Plagiarism Policy

  1. Commitment to Originality and Academic Integrity

Kerala Journal of Ayurveda (KJA) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and originality in scholarly publishing. KJA follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious breach of publication ethics and is strictly prohibited.

  1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, methods, figures, or published work without proper attribution, and the representation of such material as one’s own original work. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Verbatim copying of text from another source without quotation marks and citation.
  • Paraphrasing the ideas or findings of another author without proper acknowledgment.
  • Unattributed use of figures, tables, images, or data from published or unpublished sources.
  • Presenting the findings or conclusions of others as one’s own.
  • Copying or reusing Ayurvedic textual data or classical references from other publications without proper citation.
  1. Self-Plagiarism and Duplicate Submission

KJA also recognizes self-plagiarism as an ethical concern. Authors must not submit previously published material, including their own prior work, in whole or in part, without appropriate citation and clear disclosure. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to more than one journal is not permitted. Duplicate publication or redundant publication will result in immediate rejection or retraction of the published article.

  1. Plagiarism Screening Process

All manuscripts submitted to Kerala Journal of Ayurveda are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin software prior to being sent for peer review. The screening is conducted as part of the initial editorial assessment stage.

  1. Similarity Thresholds

KJA applies the following similarity thresholds, in line with DOAJ best practice recommendations and standard Ayurveda journal norms:

  • Less than 15% overall similarity: The manuscript is generally considered acceptable, provided all sources are properly cited and referenced.
  • 15% to 25% similarity: The manuscript will be returned to the authors with a request for revision to reduce text overlap and improve proper attribution before the review process continues.
  • Above 25% similarity: The manuscript will be rejected outright and will not be considered for publication.

Note: The similarity index is assessed in conjunction with the nature of the overlap. A low similarity score does not exempt a manuscript from scrutiny if citations and quotations are not handled properly. Conversely, similarity from properly cited references, standard phrases, and methodology descriptions will be assessed with editorial discretion.

  1. Author Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the originality of their submitted manuscripts. Prior to submission, authors are strongly encouraged to:

  • Check their manuscript for plagiarism using an approved tool before submission.
  • Ensure that all borrowed ideas, text, data, figures, or methods are properly cited in accordance with the reference style of KJA.
  • Clearly disclose any reuse of their own previously published content.
  • Obtain necessary permissions for the reproduction of copyright-protected material.
  1. Handling of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at any stage — before or after publication — the editorial board will take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, the following actions may be taken:

  • Pre-publication: The manuscript may be returned for revision, or rejected without further review.
  • Post-publication: A correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice may be issued as appropriate. The authors’ institution and/or funding agency may be notified.

KJA reserves the right to contact the authors’ institutions, funding bodies, or relevant regulatory bodies if a serious breach of publication ethics is established.

  1. Appeals

Authors who believe that a plagiarism decision has been made in error have the right to appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Editor-in-Chief within 30 days of notification, with a clear explanation and supporting evidence. The editorial board will review the appeal and communicate its final decision.

  1. Compliance with DOAJ and COPE Standards

As a journal indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) or seeking such indexing, Kerala Journal of Ayurveda declares that all submitted articles are routinely screened for plagiarism using Turnitin software, in compliance with DOAJ’s transparency and best practice requirements. This policy is publicly accessible on the journal’s website and is reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with evolving international publishing standards.

 

For queries related to this policy, contact: kjayurveda@gmail.com  •  Kerala Journal of Ayurveda, published by AKGACAS