Plagiarism Policy | Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة

At Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity in all our published content. Plagiarism is a serious ethical violation and undermines the credibility of the scholarly work. Our plagiarism policy outlines the procedures we follow to detect, address, and prevent plagiarism in the manuscripts submitted for publication.

1. Definition of Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is defined as the use of someone else's words, ideas, data, or intellectual property without proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

Direct Copying: Copying text from any source (including other academic work, books, articles, websites, etc.) without proper citation or quotation marks.
Paraphrasing without Citation: Rewriting someone else’s ideas or research in your own words without acknowledging the original author.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s own previously published work without proper acknowledgment of the original publication.
Misrepresentation of Data: Falsifying, fabricating, or misrepresenting data, images, tables, or figures.
Inadequate Referencing: Using references improperly, or failing to cite sources of information or ideas that are not original.

2. Detection of Plagiarism:

Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة uses a combination of manual and automated tools to detect potential instances of plagiarism. These methods include:

Plagiarism Detection Software: All submitted manuscripts undergo a plagiarism check using software tools like Turnitin or iThenticate, which compare the text of the manuscript to a vast database of scholarly articles, books, web pages, and other sources.
Editorial Scrutiny: Editors and reviewers are trained to identify potential cases of plagiarism by scrutinizing the content for irregularities, suspicious citations, or instances of copied text.

3. Handling of Plagiarism Cases:

When a potential case of plagiarism is identified, Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة follows a clear and transparent procedure:

Initial Investigation: The editorial team will review the manuscript and identify the extent of the plagiarism. The author will be notified of the concern, and they will be given the opportunity to explain or provide clarification.
Minor Plagiarism: If the plagiarism is deemed minor (e.g., incorrect citation or paraphrasing issues), the author will be asked to correct the manuscript. The author must resubmit the revised version with proper citations and acknowledgment of sources. Failure to make corrections will lead to rejection.
Major Plagiarism: If the plagiarism is substantial (e.g., large sections of the manuscript are copied, falsified data, or self-plagiarism), the manuscript will be rejected, and the author will be banned from submitting future articles to the journal. In serious cases, the issue may be reported to the author’s affiliated institution or other relevant bodies.

4. Author Responsibilities:

Originality of Work: Authors are required to submit only original work that has not been previously published or simultaneously submitted to another journal. All ideas, data, and quotations from other works must be properly attributed to the original sources.
Proper Citation and Referencing: Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources of information, ideas, and data used in their manuscript are properly cited in accordance with the journal’s referencing style (APA). This includes direct quotations, paraphrases, and any data derived from previous research.
Disclosure of Previous Publications: Authors must disclose if any part of their manuscript has been previously published, including prior conference presentations, papers, or articles. This applies to self-plagiarism as well.

5. Reviewers' Role in Identifying Plagiarism:

Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the journal’s integrity. They are responsible for:

Identifying Suspicious Content: Reviewers should check the manuscript for signs of plagiarism or unethical practices and report any concerns to the editorial team.
Confidentiality: Reviewers must keep all information about the manuscript confidential and avoid using any content for personal or professional gain.

6. Consequences of Plagiarism:

For Authors: In cases of proven plagiarism, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author may be banned from submitting future articles to Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة. The author’s affiliated institution or funding agencies may also be notified of the violation, depending on the severity of the plagiarism.
For the Journal: If plagiarism is detected in an article that has already been published, a retraction notice will be issued. The journal will issue a public statement explaining the reason for the retraction, and the article will be removed from the online version of the journal. The article will also be flagged as retracted in the metadata.

7. Preventive Measures:

To ensure the integrity of published work and to prevent plagiarism:

Education: The journal provides resources and guidelines for authors on proper citation practices and ethical writing.
Transparency: Clear guidelines on plagiarism are provided to all authors, editors, and reviewers to encourage transparency and prevent plagiarism at all stages of the publication process.
Encouraging Original Research: Authors are encouraged to contribute original ideas, data, and research that advance knowledge in their respective fields. We emphasize the importance of academic honesty and the value of ethical research practices.

8. Appeal Process:

If an author disagrees with the plagiarism decision or believes the accusation is unjust, they may submit an appeal to the editorial board. The appeal will be reviewed by the editorial team, and a final decision will be made based on the evidence provided.

9. Final Note:

At Al-Bayyinaẗ. البينة, we believe that academic integrity is crucial for maintaining the trust of our readers, authors, and the research community. This plagiarism policy helps ensure that all content published in the journal is ethically sound, original, and of the highest scholarly standard.