to evaluate each case individually, based on context and the nature of overlapping content.

4. Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected:

  • Before publication: The manuscript may be rejected immediately, and authors will be informed of the findings.

  • After publication: The article may be retracted, and a notice of plagiarism will be published on the journal’s website.

  • Authors found to have committed serious misconduct may be restricted or blacklisted from future submissions.

5. Author Responsibility

  • Authors are fully responsible for the originality, authenticity, and integrity of their work.

  • All sources, data, and copyrighted material must be properly cited or authorized.

  • Submission of a manuscript implies that all authors have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this policy.

6. AI-Generated Content Policy

Vagisha International Multidisciplinary Research Journal recognizes the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research, writing, and data analysis. To maintain academic transparency and integrity, authors must follow the guidelines below:

Authorship Responsibility

  • AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, or similar systems) cannot be listed as authors.

  • Only humans who take full responsibility for the content, accuracy, and originality of the manuscript may be recognized as authors.

Disclosure Requirement

  • Authors must disclose the use of AI tools in manuscript preparation.

  • Disclosure should include the tool used and the purpose (e.g., language editing, text generation, data analysis, figure creation) in the Acknowledgment or Methodology section.

Originality and Accountability

  • Authors are fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, and ethical use of AI-generated content.

  • Misuse of AI tools leading to plagiarism, data fabrication, or other misconduct will be treated as a serious ethical violation.

Prohibited Uses

  • Submitting manuscripts generated entirely by AI without human oversight.

  • Using AI to fabricate data, references, or results.

  • Relying solely on AI for manuscript content without significant human contribution or verification.

Editorial Screening

  • All submissions may be screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content using advanced detection tools.

  • Manuscripts found to contain undisclosed or misleading AI-generated material may be rejected or retracted.

7. Ethical Oversight

  • Vagisha International Multidisciplinary Research Journal follows the ethical guidelines and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  • The journal reserves the right to take appropriate action in cases of plagiarism, AI misuse, or other ethical violations to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to Vagisha International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Plagiarism and AI Policy.