Plagiarism Policy

For Aethel Research Digest Juncture: An International Journal (ARDJIJ), the policies regarding Plagiarism and AI are designed to protect the original intellectual property of authors and maintain high academic standards.

Below is a concise breakdown of these policies:

1. Plagiarism Policy

ARDJIJ maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward academic dishonesty. Every manuscript is screened using industry-standard software (such as Turnitin or iThenticate).

·         Similarity Limit: The journal typically allows a maximum similarity index of 15% to 20% (excluding the bibliography and common technical terms).

·         Self-Plagiarism: Reusing your own previously published work without proper citation (text recycling) is also considered a violation.

·         Consequences: * 15–20%: The paper is sent back for heavy revision.

o    >25%: The paper is summarily rejected.

o    Post-Publication: If plagiarism is discovered after publishing, the paper will be retracted, and a public notice of misconduct will be issued.

2. AI & Generative Tools Policy

Following international COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines, ARDJIJ has specific rules for tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:

·         No AI Authorship: AI tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author. Authorship implies legal and ethical accountability, which a machine cannot fulfill.

·         Human Responsibility: Authors are 100% responsible for the accuracy of the content. AI-generated "hallucinations" (fake citations or false data) are treated as research misconduct.

·         Originality: AI-generated text that mimics existing sources without citation will be flagged as plagiarism.