Plagiarism Policy

Journal of Sustainable Smart Technologies (JSST)

Commitment to Academic Integrity

The Journal of Sustainable Smart Technologies (JSST) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation of scholarly ethics and is strictly prohibited.

All manuscripts submitted to JSST are screened for originality prior to peer review and publication.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the use of another person's ideas, words, data, figures, images, methodologies, or research findings without proper acknowledgment or attribution.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Direct copying of text without citation.
  • Paraphrasing without appropriate attribution.
  • Use of figures, tables, graphs, or images without permission or citation.
  • Presentation of another person's work as one's own.
  • Unattributed use of research data or methodologies.
  • Translation plagiarism.
  • Patchwork or mosaic plagiarism.

Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without proper citation or disclosure.

Examples include:

  • Reusing published text without citation.
  • Duplicate publication of the same research.
  • Submission of substantially similar manuscripts to multiple journals.
  • Republishing previously published results as new research.

Authors must appropriately cite all previously published work, including their own.

Similarity Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using recognized plagiarism detection software.

The editorial office evaluates similarity reports carefully to distinguish between:

  • Legitimate citations and references.
  • Common technical terminology.
  • Methodological descriptions.
  • Potential plagiarism concerns.

Editorial decisions are based on both the similarity percentage and the nature of the overlapping content.

Acceptable Similarity Limits

JSST generally follows the following guidelines:

Similarity Index Editorial Action
Up to 10% Normally acceptable
11% – 20% May require revision and clarification
Above 20% Subject to detailed investigation
Above 30% May result in immediate rejection

The Editorial Board reserves the right to make decisions based on the quality and source of overlapping content rather than similarity percentage alone.

Excessive similarity from a single source may result in rejection even if the overall similarity score appears acceptable.

Author Responsibilities

Authors must ensure that:

  • Submitted manuscripts are original.
  • All sources are properly cited.
  • Quotations are clearly identified and referenced.
  • Permissions are obtained when required.
  • Previously published content is appropriately acknowledged.
  • Similarity reports are reviewed before submission whenever possible.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality of submitted work.

Editorial Actions in Cases of Plagiarism

When plagiarism is suspected, the Editorial Board may take one or more of the following actions:

Before Publication

  • Request explanation from authors.
  • Request manuscript revision.
  • Reject the manuscript.
  • Suspend the review process pending investigation.

After Publication

  • Publish corrections.
  • Issue expressions of concern.
  • Retract the article.
  • Notify affiliated institutions where appropriate.
  • Restrict future submissions from the authors.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication

JSST does not accept manuscripts that:

  • Have been previously published.
  • Are simultaneously under review elsewhere.
  • Represent duplicate or redundant publication.

Authors must disclose any closely related submissions or publications during manuscript submission.

Citation Manipulation

Authors should not:

  • Include unnecessary citations solely to increase citation counts.
  • Engage in citation stacking.
  • Manipulate references for personal or institutional benefit.

Such practices are considered unethical and may lead to rejection.

AI-Generated Content and Plagiarism

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for language assistance is permitted when properly disclosed.

However:

  • AI-generated content must be reviewed and verified by authors.
  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
  • Authors remain responsible for originality, accuracy, and citation compliance.
  • AI-generated text that reproduces copyrighted or unattributed content may constitute plagiarism.

Retraction Due to Plagiarism

Published articles found to contain significant plagiarism may be retracted in accordance with JSST Publication Ethics and Retraction Policies.

Retraction notices will remain permanently available as part of the scholarly record.

Ethical Commitment

JSST promotes responsible research practices and supports the dissemination of original scholarly contributions that advance sustainable technologies and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The journal expects all authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold the principles of honesty, transparency, accountability, and academic integrity.

Contact

For plagiarism-related concerns, complaints, or reporting suspected misconduct:

Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Sustainable Smart Technologies (JSST)
Website: https://jsstjournal.com
Email: editor@jsstjournal.com

Last Updated: July 2026