Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Bacha Khan College of Dentistry (JBKCD) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, in strict accordance with the guidelines of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.

Screening Process
All submitted manuscripts are screened using Turnitin software to identify text overlap with published literature. The Editorial Board may provide authors with a similarity report and request a clarification regarding any potential inappropriate re-use of wording.

Interpreting the Similarity Report
The overall similarity percentage is an initial indicator, not a definitive verdict. A high percentage may be acceptable depending on the context, while a low percentage may still conceal significant issues. The editorial decision is based on a careful analysis of the report, considering:

  • Nature of Overlap: Is the text copied in fragmented phrases or in entire sentences/paragraphs?
  • Location of Overlap: Overlap in the introduction (common knowledge) or methods (standard techniques) is often less critical than duplication in the results, discussion, or conclusion sections.
  • Data Duplication: The replication of data, figures, or tables is almost never acceptable without explicit permission and citation.
  • Proper Attribution: Was the original source appropriately cited?
  • Self-Plagiarism: Overlap with the authors' own previous work (e.g., a thesis or preprint) must be disclosed and cited to avoid concerns of redundant publication. Copyright permission may be required.

Editorial Actions
Based on this analysis, the editor may:

  • Request Revisions: Ask authors to rephrase text and provide missing citations before peer review.
  • Reject the Manuscript: Deem the manuscript unacceptable for publication due to significant plagiarism.
  • Proceed to Review: If the overlap is deemed minor and appropriately cited.

Authors are expected to ensure their work is entirely original and to properly cite all sources and previous work.