Plagiarism & AI-Use Policy

The Indian Journal of Climate & Environmental Studies (IJCEMS) maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data manipulation, and undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Upholding research integrity is a foundational principle of the journal’s ethical publishing standards.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism refers to the unauthorized use or close imitation of another author’s language, ideas, results, or expressions and presenting them as one’s own original work.
This includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text, figures, tables, or data without proper citation.
  
  

• Paraphrasing others’ work with insufficient attribution.
  
  

• Using previously published material (including the author’s own) without proper referencing — known as self-plagiarism.
  
  

• Using AI-generated or AI-assisted content without full disclosure.
  
  

2. Plagiarism Screening Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a plagiarism screening process before the peer review stage.
IJCEMS uses advanced similarity detection tools to check for overlapping content with published and unpublished material.

Plagiarism thresholds:

• Acceptable similarity index: ≤ 10–15% (excluding references, quotations, and bibliography)
  
  

• Any manuscript exceeding this limit will be returned to the author for correction or rejected outright.
  
  

• Repeat or severe plagiarism cases will be reported to the author’s institution and may result in blacklisting from future submissions.
  
  

3. AI-Generated Content Policy

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, or similar systems is strictly regulated.

Permitted uses:

• Grammar and language enhancement (must be disclosed in the Acknowledgments section).
  
  

Prohibited uses:

• Generating text, data analysis, literature reviews, figures, or conclusions.
  
  

• Concealing AI assistance or claiming AI-generated material as human-authored work.
  
  

Authors must declare the use of any AI tool or algorithm that contributed to manuscript preparation, analysis, or visualization. Failure to disclose constitutes academic misconduct.

4. Author Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript to IJCEMS, authors affirm that:

• The work is original and unpublished.
  
  

• Proper credit has been given for all sources used.
  
  

• The manuscript complies with all ethical standards, including plagiarism and AI-use policies.
  
  

Authors are required to submit a declaration of originality and confirm that the work adheres to this policy.

5. Editor and Reviewer Oversight

Editors and reviewers are instructed to:

• Identify and report any suspected cases of plagiarism or AI misuse.
  
  

• Recommend retraction, correction, or rejection of any paper that violates this policy.
  
  

• Ensure that all accepted papers pass a final plagiarism verification before publication.
  
  

6. Handling Misconduct

If plagiarism or AI misuse is detected:

• Before publication: The manuscript is immediately rejected, and the authors are notified.
  
  

• After publication: The paper may be retracted, with a notice of retraction published on the website.
  
  

• The corresponding author’s institution and funding body may be informed.
  
  

• Authors may be barred from submitting to IJCEMS for up to two years.
  
  

7. Ethical Alignment

This policy is aligned with:

• COPE’s Guidelines on Publication Ethics
  
  

• DOAJ’s Principles of Transparency and Best Practice
  
  

• UGC CARE and Elsevier Publishing Ethics Statements
  
  

• Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI)
  
  

8. Contact and Declarations

For questions or clarifications regarding plagiarism or AI use, authors may contact:
📧 ijces.india@gmail.com

All submissions must include:

• A Plagiarism Declaration Form (signed by all authors).
  
  

• A Statement of AI Tool Usage, if applicable.