plagiarism policy

Plagiarism & Redundant Publication Policy (GPHHS)

Global Public Health & Health Systems (GPHHS), published by EcoScribe Publishers, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. Plagiarism, redundant publication, and inappropriate reuse of text/figures are treated as serious violations and may lead to rejection or retraction.

1.0 Screening at Submission (Initial Similarity Check)

Upon submission, all manuscripts undergo an editorial similarity screening using plagiarism-detection software and manual editorial assessment. A similarity percentage alone is not a verdict—editors evaluate where the overlap occurs (methods, references, generic phrasing vs. results/discussion) and whether reuse is properly cited.

How GPHHS interprets similarity (guidance thresholds):

  • Acceptable/Low overlap (≤15%)
    Typically due to references, standard methods language, institutional names, and common phrases. Manuscripts may proceed if overlap is appropriately cited and no unattributed copying is detected.

  • Minor/Moderate overlap (15%–25%)
    Authors will be notified and required to revise to remove or rewrite overlapping passages and strengthen citations/quotations where necessary. The manuscript proceeds only after satisfactory correction and re-screening.

  • Substantial overlap (>25%)
    Manuscripts showing extensive unattributed copying, patchwriting, or duplication are rejected at desk stage. Authors will be informed with a brief explanation and, where appropriate, may be invited to submit a substantially rewritten version as a new submission (at the editor’s discretion).

Immediate desk rejection (regardless of % similarity) applies when:

  • Copying of results, interpretations, or discussion without attribution

  • Reuse of tables/figures without permission/credit

  • Duplicate submission (submitted to another journal simultaneously)

  • Duplicate or salami publication (substantial overlap with authors’ published/accepted work without clear disclosure)

2.0 Plagiarism Detection During Peer Review

In addition to editorial screening, reviewers are encouraged to flag:

  • Unattributed copying or close paraphrasing

  • Suspiciously inconsistent writing style

  • Redundant publication or unusually familiar text/figures

  • Inaccurate or missing citations for borrowed ideas, instruments, or frameworks

Reviewers may recommend rejection or major revision where originality is in doubt.

3.0 Post-Acceptance and Post-Publication Concerns

Plagiarism checks do not end at acceptance. If plagiarism, image duplication, or redundant publication is suspected after acceptance or after publication, GPHHS refers the case to the EcoScribe Publishers editorial ethics process in line with COPE guidance.

Investigation process:

  1. Preliminary assessment by the editorial office (evidence review and similarity report).

  2. Author notification with an opportunity to respond and provide clarifications/data.

  3. Editorial decision (and external consultation where necessary).

Possible outcomes (depending on severity):

  • Correction (for citation/attribution problems that do not alter conclusions)

  • Expression of Concern (where investigation is ongoing and concerns are serious)

  • Retraction (for confirmed plagiarism, duplicated publication, or major integrity breach)

  • Notification to relevant institutions, ethics bodies, and/or funders where appropriate

No Refund Policy:
Where an article is retracted (or acceptance is withdrawn) due to confirmed plagiarism or redundant publication, APCs are not refunded or adjusted, including cases discovered post-publication.

4.0 What Authors Must Do (Author Responsibilities)

Authors submitting to GPHHS must:

  • Submit original work and appropriately cite all sources

  • Clearly disclose any overlap with preprints, theses/dissertations, conference abstracts, or prior publications (include references and a brief explanation in the cover letter)

  • Obtain permissions and provide credit lines for reused figures/tables/instruments

  • Avoid “patchwriting” (close paraphrasing with minimal changes)

  • Ensure all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript

5.0 Ethical Framework

GPHHS (EcoScribe Publishers) follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and takes allegations of plagiarism seriously. We encourage authors to use careful citation practices, quotation marks where appropriate, and rigorous reference management to prevent misconduct and protect the scholarly record.