Plagiarism and Retraction Policy

Bisma The Journal of Counseling recognizes that plagiarism is unacceptable and is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly publishing process. This policy outlines the actions that will be taken upon the identification of plagiarism or similarities in articles submitted for publication. The journal employs Turnitin's originality checking software to detect text similarities in submitted manuscripts and final versions ready for publication. A maximum similarity index of 25% is allowed. Articles exceeding this threshold will be returned to the authors for correction and resubmission.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is defined as the "use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work."

Policy Guidelines

  1. Originality Requirement
    All papers submitted must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Any material taken verbatim from another source must be clearly identified through:

    • Indentation
    • Use of quotation marks
    • Proper citation of the source

  2. Use of Previously Published Material
    Any text exceeding fair use standards (more than two or three sentences) or graphic material reproduced from another source requires permission from the copyright holder. The source must be identified.

  3. Plagiarism Detection
    When plagiarism is identified, the Editor-in-Chief will review the paper and determine appropriate measures based on the extent of plagiarism, following these guidelines:

    • Minor Plagiarism: A short section plagiarized without significant data or ideas.
      Action: Authors will receive a warning and be asked to revise the text and properly cite the original source.

    • Intermediate Plagiarism: A significant portion plagiarized without proper citation.
      Action: The article will be rejected, and authors will be barred from submitting for one year.

    • Severe Plagiarism: A significant portion plagiarized involving original results or ideas from another publication.
      Action: The paper will be rejected, and authors will be barred from submitting for five years.

  4. Author Responsibility
    All authors are responsible for the content of their submitted papers. If a penalty is imposed for plagiarism, it applies to all authors equally.

  5. Repeated Offenses
    If a second case of plagiarism by the same author(s) is identified, the Editorial Board will decide on appropriate measures, which may include a lifetime ban from submission.

  6. Self-Plagiarism
    Authors must identify and obtain permission for any previously published material used in their submissions. Significant overlap with previously published work may be treated as plagiarism.

Retraction Policy

Authors are discouraged from withdrawing submitted manuscripts once in the publication process. If a withdrawal is requested, authors must email the editor using the same correspondence address.

Retraction Criteria
The editorial team will consider retracting a publication if:

  • There is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to major errors or fabrication.
  • The publication constitutes plagiarism.
  • The findings were previously published without proper attribution or permission.
  • Ethical violations are identified, including unethical research practices.

Retraction Notices
Notices will:

  • Clearly identify the retracted article.
  • Be linked to the retracted article.
  • Be published promptly and made freely available.
  • State the reasons for retraction objectively.

Corrections and Expressions of Concern
In cases where findings are unreliable but do not warrant retraction, the journal may issue:

  • Corrections for minor errors.
  • Expressions of concern if research misconduct is suspected or investigations are ongoing.

This policy is aligned with the guidelines provided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).