Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal

Plagiarism & AI-Generated Content Policy

Policy Statement

Shodh Sari – An International Multidisciplinary Journal accepts only high-quality, original, and unpublished research. The journal maintains a zero-tolerance approach toward plagiarism and unethical publication practices and is committed to protecting intellectual property and maintaining academic integrity in accordance with COPE guidelines.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to the journal.

Plagiarism Policy

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Direct copying of text, ideas, data, images, or tables without proper attribution

• Substantial paraphrasing without appropriate citation

• Self-plagiarism or text recycling without disclosure

• Duplicate or redundant publication

• Presenting others’ work as one’s own

Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

Plagiarism Detection

All manuscripts submitted to Shodh Sari are screened for plagiarism using Turnitin software before entering the peer-review process.

• Manuscripts found to contain unacceptable similarity during initial screening will be rejected outright

• Similarity reports are reviewed carefully, considering discipline-specific norms and legitimate citations

Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism is detected after publication:

• The Editor-in-Chief will conduct a preliminary investigation, which may involve a suitably constituted committee

• Authors will be informed and given an opportunity to respond

• Depending on the severity, actions may include:

  • Issuance of a correction or expression of concern

  • Retraction of the article

  • Other actions as deemed appropriate by the Editorial Board

All decisions will follow COPE procedures and will be transparently documented.

Protection of Intellectual Property

The journal respects intellectual property and actively promotes the originality of scholarly work. Manuscripts containing plagiarized material violate the journal’s standards of quality, research ethics, and innovation. Authors are expected to comply fully with ethical publishing norms.

AI-Generated Content Policy

Policy Overview

In line with evolving academic practices, Shodh Sari recognizes the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and writing. While limited and responsible use of AI tools is permitted, transparency, human oversight, and accountability are mandatory.

The human authors bear full responsibility for the integrity, originality, accuracy, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

AI Tools and Authorship

AI tools, large language models (LLMs), chatbots, or similar technologies do not qualify for authorship.

Authorship requires accountability, responsibility, and the ability to approve the final manuscript and respond to ethical concerns—functions that can only be performed by humans. AI tools must not be listed or cited as authors or co-authors.

Disclosure of AI Tool Use

Authors must disclose the use of any AI tools involved in the preparation of the manuscript, including but not limited to:

• Text generation (abstracts, introductions, literature reviews, discussions)

• Translation or language enhancement

• Data analysis or code generation

• Image, figure, or graphical content creation or modification

• Literature summarization

How to Disclose AI Use

• Methods Section: For AI tools used in research design, data analysis, modeling, or interpretation (include tool name, version, and purpose)

• Acknowledgements Section: For AI tools used for language editing, grammar improvement, or stylistic refinement

• During Submission: Authors must confirm adherence to this policy and declare AI usage, if any

Human Oversight and Responsibility

Authors are solely accountable for:

• Accuracy: Verifying all AI-assisted content for correctness and completeness

• Originality: Ensuring AI-generated text is free from plagiarism and properly cited

• Ethical Integrity: Identifying and mitigating potential bias, misinformation, or misrepresentation

• Confidentiality: Avoiding the input of sensitive, unpublished, or proprietary data into AI tools

Prohibited Use of AI Tools

AI tools must not be used for:

• Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or findings

• Autonomous generation of core research arguments, interpretations, or conclusions

• Creating misleading or unverifiable content

Such misuse constitutes research misconduct.

Use of AI by Reviewers and Editors

To protect confidentiality and editorial integrity:

• Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts or review reports into AI tools

• AI tools must not be used to generate substantive peer-review reports or editorial decisions

• All evaluations must rely on independent human judgment

Policy Review and Compliance

This policy is reviewed periodically to reflect advancements in AI technologies and international best practices in scholarly publishing.

By submitting a manuscript to Shodh Sari – An International Multidisciplinary Journal, authors confirm their compliance with this Plagiarism & AI-Generated Content Policy.