PLAGIARISM POLICY

The Journal of Medical and Multidisciplinary Healthcare Research (JMMHR) is committed to protecting the integrity of the scientific record and maintaining the highest standards of originality, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing.

Commitment and Scope

JMMHR maintains a strict commitment to originality, academic integrity, and responsible publication. The journal considers plagiarism to include the unacknowledged use or appropriation of another person's words, ideas, data, results, figures, images, tables, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate attribution.

Prohibited Practices: Plagiarism, substantial text copying, inappropriate text recycling, duplicate or redundant publication, undisclosed translated publication, and unjustified fragmentation of a research study ("salami slicing") are not acceptable. Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted material is original, appropriately cited, and not under inappropriate consideration or previously published elsewhere.

Screening and Similarity Index

Every manuscript submitted to JMMHR is subject to textual-similarity screening using the Turnitin platform or another recognized similarity-detection system before undergoing external peer review.

⚠️ Hard Threshold Limit
Overall similarity index must be less than or equal to 19%. Single source similarity must be less than 5%. The 19% allowance is strictly a similarity index intended to account for necessary technical terms, common phrasing, and essential connections to existing literature.
A cumulative Similarity Index (SI) of 20% or higher will result in formal return to the authors for comprehensive structural revisions.
Permissible Exclusions
Similarity calculations may exclude only properly credited quotations, bibliographic reference passages, standard methodological phrases, scientific formulas, and official institutional names. Authors remain responsible for ensuring that all excluded or potentially overlapping material is legitimate, appropriately attributed, and scientifically necessary.
Unacknowledged Copying and Manipulation: Any manuscript containing unacknowledged copying, concealed duplication, inappropriate text recycling, or deliberate manipulation designed to evade similarity-detection systems may be rejected and may be permanently disqualified from consideration by JMMHR. Such conduct may also be treated as a publication-ethics violation and may result in further editorial action.

Investigation & Editorial Actions

Where substantial, suspicious, or unexplained similarity is identified, JMMHR may initiate an editorial investigation. The investigation may include examination of the similarity report, comparison with original sources, assessment of the extent and nature of overlapping material, consultation with appropriate editors or experts, and communication with the authors.

Where appropriate, the corresponding author will be given an opportunity to provide a written explanation and supporting evidence. The journal may contact the authors' institutions or other relevant organizations where further investigation is warranted.

Depending on the nature, extent, and outcome of the investigation, JMMHR may:

  • • Request clarification, correction, rewriting, or additional documentation from the authors.
  • • Return or reject a manuscript where plagiarism, unacceptable duplication, or deliberate similarity manipulation is established.
  • • Require additional similarity screening or editorial assessment following revision.
  • • Issue a correction, clarification, or other editorial notice where appropriate.
  • • Retract a published article when serious plagiarism has compromised the integrity of the published record.
  • • Notify the relevant institution, funder, or other responsible authority where serious or confirmed misconduct warrants such notification.

Duplicate Publication, Text Recycling & Translations

JMMHR does not accept manuscripts that substantially duplicate previously published work or that have been simultaneously submitted to another journal. Authors must disclose any closely related publications, preprints, conference papers, datasets, reports, or manuscripts that could create concerns regarding redundant publication.

Text Recycling: Limited reuse of an author's previously published wording may occasionally be unavoidable, particularly in descriptions of established methods, but substantial or inappropriate reuse without disclosure and appropriate citation may constitute unacceptable text recycling.
Translated Publications: Manuscripts based substantially on work previously published in another language must be transparently disclosed. A translated article will only be considered where the prior publication is fully cited, permission or applicable rights have been addressed where required, and the submission provides a legitimate scholarly reason for republication. Translation must not be used to conceal duplicate publication.

Post-Publication Plagiarism

Plagiarism concerns may be investigated even after an article has been published. JMMHR may review allegations received from readers, authors, reviewers, institutions, or other credible sources and will assess the available evidence objectively.

Correction or Retraction: Where post-publication investigation establishes significant plagiarism or other serious duplication that affects the integrity of the scholarly record, JMMHR may publish an appropriate correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice.

Authors' Responsibility & Reporting

Authors are ultimately responsible for ensuring the originality and appropriate attribution of all material submitted to JMMHR. Authors should carefully review their manuscripts before submission, accurately cite the work of others, obtain appropriate permissions where required, and disclose related publications or previous dissemination of the research.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and readers are encouraged to report credible concerns regarding plagiarism or duplicate publication to the Editorial Office with sufficient supporting information where available.

Good-Faith Reporting: JMMHR treats allegations of plagiarism seriously while maintaining confidentiality and procedural fairness. Allegations are assessed on the available evidence and are not treated as established misconduct until an appropriate editorial assessment has been completed.