Plagiarism Policy

The Membrane Technology Journal is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ensuring that all published research is original and ethically conducted. To maintain these standards, we have established a comprehensive plagiarism policy designed to prevent and address issues of plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the use of someone else's work, ideas, or expressions without proper acknowledgment, presenting them as one's own. This includes:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim from another source without quotation marks or citation.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing significant portions of one's own previously published work without proper citation.
  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else’s ideas or text in one's own words without appropriate citation.
  • Unacknowledged Use of Ideas: Using or referring to others' research findings or methodologies without proper acknowledgment.

2. Prevention Measures

  • Submission Guidelines: Authors are required to ensure that their manuscripts are original and have not been submitted or published elsewhere. Proper citation of sources is mandatory.
  • Plagiarism Detection: Manuscripts may be screened for plagiarism using plagiarism detection software. The results are reviewed by the editorial team to identify potential issues.
  • Author Responsibility: Authors must disclose any overlap with their previous publications and provide proper citations for all sources of data and ideas used in their manuscript.

3. Procedures for Handling Plagiarism

  • Initial Review: If plagiarism is suspected, the manuscript will undergo a preliminary review by the editorial team to assess the extent and nature of the issue.
  • Investigation: The editorial team will conduct a thorough investigation, which may involve consulting with the authors and the original sources. Authors will be given the opportunity to respond to allegations and provide explanations.
  • Actions Taken: Depending on the severity and nature of the plagiarism, the following actions may be taken:
    • Minor Plagiarism: If the issue is minor, authors may be asked to revise their manuscript to include proper citations.
    • Major Plagiarism: For serious or repeated cases of plagiarism, the manuscript may be rejected, and the authors may be banned from submitting to the journal for a specified period.
    • Retraction: If plagiarism is detected in a published article, a formal retraction will be issued, and a notice of the retraction will be published.

4. Consequences for Authors

  • Rejection of Manuscript: Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be rejected, and authors may be prohibited from submitting future work to the journal.
  • Notification: Authors will be notified of any plagiarism findings and the actions taken. They will have the opportunity to address any issues or provide additional information.
  • Public Disclosure: In cases of significant or repeated plagiarism, the journal may issue a public notice or correction to maintain transparency and uphold academic integrity.

5. Ethical Commitment

  • Editorial Integrity: The editorial board of the Membrane Technology Journal is committed to maintaining a fair and unbiased review process. All suspected cases of plagiarism are handled with due diligence and confidentiality.
  • Author Education: We encourage authors to familiarize themselves with best practices for proper citation and to use available resources to avoid inadvertent plagiarism.