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.