Plagiarism & Retraction Policy

Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Science, and Innovation Editorial Board recognizes that plagiarism is not acceptable and therefore establishes the following policy stating specific actions (penalties) upon identification of plagiarism/similarities in articles submitted for publication in the Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Science, and Innovation. The Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Science, and Innovation uses Turnitin's originality checking software as the tool for detecting similarities of text in submitted manuscripts and final versions of articles ready for publication. A maximum similarity index of 25% is allowed. If the similarity index exceeds 25%, the article will be returned to the author for correction and resubmission.

Definition:

Plagiarism involves the use or close imitation of the language and ideas of another author and presenting them as one’s own original work.

Policy:

Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Any verbatim material from another source must be clearly identified through indentation, quotation marks, and proper citation of the source.

Text exceeding fair use standards (more than two or three consecutive sentences or equivalent content), as well as any reproduced figures or tables, requires written permission from the copyright holder and clear acknowledgment of the original source.

When plagiarism is identified, the Editor-in-Chief will determine appropriate actions based on the severity of the case, in accordance with the following guidelines:

Levels of Plagiarism

Minor: Limited plagiarism without significant data or ideas taken.

Action: Authors receive a warning and are required to revise the text with proper citation.

Intermediate: Substantial plagiarism without proper attribution.

Action: Manuscript rejection and submission ban for one year.

Severe: Reproduction of original data, results, or ideas from another publication.

Action: Manuscript rejection and submission ban for five years.

All authors are collectively responsible for the content of submitted manuscripts and are expected to comply with the Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Science, and Innovation’s copyright and licensing terms. Penalties apply equally to all co-authors.

Repeat plagiarism offenses may result in permanent submission bans, subject to a decision by the Editorial Board.

This policy also applies to self-plagiarism. Previously published text or figures must be clearly identified, cited, and used only with permission from the copyright holder.

Manuscripts with significant overlap with submissions to other journals will be treated as severe plagiarism cases. Minor overlap confined to the methods section may be considered minor plagiarism.

Reuse of unpublished presentations is permitted. Translated or republished works must disclose original publication details and obtain copyright permission.

The layout editor maintains records of sanctioned authors and verifies compliance prior to publication.

Retraction and/or Corrections

Authors are discouraged from withdrawing manuscripts during the publication process. Withdrawal requests must be formally submitted to the editorial office.

The editors of the Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Science, and Innovation may retract an article if:

  • The findings are unreliable due to error, fabrication, or falsification
  • Plagiarism is identified
  • Redundant or duplicate publication is detected
  • Unauthorized or illegal material is used
  • Ethical research violations are confirmed
  • Peer review manipulation is identified
  • Undisclosed conflicts of interest affect the work

Retraction notices will:

  • Be clearly linked to the retracted article
  • Identify the article and authors
  • Be labeled clearly as retractions
  • Be issued promptly and transparently
  • Be freely accessible
  • State the reason and authority for retraction

Retractions are not appropriate when:

  • Authorship disputes do not affect validity
  • Errors can be corrected without invalidating conclusions
  • Investigations are ongoing or inconclusive

Editors may issue an expression of concern if:

  • Evidence of misconduct is inconclusive
  • Institutional investigations are incomplete or absent
  • Final decisions are delayed

Corrections may be issued if:

  • Minor errors are identified
  • Authorship information requires amendment

The mechanism follows the guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Retraction Guidelines .

Download COPE Retraction Guidelines (PDF)