The Journal of Global Epidemiology and Health Equity (JGEHE) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, research ethics, and scholarly publishing. The journal has a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship practices, and other forms of research misconduct.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- Copying text, ideas, data, figures, tables, images, or other intellectual content from published or unpublished sources without appropriate attribution.
- Presenting another person's work, findings, or concepts as one's own.
- Inadequate citation, paraphrasing, or acknowledgment of original sources.
- Reproducing substantial portions of previously published material without permission where required.
- Translation plagiarism, where content published in another language is presented without appropriate disclosure and citation.
Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication
Authors must not submit manuscripts that substantially overlap with previously published work without proper disclosure. Self-plagiarism includes:
- Reuse of significant portions of previously published text without citation.
- Duplicate or redundant publication of the same dataset, results, or analysis.
- Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals.
Any related manuscripts, preprints, conference papers, or prior publications must be disclosed at the time of submission.
Similarity Screening
All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism-detection software prior to peer review and at any stage of the editorial process.
The Editorial Office evaluates similarity reports on a case-by-case basis, considering:
- The extent and nature of the overlap.
- Whether proper citation and attribution have been provided.
- The academic context of the reused material.
- The potential impact on the originality and integrity of the manuscript.
A similarity score alone does not determine editorial action; editorial assessment and professional judgment remain essential.
Editorial Actions
Where plagiarism or unacceptable text overlap is identified, the journal may take one or more of the following actions:
- Request revision and correction prior to peer review.
- Reject the manuscript without further review.
- Suspend consideration of the manuscript pending investigation.
- Notify the authors' affiliated institutions, funding agencies, or relevant authorities where appropriate.
- Retract published articles if misconduct is confirmed after publication.
- Publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retraction notices when necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.
Author Responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring that:
- All submitted work is original.
- Sources are accurately cited and acknowledged.
- Permissions have been obtained where required.
- Data, images, figures, and tables are used ethically and legally.
- All co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
Alignment with International Standards
JGEHE follows internationally recognized guidance and best practices from:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)
- World Association of Medical Editors (WAME)
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
The journal reserves the right to investigate any allegation of plagiarism or research misconduct before or after publication and to take appropriate corrective action in accordance with these principles.
Maintaining the integrity of the scientific record is a shared responsibility between authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers. JGEHE is committed to ensuring that all published research meets the highest standards of originality, transparency, and ethical scholarship.