Plagiarism Guidelines

The Journal of Development and Social Sciences (JDSS) considers originality and academic honesty essential to responsible scholarly publishing. All manuscripts submitted to JDSS may undergo plagiarism and similarity screening during the editorial process.

1. Plagiarism Screening

JDSS:

  • Follows the applicable plagiarism policies and academic integrity requirements of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan.
  • May use Turnitin or other appropriate similarity-detection software to examine submitted manuscripts.
  • Treats similarity reports as an aid to editorial assessment rather than as the only basis for an editorial decision.

2. Assessment of Similarity

There is no automatic assumption that every similarity identified by software constitutes plagiarism. The editorial team examines the nature, source, and extent of the reported overlap.

Similarity may arise from legitimate material such as:

  • References and bibliographic information
  • Standard academic terminology
  • Commonly used technical or methodological expressions
  • Properly quoted and cited material

However, substantial unattributed text, inappropriate copying, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of unacceptable overlap may lead to editorial action.

Manuscripts may be returned for revision, rejected, or handled under the journal's research-misconduct procedures depending on the seriousness of the case.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are expected to ensure that:

  • The submitted manuscript represents their own original work.
  • All ideas, words, data, findings, and materials taken from other sources are properly acknowledged and cited.
  • Previously published work by the authors is appropriately identified and referenced.
  • The same work has not been submitted or published elsewhere in a way that constitutes duplicate or redundant publication.

Authors remain responsible for the originality and integrity of their submissions even when similarity-checking software has been used.

4. Dealing with Suspected Plagiarism

Where plagiarism or another form of inappropriate textual overlap is suspected, JDSS will assess the matter carefully and may request an explanation or supporting information from the authors.

Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond where appropriate. Depending on the evidence and seriousness of the matter, JDSS may:

  • Request correction or revision;
  • Reject the manuscript;
  • Initiate further investigation under its Research Misconduct & Whistleblower Policy; or
  • Take appropriate post-publication action if the article has already been published.

Serious cases may also be referred to the relevant institution or other appropriate authority.

5. HEC and Ethical Guidance

Authors are encouraged to consult the relevant HEC, Pakistan resources concerning plagiarism, academic integrity, Turnitin, and interpretation of similarity reports.

JDSS applies these requirements together with recognized standards of responsible scholarly publishing. The purpose of plagiarism screening is not simply to obtain a low similarity percentage, but to ensure that published research is original, properly attributed, and ethically presented.