Plagiarism, Similarity & Academic Integrity Policy

Academic integrity is the bedrock of scientific discourse. International Journal of Innovative Trends in Engineering Science and Technology maintains a strict, zero-tolerance policy against all manifestations of plagiarism and intellectual misappropriation in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) standards.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• • Verbatim Copying: Reproducing text word-for-word from another source without quotation marks and complete citation.
• • Substantial Paraphrasing: Rephrasing another author's ideas or research design without proper attribution.
• • Self-Plagiarism & Text Recycling: Reusing extensive passages from an author's previously published papers without citation.
• • Data & Image Fabrication: Splicing, altering, or synthesizing experimental data, figures, or micrographs.
• • Idea Theft: Presenting someone else's unique conceptual methodology or algorithm as one's own original work.

Every manuscript submitted to IJITEST undergoes automated similarity verification using industry-standard tools (Turnitin / iThenticate) prior to editorial dispatch.

When similarity or text recycling is identified, the editorial board follows the official COPE flowchart:

• • Pre-Review: Manuscripts exceeding 15% similarity with unintentional overlaps are returned for revision; papers with blatant copying are desk-rejected immediately.
• • During Peer Review: If reviewers or editors identify uncredited sources, the manuscript is halted and rejected pending investigation.
• • Post-Publication: If confirmed plagiarism is discovered post-publication, the paper is formally retracted with a prominent notice, and the authors' institution may be formally notified.