Plagiarism & Ethical Misconduct

Plagiarism and Ethical Misconduct

The Journal of Bone and Soft Tissue Surgery (JBSS) maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and all forms of unethical publishing behavior. To safeguard the originality and integrity of its publications, all submitted manuscripts are screened using iThenticate plagiarism detection software prior to entering the peer-review process.

Plagiarism Screening

  • Manuscripts containing unattributed text, data, images, or ideas copied from previously published sources without proper citation will be rejected immediately.

  • Overlap exceeding acceptable limits, even if unintentional, may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for revision or outright rejection.

  • Authors are responsible for ensuring that all quoted, paraphrased, or borrowed material is appropriately acknowledged and referenced.

Types of Unethical Misconduct

In addition to plagiarism, JBSS strictly prohibits the following practices:

  • Fabrication or falsification of data.

  • Image or figure manipulation that distorts scientific meaning.

  • Salami slicing (publishing multiple papers from the same dataset without clear justification).

  • Duplicate submission (submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously).

  • Redundant publication (republishing already published findings without proper attribution or justification).

Handling of Misconduct

Suspected cases of plagiarism or ethical misconduct will be investigated in line with COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity of the violation, actions may include:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript.

  • Retraction of a published article.

  • Notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions or funding bodies.

  • A ban on future submissions to JBSS.

Through these measures, JBSS upholds the integrity, credibility, and trustworthiness of the scholarly record, ensuring that all published research represents original, ethical, and scientifically valid contributions.