Plagiarism Policy

1. Definition and Philosophy

Plagiarism is the unethical act of presenting another person's ideas, words, data, creative expressions, or intellectual property as one's own, without appropriate acknowledgment or permission. Clinical and Health Research Exploration (CHRE) maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism in all its forms. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of academic and research integrity.

2. Forms of Plagiarism Defined by CHRE

We identify and act upon the following specific forms:

  • Verbatim Plagiarism: Direct copying of text, phrases, or sentences without quotation marks and a proper citation.

  • Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rephrasing another's work without substantial intellectual contribution and without crediting the original source. Changing a few words while retaining the original structure and meaning is considered plagiarism.

  • Idea Plagiarism: Using another author's hypothesis, theory, concept, or conclusion without attribution, even if expressed in different words.

  • Data Plagiarism: Presenting data, figures, tables, or images from another source without clear citation and, where applicable, permission.

  • Self-Plagiarism (Text Recycling/Redundant Publication):

    • Reusing significant portions of one's own previously published work (including from theses, dissertations, or preprints) in a new manuscript without transparent citation or justification.

    • Submitting the same research to multiple journals ("duplicate submission").

    • "Salami-slicing": Dividing results from a single study into multiple papers to increase publication count, without clear cross-referencing or significant new scientific value.

3. Detection and Screening Process

  1. Mandatory Initial Screening: Every submitted manuscript undergoes screening using industry-standard plagiarism detection software (e.g., iThenticate, Turnitin).

  2. Editorial Assessment: The editorial team manually reviews similarity reports, focusing on:

    • Overall Similarity Index: A high percentage (>20-25%) triggers immediate scrutiny.

    • Source of Matches: Distinguishes between matches from the author's own work, commonly used phrases/methods, and unattributed text from others' work.

    • Pattern of Matches: Concentrated copying from a single source is more serious than dispersed, properly cited phrases. Uncited matches in the Introduction, Methods, and Discussion sections are particularly concerning.

    • Context: The significance and originality of the matched text relative to the paper's core contribution.

4. Actions and Consequences

The editorial response is based on the type, extent, and context of the plagiarism identified.

A. Minor Issues (e.g., Isolated, unintentional omission of a citation)

  • Action: Manuscript is returned to the authors with a request to correct and properly cite all sources before peer review can proceed.

  • Outcome: Re-submission is allowed after correction.

B. Substantial Plagiarism (e.g., Unattributed paragraphs, significant paraphrasing, or unattributed reuse of figures/tables)

  • Action: Immediate rejection of the manuscript.

  • Outcome:

    • A formal letter of explanation is sent to all authors and their institution's head of department.

    • All authors are barred from submitting to CHRE for a minimum period of two (2) years.

    • The journal reserves the right to publicly retract the paper if it has already been published online.

C. Severe Misconduct (e.g., Wholesale copying, fabrication, duplicate submission, or severe self-plagiarism representing redundant publication)

  • Action: Immediate and permanent rejection/retraction.

  • Outcome:

    • Formal notification is sent to all authors and their institutional leadership (Dean, Head of Research Integrity Office).

    • All authors are permanently banned from submitting to CHRE.

    • The journal will issue a formal retraction notice, stating the reason, which remains permanently linked to the online record.

    • The journal may notify the indexing databases and the authors' professional regulatory bodies, where applicable.

5. Authors' Responsibilities

  • Ensure Originality: Authors must guarantee that their work is entirely original. When using the work of others, it must be properly cited.

  • Use of AI Tools: The use of AI and AI-assisted writing tools must be transparently disclosed in the Acknowledgments or Methods section. Authors are solely responsible for the content of their manuscript, including any AI-generated text, and must ensure it does not contain plagiarized material.

  • Cite Previous Work: Authors must cite their own relevant previous publications. Translucent disclosure of text overlap with one's own previous work (e.g., in a methods description) is required.

  • Acknowledge Sources: Obtain permission and cite the source for any reproduced copyrighted material (e.g., long quotations, adapted figures/tables).

6. Rights of the Accused

If plagiarism is alleged, the corresponding author will be provided with the similarity report and a statement of concerns. Authors will have one opportunity to provide a written explanation and evidence to the Editor-in-Chief before a final decision is made.