Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

1. Overview

The Translational Medicine & Therapeutics Journal (TMTJ) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism and unethical publication practices.
We uphold the highest standards of academic integrity to ensure that all published content represents original, authentic, and properly attributed work.

All manuscripts submitted to TMTJ are screened for plagiarism before entering the peer review process.

2. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, data, images, or ideas from other sources without proper citation.

  • Reproducing large portions of previously published work (self-plagiarism) without acknowledgment.

  • Paraphrasing another author’s ideas or results without credit.

  • Submitting work that has already been published elsewhere in whole or in part.

TMTJ adheres to the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) definition of plagiarism:

“Unattributed use of large portions of text and/or data, presented as if they were the author’s own original work.”

3. Screening Process

  • All manuscripts are checked using iThenticate or Turnitin plagiarism detection software.

  • A similarity index (percentage of overlap) is generated for each submission.

  • Manuscripts with a similarity score above 15–20% (excluding references, methods, and common phrases) are flagged for editorial review.

4. Editorial Action on Detected Plagiarism

Depending on the severity and intent, the editorial office may:

  • Reject the manuscript immediately.

  • Request revision and proper citation of all overlapping material.

  • Blacklist authors involved in deliberate plagiarism from future submissions.

  • Notify the authors’ affiliated institutions of the misconduct.

Severe or repeated cases of plagiarism will result in permanent retraction of the published article and a public retraction notice on the journal website.

5. Self-Plagiarism / Redundant Publication

Authors are expected to avoid publishing the same data, figures, or substantial text in more than one journal.
TMTJ does not accept:

  • Submissions already published in another language or format.

  • Fragmented (“salami”) publications derived from the same dataset.
    Any such cases will result in rejection or retraction.

6. Author Responsibilities

Authors must:

  • Ensure their submission is entirely original.

  • Provide proper acknowledgment and citation for all borrowed material.

  • Obtain permission for any copyrighted figures or tables reused from other sources.

  • Disclose if any part of the content overlaps with previously published or submitted work.

7. Publisher & Editorial Board Commitment

The editorial team of Translational Medicine & Therapeutics Journal, under UmedPress Academic Publishers, is committed to promoting academic honesty, transparency, and ethical publishing practices.
All allegations of plagiarism are investigated thoroughly following COPE flowcharts and best practice guidelines.