Commitment to Academic Integrity: Discover STM Publishing Ltd. upholds the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing practices. As a full voting member of Crossref, we utilize the plagiarism detection services of iThenticate to assess manuscripts submitted to our journals for originality.

Definition of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of using another individual’s work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment or permission, and presenting it as one’s own. This includes, but is not limited to:

Direct Plagiarism: Reproducing another's work word-for-word without quotation marks or proper citation.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without acknowledging its earlier publication.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting another’s work in one’s own words without appropriate attribution.
Mosaic Plagiarism: Integrating phrases, ideas, or sentences from multiple sources into new work without proper citation.

Plagiarism Detection Process:
The publisher, Discover STM Publishing Ltd. provides an integrated online plagiarism detection system to all the editors of the journals published or hosted by the publisher. All manuscripts submitted to our journals undergo a comprehensive plagiarism check using iThenticate. This process ensures the originality and integrity of the research presented.

Plagiarism Tolerance and Citation:

• A similarity index of up to 15% is generally acceptable, recognizing that some level of similarity may naturally occur, especially in methodology or literature review sections.
• Authors must ensure proper citation and attribution for any overlapping content with prior work.

Consequences of Plagiarism:

• Detected plagiarism will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript.
• Depending on the severity, additional actions may include notification to the author's institution and a ban on future submissions from the offending author.
• We adhere to COPE Guidelines in addressing detected plagiarism cases.

Reporting Plagiarism:

• We encourage our community – readers, reviewers, and authors – to report suspected cases of plagiarism.
• Reports should be directed to the editorial office with comprehensive details including the journal name, manuscript title, volume/issue number, and any pertinent information.

Cooperation Request:
Your cooperation in maintaining the integrity of scholarly publishing is invaluable. We thank you for adhering to these guidelines and for your commitment to upholding academic standards.