Plagiarism and Misconduct Policy

Publication Ethics and Integrity

Synthesis: A Multidisciplinary Research Journal is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. The journal maintains a rigorous ethical framework to prevent, identify, and address all forms of research misconduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, improper authorship, and unethical use of artificial intelligence.

Plagiarism Screening and Similarity Standards

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using reputable detection tools such as iThenticate or Turnitin prior to peer review.

  • Manuscripts demonstrating similarity greater than 10% (excluding references, quotations, and commonly used phrases) may be desk rejected or returned to authors for revision.

  • Suspected plagiarism in published articles will be evaluated in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, which may result in corrections, retractions, or other corrective actions.

Unacceptable Practices

The following practices are strictly prohibited and constitute grounds for immediate rejection, withdrawal, or retraction:

  • Plagiarism: Using another individual’s ideas, words, or work without appropriate acknowledgement.

  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s previously published content without proper citation or justification.

  • Data Fabrication and Falsification: Inventing, altering, or selectively reporting data, images, or results.

  • Duplicate or Redundant Publication: Submitting or publishing substantially similar work across multiple outlets without disclosure.

  • Improper Authorship: Including individuals who did not contribute meaningfully to the research or excluding those who did.

Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Synthesis recognizes that AI tools may support the research and writing process but must be used responsibly and transparently.

  • Permitted Use: Limited use of AI tools for language editing, grammar improvement, or formatting assistance is acceptable, provided that such use does not exceed approximately 5% of manuscript content and does not alter the scholarly substance of the work.

  • Prohibited Use: AI tools must not be used for developing research ideas, generating data, conducting analysis, producing substantive text, or fabricating citations.

  • Disclosure: Authors must clearly indicate any AI-assisted language polishing in their submission.

Manuscripts found to use AI-generated content beyond acceptable limits or in ways that misrepresent authorship or research integrity will be rejected or corrected according to COPE principles.

Investigation and Corrective Actions

All allegations of misconduct are investigated impartially and confidentially in line with COPE guidelines.
If misconduct is verified—either pre- or post-publication—the journal may enact the following measures:

  • Issuing corrections or retractions

  • Notifying authors’ affiliated institutions

  • Implementing author sanctions, including temporary or permanent submission restrictions

  • Updating the scholarly record to maintain transparency and accuracy

By enforcing these ethical standards, Synthesis ensures the originality, credibility, and reliability of the research it publishes, strengthening trust within the global academic community.