Plagiarism Policy

• IJDST considers plagiarism to be the presentation or use of another person's words, ideas, data, findings, images, figures, tables, or other intellectual work as one's own without appropriate acknowledgement.
• Plagiarism includes direct copying, substantial unattributed paraphrasing, inappropriate reuse of published material, and reproduction of third-party figures, tables, photographs, diagrams, or other protected materials without proper acknowledgement or permission where required.
• Self-plagiarism refers to the substantial reuse of an author's previously published words, data, or other material without appropriate acknowledgement or disclosure. Previously published work must be properly cited and must not be presented as entirely new material.
• Manuscripts submitted to IJDST may undergo an originality and similarity assessment as part of the editorial screening process.
• A similarity level of less than 10% may generally be considered acceptable, provided that the identified similarities do not indicate plagiarism and are appropriately acknowledged where necessary.
• A similarity percentage shall not be used as the sole basis for determining plagiarism. The Editorial Office shall consider the nature, extent, location, source, and context of identified similarities.
• Similarities resulting from references, standard terminology, commonly used technical expressions, properly cited quotations, article titles, or legitimate methodological descriptions may not constitute plagiarism.
• Authors are responsible for ensuring that all quotations, paraphrased material, ideas, data, and other borrowed content are properly cited and acknowledged.
• Unintentional plagiarism may result from inadequate quotation, paraphrasing, or citation practices. Authors are responsible for carefully checking their manuscripts before submission.
• Deliberate plagiarism includes knowingly presenting another person's work, ideas, data, findings, or expressions as one's own, including submitting purchased, copied, or borrowed work under the author's name.
• Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism or serious academic misconduct may be rejected, irrespective of the reported similarity percentage.
• If plagiarism is identified after publication, IJDST may take appropriate action, including correction, withdrawal, Expression of Concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and seriousness of the case.
• Authors may be asked to provide clarification or supporting information when substantial similarity or possible plagiarism is identified.
• IJDST is committed to protecting originality, academic integrity, and responsible citation practices throughout the publication process.