Plagiarism Policy

Pakistan Journal of Zoological Sciences (PJZS | ISSN: 3105-5222) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are routinely screened for plagiarism.

Screening Process

Every manuscript received by PJZS undergoes a plagiarism check before being sent for peer review. This is a standard part of our submission process and applies to all submissions without exception.

The journal uses professional plagiarism detection software to compare manuscripts against a vast database of published literature, including journals, books, conference proceedings, and other scholarly content available on the internet.

Plagiarism Threshold

PJZS accepts manuscripts with a similarity index of less than 15%. This includes all types of matches from all sources combined. Manuscripts exceeding this threshold may be returned to authors for revision or rejected outright, depending on the nature and extent of the overlap.

What We Check For

Our plagiarism screening identifies:

  • Direct copying of text from other sources without proper citation

  • Inappropriate paraphrasing that closely follows original sources

  • Self-plagiarism where authors reuse their own previously published work without acknowledgment

  • Missing or incorrect attribution of ideas and data

Evaluation of Similarity Reports

Each similarity report is carefully examined by the editorial team. A low similarity score does not automatically guarantee acceptance, nor does a score below 15% guarantee that the work is free from other ethical issues. The editorial team considers:

  • Whether the matched text is properly cited and quoted

  • Whether the similarity comes from commonly used phrases or references

  • Whether the core findings and interpretations are original

Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the submission or publication process, the following actions may be taken:

  • Manuscripts exceeding the 15% threshold may be rejected immediately

  • Authors may be asked to revise and properly cite sources

  • In severe cases, the authors' institutions may be notified

  • Previously published articles found to contain plagiarism may be retracted

Author Responsibility

Authors are expected to ensure that their work is entirely original and that all sources are properly acknowledged. By submitting a manuscript to PJZS (ISSN: 3105-5222), authors confirm that their work has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by any other journal.

Authors are strongly encouraged to check their manuscripts for plagiarism before submission to ensure they meet the 15% threshold.

Our Pledge

PJZS (ISSN: 3105-5222) is dedicated to publishing only original, high-quality research. We take allegations of plagiarism seriously and will investigate all concerns thoroughly and fairly.

Questions

If you have any questions about our plagiarism policy for Pakistan Journal of Zoological Sciences (ISSN: 3105-5222) , please contact us at PJZS@ijsmartpublishing.com.