Plagiarism Policy

Scientific Thought is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct. We have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct. The following guidelines outline our approach to handling plagiarism in submitted manuscripts:

• Definition of Plagiarism:
  Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s work, ideas, data, or text without proper attribution or acknowledgment. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, figures, or tables without citation.

  • Paraphrasing someone else’s work without acknowledgment.

  • Submitting another author’s work as your own (including self-plagiarism).

  • Using previously published content (from other authors or from the author’s own past work) without proper citation.

• Plagiarism Detection:
  All manuscripts submitted to Scientific Thought are screened for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection software. The journal checks for similarity with existing literature and publicly available online content, including databases, publications, and other academic repositories.

• Handling of Plagiarism:

  • Minor Plagiarism: If a submission contains minor instances of plagiarism (e.g., improperly cited references or quotes), the author will be contacted to provide corrections. Authors will be required to revise the manuscript, correctly citing the sources and submitting the revised version.

  • Significant Plagiarism: In cases of significant plagiarism (e.g., large sections of text copied without citation or a substantial portion of the manuscript taken from a previous work), the manuscript will be rejected, and the author will be informed of the decision. The manuscript will not proceed to the peer review process.

  • Repeated Offenders: Authors found to repeatedly engage in plagiarism or academic dishonesty may be banned from submitting future manuscripts to Scientific Thought and may be reported to relevant academic institutions or governing bodies.

• Prevention and Education:
  Scientific Thought encourages authors to familiarize themselves with proper citation and referencing practices to avoid unintentional plagiarism. We provide resources and guidelines to assist authors in correctly citing their sources and promoting ethical writing.

• Consequences for Published Articles:
  If plagiarism is identified after an article has been published in Scientific Thought, the article will be retracted, and the appropriate actions will be taken. The article will be publicly retracted, and a notice of retraction will be published in place of the original article.

• Confidentiality and Fair Process:
  All plagiarism allegations will be investigated fairly and confidentially. Authors will have the opportunity to respond to allegations and provide explanations or corrections before any action is taken.