Plagiarism Policy

AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) uses iThenticate to check the originality of all submitted manuscripts and provides authors with a “Similarity Report.” Authors must ensure that their submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere in any language. If authors have used the work or words of others, they must appropriately cite or quote those sources. Authors should comply with all relevant copyright laws and conventions. Copyrighted materials (e.g., tables, figures, or lengthy quotations) should only be used with proper permission and acknowledgment.

The journal has a strict stance against any form of plagiarism or unethical copying. Plagiarism is defined as the act of copying significant portions of a manuscript from previously published sources. All submitted manuscripts are cross-checked for plagiarism using Turnitin software. Manuscripts found to be plagiarized during the initial review stages will be outrightly rejected and not considered for publication. If plagiarism is discovered after publication, the Editor-in-Chief will conduct a preliminary investigation, possibly with the help of a committee. If the plagiarism is found to exceed acceptable limits, the journal will contact the author’s affiliated institution and any relevant funding agencies. The journal will also take necessary actions, such as linking to the original paper online to note the plagiarism and providing a reference to the plagiarized material. The plagiarized paper will be marked on each page of the PDF. Based on the extent of the plagiarism, the paper may be formally retracted.

Types of Plagiarism

The following types of plagiarism are recognized by AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in):

  • Full Plagiarism: Copying entire content from a source without any modification to the text, ideas, or grammar. This is considered full plagiarism, where the text is presented as the author’s own.

  • Partial Plagiarism: Involves a combination of text from multiple sources, where the author rephrases the content. This is known as partial plagiarism.

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing parts or entire sections of a previously published work by the same author, without proper citation or acknowledgment. Complete self-plagiarism occurs when an author republishes their own work in a new journal.

Policy and Actions for Plagiarism

AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) respects intellectual property and aims to protect and promote original work by its authors. Manuscripts containing plagiarized material go against the journal’s standards of quality and academic integrity. Authors submitting articles to AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) must adhere to ethical standards and avoid any form of plagiarism.

If an author is suspected of plagiarism in a submitted or published manuscript, AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) will contact the author(s) to provide an explanation within two weeks. If no response is received within the given timeframe, the journal will contact the Director, Dean, or Head of the institution or university to which the author is affiliated to take action.

In cases of published plagiarism, AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) will remove the plagiarized paper from its website and any third-party websites where it is listed and indexed. A Fact-Finding Committee (FFC) will be formed to investigate the matter. If the manuscript is confirmed to be plagiarized, AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) will support the original author, regardless of the publisher, and may take the following actions:

  • Contact the Director, Dean, or Vice-Chancellor of the author’s institution or university to enforce strict actions.
  • Remove the PDF of the plagiarized manuscript from the website and disable all links to the article.
  • Add the label “Plagiarized Manuscript” to the title of the published article.
  • Disable the author’s account with the journal and reject all future submissions for a period of 3, 5, or 10 years, or even permanently ban the author.
  • Publish a list of such authors, including their contact details, on the AMBEDKAR PATH (ambddkarpath.in) website.
  • Take any additional actions as recommended by the Fact-Finding Committee or as determined by the Editorial Board.