Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

Future Horizon International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Research (FHIJSSER) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing practices. The journal uses Turnitin, an online similarity-checking tool, to assist editors in evaluating the originality of submitted manuscripts. All submitted manuscripts are screened through Turnitin to identify similarities, plagiarism, and possible cases of duplicate publication before entering the peer-review process.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's ideas, words, data, or intellectual work as one's own without proper acknowledgment or citation. It is considered a serious violation of academic and publishing ethics.

Duplicate publication, also known as self-plagiarism, occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without appropriate referencing or disclosure. This may include publishing the same research in multiple journals, reusing significant parts of previous publications, or dividing a single research study into multiple papers without adequate justification.

Plagiarism Policy of FHIJSSER

FHIJSSER follows internationally recognized ethical publishing standards and does not tolerate plagiarism or any form of unethical publication practice.

  • FHIJSSER publishes original research contributions in the fields of social sciences, education, and related disciplines.
  • All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin software before the peer-review process.
  • Manuscripts containing plagiarized material are evaluated according to the extent and nature of the detected similarity.
  • A similarity index below 19% may be considered acceptable, provided that the similarity does not involve unethical copying or missing citations.
  • Manuscripts with similarity between 19% and 30% may be returned to authors for revision, proper citation, and removal of excessive similarity.
  • Manuscripts with substantial plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unethical content may be rejected by the editorial board.

Procedure for Suspected Plagiarism in Published Articles

If plagiarism is suspected after publication, FHIJSSER follows a transparent investigation process based on the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

  • The person reporting the suspected plagiarism will be informed about the investigation process.
  • The published article and suspected source material will be carefully compared to determine the extent of similarity.
  • The Editorial Board will review the evidence and provide recommendations.
  • The corresponding author will be contacted and provided an opportunity to explain the matter with supporting evidence.

Actions in Case of Confirmed Plagiarism

If authors are found responsible for plagiarism or unethical publishing practices, FHIJSSER may take the following actions:

  • The authors and relevant editorial parties will be informed about the confirmed violation.
  • The published article may be retracted according to ethical publishing guidelines.
  • A formal retraction notice may be issued, and the online article record may be updated accordingly.
  • FHIJSSER reserves the right to decline future submissions from authors involved in confirmed cases of plagiarism.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)

FHIJSSER acknowledges the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in academic research. Authors may use AI tools for supportive purposes, such as language improvement and research assistance, provided that their use is transparent and ethically appropriate.

  • AI tools must not replace essential research responsibilities, including developing research ideas, methodology design, data analysis, interpretation, or drawing scientific conclusions.
  • Authors must carefully review and verify all AI-assisted content before manuscript submission.
  • Any AI-generated text, images, data, or other materials must be appropriately acknowledged where applicable.
  • Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of their work.
  • Authors should follow the guidelines issued by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan regarding the responsible use of Generative AI tools in academic research.

Future Horizon International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Research (FHIJSSER) is dedicated to promoting responsible research practices, transparency, originality, and integrity in scholarly publishing.