Plagiarism Policy

The International Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Fertility Sciences is committed to maintaining academic integrity and ensuring that all published research is original, properly attributed, and ethically presented. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their submitted manuscripts do not contain plagiarism, unauthorized use of copyrighted material, or inappropriate duplication of previously published work.

1. Originality of Manuscripts

All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Fertility Sciences must be original.

Authors must ensure that:

  • The manuscript has not been published previously.
  • The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
  • All sources and ideas taken from other works are properly acknowledged.
  • The research findings are presented honestly and accurately.
  • Any previously published material is appropriately cited and disclosed.

2. What Constitutes Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes presenting another person's words, ideas, data, images, or other intellectual contributions as one's own.

Examples include:

  • Copying text without proper citation.
  • Using another author's ideas without acknowledgment.
  • Reproducing figures, tables, or images without appropriate permission or attribution.
  • Presenting another researcher's data as original work.
  • Submitting substantially copied material under a different title or authorship.

3. Text Similarity and Similarity Checking

Submitted manuscripts may be evaluated for textual similarity as part of the editorial assessment process.

Similarity checking may help identify:

  • Directly copied text.
  • Inadequately cited material.
  • Excessive text overlap.
  • Potential duplicate publication.
  • Unacceptable text recycling.

A similarity percentage by itself does not automatically establish plagiarism. Editorial assessment should consider the nature, location, context, and source of the identified similarity.

4. Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

Authors should avoid inappropriate reuse of substantial portions of their previously published work.

When previously published material must be reused for legitimate scholarly reasons, authors should:

  • Clearly identify the previous publication.
  • Provide appropriate citation.
  • Explain the relationship between the previous and current work where necessary.
  • Obtain permission when required.

5. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors should not submit substantially the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.

Duplicate or redundant publication may include:

  • Publishing the same research in multiple journals.
  • Splitting one study into multiple publications without sufficient justification.
  • Reusing substantial portions of an earlier publication without disclosure.

6. Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for checking their manuscripts before submission.

Before submitting, authors should:

  • Properly cite all sources.
  • Use quotation marks for directly reproduced wording where appropriate.
  • Provide references for borrowed ideas and information.
  • Obtain permission for copyrighted material when required.
  • Check tables, figures, and images for appropriate attribution.
  • Confirm that the manuscript is original.

7. Plagiarism Identified Before Publication

If substantial plagiarism or inappropriate text overlap is identified during editorial assessment or peer review, the manuscript may:

  • Be returned to the authors for clarification.
  • Require correction or revision.
  • Be rejected.
  • Be subject to further investigation where appropriate.

The action taken will depend on the seriousness and circumstances of the concern.

8. Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism is identified after an article has been published, the journal may investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

  • Publishing a correction.
  • Issuing an expression of concern.
  • Retracting the article.
  • Updating the article record where appropriate.
  • Notifying relevant parties when necessary.

The objective is to protect the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

9. Proper Citation and Attribution

Authors must give appropriate credit to previous research.

All borrowed:

  • Ideas
  • Concepts
  • Text
  • Data
  • Images
  • Tables
  • Figures
  • Methods

should be appropriately cited or acknowledged where required.

10. Artificial Intelligence and Originality

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for appropriate assistance with manuscript preparation, but they remain responsible for ensuring that the final manuscript is original and accurate.

AI-generated text should not be presented as original human scholarship without appropriate consideration and disclosure. Authors must also ensure that AI-assisted content does not introduce plagiarism, fabricated references, inaccurate information, or copyright concerns.