Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

The International Journal of Business Integrity and Technology Advancements (IJBITA) is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly communication. Originality, transparency, and ethical research practices are fundamental principles of the journal. Accordingly, IJBITA maintains a strict policy against plagiarism, research misconduct, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, and any unauthorized use of intellectual property.

Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person's intellectual work as one's own without proper acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to, copying text verbatim without appropriate citation, paraphrasing published material without attribution, reproducing figures, tables, images, datasets, software code, or research methodologies without permission or acknowledgment, misappropriating research findings, and self-plagiarism through the reuse of previously published content without adequate disclosure or citation. Any form of plagiarism or unethical appropriation of scholarly work constitutes a serious breach of academic and publishing ethics.

To preserve the originality and credibility of published research, IJBITA requires that the overall similarity index of all submitted manuscripts does not exceed 19%, excluding references, correctly quoted passages, standard methodological descriptions, and universally accepted technical terminology. This stringent threshold reflects the journal's commitment to publishing authentic, innovative, and high-quality research that contributes meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge.

Every manuscript submitted to IJBITA undergoes a comprehensive originality assessment using internationally recognized plagiarism detection software, including Turnitin, iThenticate, or comparable similarity-checking systems, before it enters the peer-review process. Similarity reports are evaluated carefully by the Editorial Office to differentiate acceptable scholarly overlap from unethical duplication. Authors are solely responsible for ensuring that their submissions are original, properly referenced, and fully compliant with copyright and intellectual property regulations.

Where minor citation deficiencies or unintentional similarity issues are identified, authors may be invited to revise their manuscripts before further editorial consideration. However, manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism, fabricated or falsified data, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material, or other serious ethical violations will be rejected immediately. If misconduct is discovered after publication, IJBITA reserves the right to retract the article, publish a formal retraction notice, remove the article from its official records where appropriate, and notify relevant institutions, funding agencies, or professional bodies when necessary. Authors responsible for serious or repeated ethical violations may also be restricted from future submissions to the journal.

As part of the manuscript submission process, all authors must certify that the submitted work is original, has not been published previously, is not under review elsewhere, and appropriately acknowledges all sources of information. Authors must further confirm that every listed co-author has made a substantial scholarly contribution, reviewed and approved the final manuscript, and agreed to its submission for publication.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

IJBITA recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence technologies in modern scholarly research and supports their responsible and transparent use. Authors may employ AI-assisted applications such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Grammarly, or comparable technologies to assist with language editing, grammar improvement, coding support, data organization, literature exploration, or idea generation. Nevertheless, AI tools should be regarded only as supportive technologies and must not replace human intellectual responsibility.

The authors retain full accountability for every aspect of the submitted manuscript, including its accuracy, originality, interpretation of findings, ethical compliance, and scientific integrity. AI systems cannot be recognized as authors because they cannot assume legal or ethical responsibility, approve the final manuscript, disclose conflicts of interest, or satisfy internationally accepted authorship criteria.

Manuscripts that are wholly or substantially generated by artificial intelligence without meaningful human intellectual contribution will not be considered for publication. Authors are expected to exercise independent critical thinking, scientific reasoning, data interpretation, and scholarly judgment throughout the research and writing process.

The use of AI-generated content is especially discouraged in essential scholarly sections, including the Abstract, Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion, where originality and intellectual interpretation are fundamental. Whenever AI tools have made a significant contribution to manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use transparently in the Acknowledgments section or within a dedicated AI Disclosure Statement. Failure to disclose substantial AI assistance or the submission of fabricated, misleading, or AI-generated content presented as original scholarship may result in rejection, retraction, or other editorial actions consistent with the journal's ethical policies.

Authors who disagree with a plagiarism assessment or an editorial decision relating to AI usage may submit a written appeal to the Editorial Office. All appeals will be reviewed impartially by the Editorial Board of IJBITA, with decisions based on internationally recognized publication ethics, supporting evidence, and principles of fairness and due process.

Through this policy, the International Journal of Business Integrity and Technology Advancements (IJBITA) reaffirms its dedication to safeguarding academic integrity, protecting intellectual property, promoting ethical research practices, encouraging the responsible use of emerging technologies, and publishing original, reliable, and impactful research that advances business integrity, ethical governance, digital innovation, and technology-driven organizational excellence.