Plagiarism Policy

Kafkasya Journal of Health Sciences (KJHS) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. The journal adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and other forms of unethical publishing practices.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Using another author's ideas, data, text, figures, or tables without proper citation or acknowledgment

  • Copying content from previously published sources without appropriate referencing

  • Self-plagiarism, which occurs when authors reuse substantial portions of their previously published work without proper citation

  • Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals

  • Republishing previously published content as a new work

Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts submitted to Kafkasya Journal of Health Sciences are screened for similarity using iThenticate plagiarism detection software before entering the peer review process.

The overall similarity index must not exceed 15%, excluding references, properly quoted material, and standard methodological descriptions.

Manuscripts exceeding the acceptable similarity threshold may:

  • Be returned to the authors for revision, or

  • Be rejected by the editorial board prior to peer review, depending on the severity of the overlap.

Plagiarism Screening Procedure

The plagiarism control process in Kafkasya Journal of Health Sciences consists of the following steps:

  1. Initial Editorial Check
    All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial screening by the editorial office.

  2. Similarity Analysis
    Manuscripts are analyzed using iThenticate software, which compares the text against extensive international academic databases and previously published works.

  3. Editorial Evaluation
    The editor reviews the similarity report and evaluates whether the detected overlaps comply with proper academic citation standards.

  4. Editorial Decision

    • If the similarity level is acceptable, the manuscript proceeds to the double-blind peer review process.

    • If excessive similarity is detected, the manuscript may be returned for revision or rejected.

Editorial Actions

If plagiarism or unethical publication practices are detected at any stage of the editorial or publication process, the editorial board may take the following actions:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript

  • Requesting revisions and proper citation from the authors

  • Informing the authors’ affiliated institutions in cases of serious misconduct

  • Retraction of the published article if plagiarism is discovered after publication

Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

  • Their submitted work is original and has not been published elsewhere

  • All sources are properly cited and acknowledged

  • Necessary permissions have been obtained for any previously published materials used

  • All contributors and previous research are appropriately recognized

Ethical Standards

Kafkasya Journal of Health Sciences follows international ethical publishing standards and is committed to preventing academic misconduct in all forms while promoting transparency, originality, and responsible research practices.