Commitment to Academic Integrity

AgriSustain-An International Journal (ASAIJ) is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of academic honesty and ethical publishing. All manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent original scholarly work and must properly acknowledge the ideas, data, figures, and words of others. Any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism and duplicate publication, is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

Screening for Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo plagiarism screening before they are sent for peer review. Additional checks may be conducted during the review, editing, proofreading, or publication stages whenever necessary.

The journal reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action if plagiarism is identified at any point in the publication process.

Assessment of Similarity Levels

Manuscripts are evaluated according to the extent of detected similarity:

Similarity Below 5%

• The manuscript may be assigned a submission ID.
• Authors will be requested to revise and improve the text where necessary.
• The manuscript may proceed after satisfactory corrections.

Similarity Between 5% and 25%

• The manuscript will be returned to the author(s) for substantial revision.
• A submission ID may not be assigned until the revised manuscript meets the journal’s originality requirements.
• Authors must address all highlighted sections and provide proper citations where applicable.

Similarity Above 25%

• The manuscript will be rejected without entering the peer-review process.
• Authors may revise the manuscript thoroughly and submit it again as a new submission.
• Excessive similarity indicates insufficient originality and raises concerns regarding publication ethics.

Why High-Similarity Manuscripts Are Rejected

Manuscripts exhibiting more than 25% similarity generally contain extensive unattributed or improperly cited material. Experience has shown that such submissions often require major restructuring and rewriting. Therefore, these manuscripts are rejected to preserve the integrity and efficiency of the review process. Authors are encouraged to prepare a substantially revised version before resubmission.

Plagiarism Detected After Publication

If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the journal will initiate a formal investigation.

Depending on the outcome, the journal may:

• Contact the corresponding author and co-authors.
• Inform the affiliated institution(s) and relevant funding agency(ies).
• Publish a correction or editorial notice.
• Mark the article as containing plagiarized content.
• Temporarily remove access to the article while the matter is investigated.
• Retract the article if significant ethical violations are confirmed.

The final decision will depend on the severity and nature of the plagiarism.

Originality Requirement

Submission of a manuscript to ASAIJ implies that:

• The work is original and has not been published previously.
• The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.
• All sources of information have been appropriately cited.
• Any reproduced material has been used with proper permission and acknowledgment.

The journal may use plagiarism-detection software to verify originality before publication.

Forms of Plagiarism

Plagiarism may occur in several forms, including but not limited to:

• Copying text directly from published or unpublished sources without proper citation.
• Reproducing substantial portions of another author’s work and presenting them as one’s own.
• Using figures, tables, graphs, illustrations, equations, photographs, or datasets without acknowledgment or permission.
• Downloading and incorporating material from websites without citing the source.
• Improper paraphrasing that closely follows the original text.
• Submitting work that has already been published elsewhere without disclosure.

Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse significant portions of their own previously published work without appropriate citation or disclosure.

Reuse of earlier material may be acceptable when:

• The original publication is clearly cited.
• The relationship between the new and previous work is transparently explained.
• The reused content complies with copyright and publisher policies.

Authors must disclose any overlap with previously published or submitted manuscripts.

Proper Acknowledgment of Sources

Authors are responsible for providing accurate citations for all information, concepts, data, images, tables, and quotations derived from other sources. Appropriate referencing enables readers to verify information and ensures that original contributors receive proper credit for their work.

Unintentional Plagiarism

The journal recognizes that plagiarism may occasionally occur unintentionally due to inadequate citation practices or misunderstanding of academic writing standards. Nevertheless, authors bear full responsibility for ensuring that their submissions comply with ethical publishing requirements.

Authors are encouraged to carefully distinguish between:

• Direct quotations,
• Paraphrased content, and
• Original contributions,

and to cite all sources correctly.

Reporting Suspected Plagiarism

The editorial board and reviewers make every effort to identify plagiarism during the evaluation process. However, readers, researchers, and original authors who identify suspected plagiarism in a published article are encouraged to notify the journal.

All reports will be investigated thoroughly and confidentially. Where necessary, authors will be contacted and appropriate corrective actions will be taken in accordance with the journal’s ethical guidelines.

For reporting suspected plagiarism or publication misconduct, please contact:

Email: editor.agrisustain@gmail.com

Policy Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to AgriSustain–An International Journal (ASAIJ), authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Plagiarism and Publication Ethics Policy. Failure to adhere to these standards may result in manuscript rejection, article retraction, or other corrective actions deemed necessary by the Editorial Board.