Plagiarism Policy
Protecting academic integrity, originality and responsible scholarly publishing through rigorous standards of attribution, originality and research ethics.
Original scholarship. Proper attribution.
The Journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, originality and responsible scholarly publishing. Plagiarism, in all its forms, is considered a serious violation of publication ethics and will not be tolerated.
All submitted manuscripts must represent original scholarly work and must appropriately acknowledge the ideas, words, data, arguments and materials derived from other sources.
What Constitutes Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is a serious breach of scholarly ethics
Plagiarism includes presenting another person's work, ideas, words, data or intellectual contribution as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment.
- Direct copying of text without quotation and citation.
- Using another author's ideas or arguments without proper attribution.
- Copying or reproducing tables, figures, images or other materials without appropriate acknowledgment or permission.
- Paraphrasing another author's work without proper citation.
- Translating and presenting previously published material as original work without acknowledgment.
- Submitting another person's work, in whole or in part, as one's own.
- Reusing substantial portions of previously published work without appropriate disclosure and attribution.
Self-Plagiarism & Duplicate Publication
Authors must not substantially reuse their own previously published material without proper acknowledgment.
Self-plagiarism may include substantial reuse of previously published text, data, analysis or other material without appropriate citation or disclosure.
The Journal also does not accept:
- Duplicate publication.
- Redundant publication.
- Simultaneous submission to multiple journals.
- Republishing substantially the same research as a new article without appropriate disclosure.
Where previous publications are closely related to a submitted manuscript, authors should disclose them to the Editorial Office.
Plagiarism Screening
Similarity screening before publication
All submitted manuscripts may be screened using appropriate plagiarism and similarity-detection software before or during the editorial and peer-review process.
The Journal generally permits a maximum overall similarity of 10% , excluding legitimate matches such as the reference list, properly quoted material, standard terminology, commonly used phrases and other unavoidable similarities.
A similarity level above 10% may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for revision, additional clarification or rejection, depending on the nature and extent of the similarity.
The Journal does not consider a similarity percentage alone to be proof of plagiarism. The Editorial Office will examine the source, nature, extent, location and context of identified similarities before making a decision.
Editorial Assessment
Where potentially problematic similarity is identified, the Editorial Office may:
- Request an explanation from the authors.
- Request revision or rewriting of affected sections.
- Request appropriate citations or permissions.
- Reject the manuscript before peer review.
- Refer the matter for further investigation where necessary.
The final decision is based on the overall circumstances and seriousness of the concern rather than on a similarity percentage alone.
Plagiarism Detected Before Publication
If plagiarism or serious academic misconduct is identified before publication, the Journal may:
- Reject the manuscript.
- Suspend the review process.
- Request an explanation from the authors.
- Request clarification regarding ownership or sources.
- Notify the relevant institution where appropriate.
- Restrict future submissions in serious cases.
The action taken will depend on the severity and circumstances of the case.
Plagiarism Detected After Publication
Protecting the integrity of the scholarly record
If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the Journal will assess the matter and may take appropriate corrective action.
- Publication of a correction.
- Publication of an editorial notice.
- Issuance of an Expression of Concern.
- Retraction of the article.
- Removal of the article from active publication where legally or ethically necessary.
- Notification of the author's institution or other relevant authority.
The Journal will take reasonable steps to protect the integrity of the published scholarly record.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original and properly documented.
Before submission, authors should:
- Check their manuscript for inappropriate textual similarity.
- Properly cite all sources.
- Use quotation marks for directly reproduced text where appropriate.
- Clearly distinguish their own ideas from those of other researchers.
- Obtain permission for copyrighted material where required.
- Disclose closely related publications or manuscripts.
- Ensure that all references accurately correspond to the material cited.
Authors remain responsible for plagiarism even when inappropriate text or material has resulted from the use of third-party writing or AI tools.
Citation & Paraphrasing
Proper paraphrasing requires attribution
Changing a few words or rearranging the structure of another author's text does not constitute sufficient paraphrasing when the original idea or expression remains substantially the same.
Authors must properly acknowledge the source of ideas and information even when material has been paraphrased.
Direct quotations should be clearly identified and appropriately cited according to the Journal's required citation style.
Artificial Intelligence & AI-Generated Content
Responsible use of artificial intelligence
Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for limited purposes such as grammar correction, language improvement, formatting, translation assistance and editorial refinement.
The Journal generally permits up to 20% AI-generated content , subject to editorial assessment.
AI-generated content exceeding 20% may result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for revision, clarification or further assessment.
The AI percentage is considered an editorial screening indicator rather than definitive evidence of misconduct. AI-detection tools can produce false positives and should therefore not be treated as the sole basis for an editorial decision.
Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts, including accuracy, originality, citations, data, analysis, interpretations and conclusions.
AI tools must not be used to:
- Fabricate data or research findings.
- Generate fictitious references or citations.
- Create false quotations or sources.
- Misrepresent research or evidence.
- Conceal plagiarism.
- Paraphrase copied material merely to avoid similarity detection.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
Where AI has been used substantially in preparing a manuscript, authors should provide an appropriate disclosure in accordance with the Journal's AI Use Policy.
Important Note
The 10% similarity threshold and 20% AI-content threshold are screening guidelines, not automatic acceptance limits.
The Editorial Office retains the right to assess each manuscript individually based on academic integrity, originality, quality and the nature of the detected content.
Responsibilities of Editors & Reviewers
Editorial Vigilance
Editors are expected to remain alert to potential plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct.
Reviewer Responsibility
Reviewers who identify suspected plagiarism should confidentially inform the Editorial Office.
Confidential Handling
Editors will evaluate concerns fairly and confidentially and may request further information where necessary.
False or Malicious Allegations
Allegations of plagiarism should be made responsibly and supported by relevant evidence wherever possible.
The Journal will not treat an allegation as proof of misconduct and will provide appropriate opportunity for clarification or response before taking significant action, where circumstances permit.
Commitment to Academic Integrity
Upholding the integrity of scholarly publishing
The Journal considers originality and proper attribution fundamental requirements of scholarly publishing.
All authors are expected to uphold the principles of honesty, transparency, proper attribution, intellectual responsibility and respect for the work of other researchers.
Any confirmed case of serious plagiarism or related academic misconduct may result in rejection, withdrawal, correction, retraction or other appropriate action depending on the circumstances.
Original Research. Responsible Scholarship.
The Business and Economic Review is committed to protecting the integrity of academic publishing through originality, proper attribution, responsible use of technology and transparent editorial assessment.