Plagiarism and Textual Similarity Policy

All manuscripts are screened for textual similarity using Turnitin prior to entering peer review. A manuscript with an overall similarity index exceeding 20 percent, or with any single continuous match exceeding 3 percent (excluding the reference list and standard methodological phrasing), is returned to the corresponding author for revision or rejected outright, depending on the extent and apparent intent of the overlap.

Undisclosed reuse of an author's own previously published material (self-plagiarism) is treated under the same policy as third-party plagiarism.

Instances of plagiarism identified after publication are handled in accordance with COPE retraction guidelines and reported to the author's affiliated institution where warranted.