The International Journal of Healthcare and Education (IJHE) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism to uphold the integrity of the academic record. Plagiarism is a serious violation of ethical publishing standards and is not tolerated under any circumstances.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text, ideas, images, or data from another source without appropriate citation and permission.

• Reusing significant portions of one’s own previously published work (self-plagiarism) without appropriate citation or clear acknowledgment.

• Presenting another author's work, ideas, or findings as one's own without proper attribution.

• Failing to cite quotations, close paraphrases, or rephrased material properly.

2. Plagiarism Detection

• All submitted manuscripts are routinely screened for plagiarism using reliable plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or equivalent tools) prior to peer review.

• Any manuscripts with significant similarity (generally, a similarity index greater than 20%, excluding references, cover page, and methodological descriptions) will be critically reviewed by the editorial team.

• Minor overlap may be acceptable in methods sections with proper citation, but unattributed copying in any section is not acceptable.

3. Editorial Action on Plagiarism

• If plagiarism is detected before peer review, the manuscript will be immediately rejected, and the authors will be informed.

• If plagiarism is detected during peer review or after acceptance but before publication, the manuscript will be withdrawn from the publication process.

• If plagiarism is detected after publication, the article will be retracted with a clear Retraction Notice, and appropriate measures will be taken following COPE Retraction Guidelines.

4. Consequences

Authors found guilty of plagiarism may be:

• Banned from future submissions to IJHE for a defined period (e.g., minimum 2 years).

• Reported to their affiliated institutions or funding agencies, if appropriate.

• Subject to legal action if copyright infringement is involved.

5. Authors’ Responsibilities

• Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and that any material taken from other sources is properly cited.

• Authors must obtain permission for reuse of any copyrighted material and disclose prior publication of any part of the manuscript.

6. Peer Reviewers' and Editors’ Roles

• Peer reviewers and editors are encouraged to alert the editorial office if they suspect plagiarism in a manuscript during the review process.