Plagiarism Policy

"Pakistan Research Letter" (PRL) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical research practices. This policy defines plagiarism and outlines the consequences of its violation for authors submitting manuscripts to PRL.

Definition of Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's words, ideas, or research findings as if they were your own. This includes:

  • Direct copying: Copying text verbatim from another source without quotation marks or attribution.
  • Paraphrasing: Reusing another person's ideas or concepts without proper citation or attribution.
  • Mosaic plagiarism: Combining parts from different sources without proper citation, creating the illusion of original work.
  • Self-plagiarism: Reusing your own previously published work without proper citation or permission.

Consequences of Plagiarism:

PRL takes plagiarism very seriously. Any manuscript found to contain plagiarism will be subject to the following consequences, depending on the severity of the offense:

  • Rejection of the manuscript: Manuscripts with substantial plagiarism will be immediately rejected and the authors notified.
  • Retraction of published articles: If plagiarism is discovered in a published article, PRL will retract the article and notify the relevant academic community.
  • Author debarment: Authors found to have committed plagiarism may be debarred from submitting manuscripts to PRL for a specified period or permanently, depending on the severity of the offense.
  • Notification to higher authorities: PRL may report cases of plagiarism to the authors' institutions or funding agencies.

Author Responsibilities:

Authors submitting manuscripts to PRL are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work. This includes:

  • Properly citing all sources: Authors must use appropriate citation styles and ensure that all sources used in their work are properly cited.
  • Differentiating original and borrowed material: Authors must clearly distinguish their own ideas from those of others, using quotation marks and proper attribution for borrowed material.
  • Obtaining permission for reuse of copyrighted material: If authors wish to reuse copyrighted material, they must obtain written permission from the copyright holder.

Detection of Plagiarism:

PRL utilizes plagiarism detection software to screen all submitted manuscripts. Additionally, editors and reviewers may identify plagiarism through their expertise and knowledge of the field.