Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Sport Sciences is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and is strictly prohibited.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text, ideas, data, images, figures, or tables from other sources without proper citation.
  • Presenting another person’s work as one’s own.
  • Extensive paraphrasing without acknowledgment.
  • Reusing previously published work without disclosure (self-plagiarism).
  • Duplicate or redundant publication.
  • Improper use of translated content without attribution.

2. Similarity Screening Process

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo plagiarism screening before peer review using recognized similarity detection software (Turnitin).

The journal applies the following similarity thresholds:

  • Overall Similarity Index must be less than 20%.
  • Similarity from a single source should not exceed 5%.
  • References, quotations, bibliography, and standard methodological phrases may be excluded from similarity calculations.

Manuscripts exceeding these limits may be returned to authors for revision or rejected depending on the severity and nature of overlap.

3. Types of Plagiarism

The journal recognizes several forms of plagiarism:

a. Direct Plagiarism

Copying text verbatim from another source without citation.

b. Mosaic / Partial Plagiarism

Combining content from multiple sources with minor modifications.

c. Self-Plagiarism

Reusing substantial portions of previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure.

d. Data and Image Misappropriation

Using datasets, figures, or visual materials without permission or acknowledgment.

4. Editorial Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

The editorial office reserves the right to take appropriate action depending on the severity of misconduct:

Minor Similarity

  • Manuscript returned for correction and proper citation.

Moderate or Major Plagiarism

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript.

Plagiarism Detected After Publication

The journal may:

  • Publish a correction or retraction notice.
  • Remove access to the article when necessary.
  • Notify the author’s institution or funding body.
  • Suspend future submissions from responsible authors.

5. Author Responsibilities

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

  • The work is original.
  • All sources have been properly cited.
  • The manuscript is not under review elsewhere.
  • Any overlap with previous publications has been disclosed.

6. Ethical Compliance

The journal follows the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and reserves the right to update this policy when necessary to maintain publication integrity