International Journal of Communication Development (IJCD)

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unethical act of using someone else's work, ideas, data, or words without proper acknowledgment or permission. It includes:

• Copying text without citation
• Paraphrasing someone else’s ideas without attribution
• Self-plagiarism or redundant publication
• Fabrication or manipulation of data

 

IJCD adheres to the UGC (2018) four-tier classification of plagiarism based on the percentage of similarity:

Similarity Index	Level	Action (for Students)	Action (for Faculty/Researchers)
≤ 10%	Level 0	Minor similarities – no penalty	No penalty
>10% – ≤40%	Level 1	Resubmit the work after correction	Withdraw manuscript, warning issued
>40% – ≤60%	Level 2	Suspension from submitting for 1 year	Denial of one annual increment
>60%	Level 3	Cancellation of registration	Suspension for 1 year or more

Note: No tolerance for plagiarism in core content such as hypothesis, methodology, analysis, and conclusions.

2. Policy for Authors

• Originality Declaration: Authors must submit a signed statement confirming the originality of their work.
• Plagiarism Screening: All manuscripts are checked using plagiarism detection tools (e.g., iThenticate/Turnitin) prior to review.
• Threshold: Manuscripts with similarity above 10% (excluding bibliography, quotes, small matches) will be returned or rejected.
• Revised Submissions: Authors whose work falls under Level 1 may be permitted to revise and resubmit with corrections.

3. Self-Plagiarism and Redundancy

• Authors must disclose if parts of the manuscript have appeared elsewhere, including conference proceedings.
• Redundant or duplicate publications (publishing the same data in multiple journals) are not permitted.

 

4. Responsibilities of Authors

• Provide accurate citation and referencing.
• Acknowledge all contributors and funding sources.
• Seek permissions for reproduced tables, figures, or copyrighted material.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers and Editors

• Report suspected plagiarism during the review process.
• Maintain confidentiality and objectivity when handling such cases.
• Editors reserve the right to reject, retract, or take disciplinary action based on the extent of plagiarism.

6. Consequences and Sanctions

• Manuscripts found plagiarized post-publication will be retracted with a public notice.
• Authors may be blacklisted from future submissions.
• Notifications may be sent to the authors' affiliated institutions and funding bodies.

7. Appeals and Clarifications

Authors may appeal a plagiarism decision by writing to the Editorial Board with supporting documents. Appeals will be reviewed fairly and transparently.

Note: By submitting to IJCD, authors agree to comply with this plagiarism policy and the ethical publishing practices outlined by the UGC and COPE.