ANTI-PLAGIARISM POLICY

General Principles

Sapiens Sciences (ISSN: 3072-7936) is firmly committed to scientific integrity, academic originality, ethical publishing practices, and editorial excellence.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are subject to similarity screening and originality verification prior to peer review and, when deemed necessary by the editorial team, at any stage of the editorial process or after publication.

The journal adheres to the principles and recommendations established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other internationally recognized organizations dedicated to research integrity and responsible scholarly publishing.

Similarity detection serves as an editorial support tool and shall not be used as an automatic mechanism for manuscript acceptance or rejection.

All editorial decisions are based on a contextual, qualitative, and expert assessment conducted by the editorial team, taking into account the nature, extent, location, and significance of identified similarities.

Similarity Detection Tools

The journal employs specialized software and services for similarity assessment and the identification of potential plagiarism, including, but not limited to:

  • Turnitin®
  • iThenticate®
  • Crossref Similarity Check®
  • Other equivalent tools deemed appropriate by the journal

Reports generated by these systems are reviewed and interpreted by the editorial team, which evaluates the academic relevance and context of any detected overlap.

Interpretation of Similarity Levels

Similarity percentages are considered indicative benchmarks only and shall never constitute the sole criterion for editorial decision-making.

Similarity up to 15%

Generally considered acceptable when overlaps are limited to:

  • Bibliographic references.
  • Properly quoted and cited material.
  • Standardized technical terminology.
  • Commonly used methodological descriptions.
  • Mandatory legal, regulatory, or ethical statements.

Similarity between 16% and 25%

Subject to detailed editorial evaluation.

Authors may be requested to:

  • Improve paraphrasing.
  • Reduce unnecessary textual overlap.
  • Include additional references or citations.
  • Correct attribution or citation deficiencies.

Continuation of the editorial process will depend on the nature and significance of the identified similarities.

Similarity between 26% and 40%

Considered potentially problematic.

Depending on the extent, location, and context of the overlaps, the manuscript may:

  • Be returned for substantial revision.
  • Undergo additional originality assessment.
  • Be rejected prior to peer review.

Similarity above 40%

Generally considered incompatible with the originality standards required by the journal.

Manuscripts presenting this level of similarity may be rejected without being sent for peer review.

If comparable concerns are identified after publication, the journal may initiate correction, expression of concern, or retraction procedures as appropriate.

Unacceptable Practices

The journal may reject a manuscript regardless of its overall similarity percentage if any of the following forms of misconduct are identified.

Plagiarism

  • Partial or complete reproduction of text without proper attribution.
  • Unauthorized use of ideas, hypotheses, data, results, interpretations, or intellectual contributions from others.
  • Reproduction of tables, figures, images, or datasets without appropriate permission or acknowledgment.

Self-Plagiarism

  • Substantial reuse of previously published material by the same author(s) without proper citation or editorial justification.
  • Duplication of previously disseminated content presented as new work.

Duplicate or Redundant Publication

  • Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals.
  • Re-publication of substantially identical findings without transparency, disclosure, or legitimate justification.

Salami Publication (Salami Slicing)

  • Unjustified fragmentation of a single research project into multiple publications with the primary purpose of artificially increasing publication output.

Citation Manipulation

  • Deliberate inclusion of irrelevant references.
  • Citation of nonexistent or fabricated sources.
  • Misrepresentation or distortion of bibliographic sources to support unsupported conclusions.

Inappropriate Authorship Practices

  • Omission of legitimate contributors.
  • Inclusion of individuals who did not make a substantial scholarly contribution to the work.

Procedures for Suspected Plagiarism

When potential cases of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, redundant publication, or other forms of academic misconduct are identified, the editorial team will conduct a formal investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines and best practices.

Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may:

  • Request explanations or clarifications from the authors.
  • Require corrections or revisions.
  • Temporarily suspend the editorial process.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Publish corrections or expressions of concern.
  • Retract published articles.
  • Notify authors’ institutions, funding agencies, or other relevant authorities when appropriate.

Authors’ Declaration of Originality

By submitting a manuscript to Sapiens Sciences, authors confirm and warrant that:

  • The work is original and unpublished.
  • The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal or publication venue.
  • All sources have been appropriately cited and referenced.
  • Necessary permissions have been obtained for the use of third-party materials.
  • The manuscript fully complies with the journal’s ethical and research integrity policies.
  • The data, findings, analyses, and conclusions presented are authentic, accurate, and verifiable.

Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions

When significant errors, originality concerns, research integrity issues, or evidence of scientific misconduct are identified after publication, the journal may implement editorial actions in accordance with COPE recommendations, including:

  • Corrections.
  • Errata.
  • Expressions of Concern.
  • Retractions.
  • Exceptional article removal when justified by legal or ethical considerations.

All post-publication notices and editorial actions will remain permanently linked to the original published record to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Final Statement

Sapiens Sciences reaffirms its commitment to academic originality, research integrity, and editorial transparency.

The journal recognizes similarity detection as an essential mechanism for safeguarding the quality and credibility of the scholarly record and ensuring that all published research adheres to the highest international standards of ethics, responsibility, transparency, and scientific rigor.