Plagiarism Policy

The Editorial Board of the Iraqi Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (IJAIML) maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication. Ensuring the integrity of scientific research is a primary commitment of the journal.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism constitutes the unethical act of copying, replicating, or paraphrasing another author's work, ideas, thoughts, text, data, or figures without explicit attribution or proper citation. This includes:

  • Direct Plagiarism: Verbatim copying of text from previously published materials without quotation marks or citations.

  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Restructuring sentences or substituting words from someone else's work while retaining the core idea without giving credit.

  • Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling): The reuse of significant portions of the author’s own previously published research, datasets, or theoretical formulations without citing the original publication.

  • Data Fabrication and Falsification: Inventing or deliberately altering research data, experimental metrics, or statistical outcomes.

2. Screening and Similarity Index Thresholds

To enforce these standards, all submitted manuscripts must undergo rigorous electronic screening prior to entering the peer-review process:

  • Primary Tool: All submissions are screened using official anti-plagiarism software (Turnitin).

  • Maximum Allowable Limit: The overall acceptable similarity index must be less than 20%.

  • Individual Source Cap: The similarity index from any single, isolated source must not exceed 5%.

  • Exclusions: The automated similarity check excludes the reference list/bibliography and standard mathematical formulas, provided they are cited correctly.

3. Review Workflow and Corrective Actions

The evaluation of plagiarism takes place at two main stages of the editorial workflow:

A. Initial Pre-Screening Stage

If an automated check reveals a similarity index exceeding 20% before the paper is sent to reviewers:

  • Minor Infractions (21% – 25%): If the elevated index stems from poorly structured background blocks or standard literature descriptions, the manuscript is returned to the author for mandatory revision. The revised paper must pass a secondary screening.

  • Major Infractions (>25%): Manuscripts demonstrating extensive duplication or deliberate text appropriation are rejected immediately without peer review.

B. Post-Publication Discovery

If plagiarism or severe data manipulation is brought to light and verified after an article has been formally published:

  • An official notice of Retraction will be issued by the Editor-in-Chief.

  • The retracted paper will be marked with a permanent "Retracted" watermark on the OJS portal to maintain transparency.

  • A formal report will be submitted to the authors' institutional affiliations or scientific affairs boards for necessary administrative action.

4. Author Obligations

  • Authors must guarantee that the work submitted is entirely original.

  • Proper citations must accompany every statement, diagram, or data set borrowed from existing literature, adhering strictly to the IEEE citation style.

  • If a manuscript builds upon the authors' own prior conference paper, the original publication must be fully cited, and the new submission must offer significant new technical advancements (typically exceeding 30–40% new material).