Plagiarism Policy

1. Introduction
The Unique Journal of Artificial Intelligence (UJAI) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct in the publication of scientific research. Plagiarism undermines the value of scholarly work, breaches trust within the academic community, and violates copyright law. This Plagiarism Policy outlines the journal's approach to preventing, identifying, and addressing plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

2. Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, data, or words as one's own without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying or reproducing text from other sources without citation.

  • Paraphrasing someone else's work or ideas without proper acknowledgment.

  • Using images, figures, or data from another source without permission or citation.

  • Submitting work that has been previously published or is under review elsewhere (self-plagiarism).

3. Author Responsibility

  • Original Work: Authors are required to submit only original work. Submissions must not contain any plagiarized material. If any third-party material is included, it must be properly credited and used in accordance with copyright laws.

  • Citation and Referencing: Authors must cite all sources appropriately and accurately, following the citation style specified by UJAI. This includes all published work, data, or ideas that have contributed to the manuscript.

  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Authors must ensure that all sources of data, ideas, and literature are properly acknowledged in the manuscript. Any contribution, whether intellectual or financial, should be cited to give credit to the original source.

4. Plagiarism Detection

  • Plagiarism Screening: All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism detection using software tools such as iThenticate, Turnitin, or similar services. These tools compare submitted manuscripts to vast databases of published works to identify similarities and potential instances of plagiarism.

  • Threshold for Plagiarism: UJAI has a strict threshold for plagiarism. Any manuscript with a plagiarism percentage above 20% will be subject to further review. Minor instances (e.g., properly quoted text) may be allowed, but significant overlap with other published work will result in the manuscript being rejected.

5. Plagiarism in Submission Process

  • Initial Review: During the initial submission process, manuscripts will be checked for plagiarism before proceeding to peer review. If plagiarism is detected, the manuscript will be returned to the author for revision or outright rejected, depending on the severity.

  • Peer Review: Reviewers are instructed to report any concerns regarding potential plagiarism or improper citation they may encounter during the review process. Editors will take these concerns into account when making decisions regarding the manuscript.

6. Consequences of Plagiarism
If plagiarism is identified at any stage of the submission or review process, the following actions may be taken:

  • First Instance: If plagiarism is detected in a manuscript, the author(s) will be informed and asked to revise the manuscript by properly citing the sources. The article will not be published until the issue is resolved.

  • Repeated or Severe Plagiarism: In cases of severe plagiarism or repeated instances, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author(s) will be banned from submitting to UJAI for a specified period. Additionally, any previously published works by the author(s) in the journal may be retracted if found to be plagiarized.

  • Reporting to Institutions: In extreme cases of plagiarism, UJAI reserves the right to report the incident to the author's academic institution, funding body, or other relevant authorities for further investigation.

7. Handling of Retractions

  • Retraction of Plagiarized Articles: If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the article will be retracted from the journal. A notice of retraction will be published, explaining the reason for the retraction.

  • Correction and Clarification: If plagiarism is found in only a section of the paper (e.g., a figure or part of the text), a correction or clarification will be issued, ensuring proper attribution is made.

8. Ethical Publishing
UJAI adheres to the principles of ethical publishing as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We are committed to maintaining transparency, honesty, and fairness throughout the entire publishing process.

9. Appeals Process
Authors who believe they have been wrongly accused of plagiarism may appeal the decision by submitting a formal request to the editorial board. The appeal will be reviewed, and a final decision will be communicated to the author. The editorial board’s decision in such cases is final.