Plagiarism is when an author attempts to pass off someone else's work as his or her own. Duplicate publication, sometimes called self-plagiarism, occurs when an author reuses substantial parts of his or her own published work without providing the appropriate references. This can range from having an identical manuscript published in multiple journals, to “salami-slicing”, where authors add small amounts of new data to a previous manuscript.
Plagiarism can be said to have clearly occurred when large chunks of text have been cut and pasted. Such manuscripts would not be considered for publication in an AOSIS journal. However, minor plagiarism without dishonest intent is relatively frequent, for example when an author reuses parts of an introduction from an earlier manuscript. AOSIS journal editors judge any case of which they become aware (either by their own knowledge of and reading about the literature, or when alerted by referees) on its own merits.
AOSIS is a member of Similarity Check, an initiative to help editors verify the originality of submitted manuscripts. As part of this process, all manuscripts are scanned and compared with the Similarity Check database.
If a case of plagiarism comes to light after a manuscript is published in an AOSIS journal, the journal will conduct a preliminary investigation. If plagiarism is found, the journal will contact the author's institute and funding agencies. A determination of misconduct will lead the AOSIS journal to publish a corrigendum linked to the original publication, with an explanation. Depending on the extent of the plagiarism, the manuscript may also be formally retracted.
All cases will be managed as outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts for handling suspected plagiarism in submitted work or suspected plagiarism in a published article.
Fabrication refers to the intentional invention of data or results. Falsification involves the manipulation of data, images, or results so that the research record is misrepresented. Both practices are considered serious misconduct.
If a case of fabrication or falsification is suspected, the journal will conduct a preliminary investigation. Where misconduct is confirmed, the manuscript will be rejected, or if already published, retracted. The journal will also contact the author’s institute and funding agencies.
All cases will be handled following the guidance provided in the COPE flowcharts for suspected fabrication and falsification in a submitted manuscript or suspected fabricated and falsification in a published article.
The publisher and journal acknowledge that authors may wish to make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-powered tools in preparing their work. While such tools can be helpful, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submissions.
We request that authors be open in their manuscripts about the use of AI and AI-powered tools in conducting their research. Please follow the guidelines in the AI policy around declaring the use of AI and AI-powered tools and when it is applicable to do so. This helps maintain transparency and build trust with our readers. Editors may follow up with authors if further clarification is needed. Not declaring the use of AI and AI-powered tools, when relevant, could affect the outcome of the review or publication process.
For guidance on the use of AI and AI-powered tools in manuscript preparation, authors can refer to the following resources: