Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Business and Cultural Studies is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, inappropriate text reuse, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, or other forms of research and publication misconduct.

Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism and similarity-detection software during the editorial and peer-review process.
Similarity screening is an editorial screening tool and does not by itself determine whether plagiarism has occurred. The editorial team considers the nature, location, extent, and context of any identified similarity.
Legitimate similarities may occur in references, standard terminology, methodological descriptions, commonly used phrases, quotations, or other appropriately attributed material. Therefore, the journal does not apply an automatic or fixed similarity-percentage threshold for determining plagiarism.

Types of Inappropriate Text Reuse

The journal considers the following practices to be potentially problematic and subject to editorial assessment:
Unattributed use of another author's words, ideas, data, figures, tables, or other intellectual contributions.
Copying substantial portions of text or data and presenting them as original work.
Mosaic plagiarism or inappropriate paraphrasing without proper attribution.
Reuse of previously published material without appropriate disclosure or attribution.
Duplicate or redundant publication.
Submission of substantially overlapping manuscripts to more than one journal.
Unauthorized reuse of copyrighted material.
Manipulation or concealment of sources or references to misrepresent the originality of the work.
Text recycling or reuse of an author's own previously published material may also require editorial assessment, particularly where the reused material is substantial or is presented without appropriate disclosure.

Editorial Assessment of Similarity

When substantial or inappropriate overlap is identified, the editorial team will assess the available evidence and may contact the corresponding author for clarification.
Depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the concern, the journal may:
request an explanation or clarification from the authors;
request appropriate revision, quotation, attribution, or citation;
require removal or correction of improperly reused material;
reject the manuscript;
suspend the editorial process while an investigation is conducted;
contact the authors' institution or relevant research-integrity authority where appropriate; or
take appropriate post-publication action if the concern relates to an already published article.
Editorial action will depend on the nature and extent of the suspected misconduct and the available evidence.

Plagiarism Identified After Publication

If plagiarism or substantial inappropriate text reuse is identified after publication, the journal will investigate the concern in accordance with its publication-ethics procedures.
Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, as appropriate. The journal may also contact the authors, their institution, or other relevant parties when necessary.
Post-publication concerns will be handled with reference to applicable publication-ethics guidance, including relevant COPE procedures.

Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:
the submitted manuscript is their original work;
all sources and intellectual contributions of others are appropriately acknowledged and cited;
quotations are clearly identified and properly referenced;
previously published material is appropriately disclosed and attributed;
the manuscript has not been submitted simultaneously to another journal;
data, figures, tables, and other materials are used with appropriate permission where required; and
the manuscript complies with the journal's research and publication-ethics requirements.
Submission of a manuscript constitutes an acknowledgement by the authors that the work complies with these requirements.

Use of Similarity Reports

Similarity reports are treated as confidential editorial documents and are used to assist editors in assessing originality and potential publication-ethics concerns. A similarity score alone is not considered evidence of plagiarism.
Editors may request additional information or supporting documentation from authors when necessary to evaluate identified similarities.

Editorial Independence

Plagiarism and publication-ethics concerns are handled independently of commercial considerations. Editorial decisions relating to suspected plagiarism are based on the available evidence, scholarly and ethical considerations, and the journal's publication policies.
The Editor-in-Chief has overall responsibility for publication ethics and editorial oversight. The Editor-in-Chief may delegate the handling of individual cases to a Senior Editor or another formally designated editor with appropriate subject expertise.

Ethical Guidance

The journal follows recognized publication-ethics principles and may refer to relevant Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance when assessing suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or related publication misconduct. COPE recommends that journals assess the degree and context of copying and follow an appropriate investigative process rather than relying solely on a fixed similarity percentage.
Authors and editors are expected to cooperate in good faith with any investigation concerning suspected plagiarism or other publication misconduct.