Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unethical act of using another person’s ideas, research methods, data, or written content without proper acknowledgment. It includes direct copying, paraphrasing without citation, and self-plagiarism (reusing one’s own previously published work without disclosure). Plagiarism in any form is a violation of academic integrity and is strictly prohibited by GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research.

Types of Plagiarism

• Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim from another source without proper citation.
• Self-Plagiarism: Republishing one’s own work or submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals.
• Mosaic Plagiarism: Paraphrasing sections of another work without giving proper credit.
• Improper Citation: Failing to acknowledge sources correctly or misrepresenting referenced material.

Plagiarism Detection

To ensure academic integrity, all submitted manuscripts undergo a thorough plagiarism check using **advanced plagiarism detection tools**. Any manuscript found to have **a similarity index exceeding 15% (excluding references, bibliography, and commonly used terms)** will be flagged for review.

Plagiarism Handling & Consequences

If plagiarism is detected at any stage—before, during, or after publication—the following actions will be taken:

• Before publication: The manuscript will be immediately rejected.
• After publication: The paper may be retracted, and a notice of plagiarism will be published.
• The author’s institution and funding agencies may be informed about the unethical conduct.
• The author may be **banned** from submitting to the journal for a period of **one year**.

Correction & Retraction Policy

The journal follows **COPE Retraction Guidelines** for cases where plagiarism is found after publication. The following corrective measures will be taken:

• Erratum: For minor citation errors, corrections will be issued.
• Corrigendum: For author-introduced errors that require clarification.
• Retraction: For severe plagiarism cases, the paper will be removed, and a retraction notice will be published.

Preventing Plagiarism

To avoid plagiarism, authors are advised to:

• Use proper **citation styles** (APA) when referencing prior work.
• Paraphrase ideas while giving **appropriate credit** to original sources.
• Submit original research that adds value to the academic community.

Contact for Plagiarism Concerns

Email: editor@gphjournal.org