JCollBiomed is committed to maintaining originality, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly communication. All submitted manuscripts may undergo plagiarism and similarity screening before or during the editorial and peer-review process.

1. Use of Turnitin

JCollBiomed may use Turnitin or another recognized similarity-detection system to assess submitted manuscripts for potential plagiarism, inappropriate text overlap, duplicate publication, and other forms of redundant content.

Similarity screening is an editorial tool and does not, by itself, constitute a determination of plagiarism or research misconduct.

2. Screening Process

Manuscripts may be screened:

• During the initial editorial assessment;
• Before external peer review;
• During the revision process, when considered necessary; or
• At any stage after submission or publication when concerns regarding originality arise.

The journal may screen the main manuscript and, where appropriate, supplementary materials.

3. Similarity Assessment

There is no single similarity percentage that automatically determines whether a manuscript is acceptable or constitutes plagiarism.

Editors will consider the similarity report in context, including:

• The overall similarity score;
• The number and size of individual matching passages;
• The location and nature of the overlapping text;
• Whether the material is appropriately cited;
• Similarity arising from standard scientific terminology or methodology;
• Similarity involving references, quotations, or commonly used phrases;
• Overlap with the authors’ own previously published work; and
• Evidence of redundant or duplicate publication.

A manuscript with a relatively low similarity score may still contain inappropriate plagiarism, while a manuscript with a higher score may be acceptable when the overlap results primarily from legitimate technical terminology, references, or appropriately cited material.

4. Plagiarism and Inappropriate Text Reuse

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text without appropriate attribution;
• Presenting another person’s ideas, methods, results, or conclusions as one’s own;
• Reproducing figures, tables, images, or other materials without appropriate permission or attribution;
• Submitting substantially similar work to more than one journal;
• Inappropriately reusing substantial portions of the authors’ own previously published work without disclosure or appropriate citation; and
• Manipulating or concealing the source of copied material.

All manuscripts must meet appropriate standards of originality and attribution.

5. Editorial Action

When substantial or suspicious text overlap is identified, the editor may:

• Request an explanation from the authors;
• Request appropriate revision and citation;
• Request clarification regarding previously published or submitted work;
• Return the manuscript for correction before peer review;
• Reject the manuscript;
• Refer the matter to the authors’ institution or relevant authority; or
• Initiate a formal investigation in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

The action taken will depend on the nature, extent, and circumstances of the identified overlap.

6. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must disclose any previous publication, preprint, conference abstract, thesis, dissertation, or manuscript that substantially overlaps with the submitted work.

Text or data overlap resulting from legitimate prior dissemination must be transparently disclosed and appropriately referenced.

Undisclosed duplicate submission or redundant publication may result in rejection or, when identified after publication, correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

7. Authors’ Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts:

• Are original;
• Properly acknowledge the work of others;
• Include appropriate citations;
• Obtain permission for copyrighted material when required; and
• Transparently disclose relevant previous publications and related manuscripts.

Use of plagiarism-detection software does not replace the authors’ responsibility for maintaining academic integrity.

8. Confidentiality of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports generated during the editorial process are confidential and are used solely for scholarly and editorial assessment.

The journal will handle similarity reports and related information in accordance with its confidentiality, privacy, and publication-ethics policies.

9. Post-Publication Concerns

If plagiarism, substantial text duplication, or other forms of publication misconduct are identified after publication, JCollBiomed may investigate the matter in accordance with applicable COPE guidance.

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction and may notify the relevant authors, institutions, or other appropriate parties.

Recommended Short Statement

JCollBiomed uses Turnitin or another recognized similarity-detection system to screen manuscripts for potential plagiarism and inappropriate text overlap. Similarity reports are assessed by editors in context, and no single similarity percentage is used as an automatic threshold for acceptance or rejection. Authors remain responsible for ensuring the originality, proper attribution, and ethical integrity of their manuscripts.