Ensuring academic integrity and upholding the highest ethical standards are fundamental principles at Sebha University. As the editorial team of the JOPAS, we are committed to fostering a scholarly environment where originality, intellectual honesty, and responsible research practices prevail. To maintain the quality and credibility of the journal, we have established a comprehensive plagiarism policy that outlines our expectations and procedures regarding plagiarism.

Definition of Plagiarism:
Plagiarism, in any form, is strictly prohibited within the pages of JOPAS. We define plagiarism as the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as your own without proper attribution or permission. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Directly copying text, data, or ideas from any source, whether published or unpublished, without citing the original source.
2. Paraphrasing or rephrasing someone else's work without proper citation.
3. Using your previously published work without appropriate self-citation (self-plagiarism).

Consequences of Plagiarism:
We take plagiarism very seriously, and any submission found to be in violation of our plagiarism policy will face the following consequences:

1. Immediate Rejection: Any manuscript found to contain plagiarized content will be promptly rejected without further consideration, and the authors will be notified.
2. Academic and Ethical Sanctions: Authors who engage in plagiarism may be reported to their respective academic institutions, which may result in academic penalties. We will also inform other relevant parties, including funding agencies, if necessary.
3. Loss of Publication Privileges: Authors who commit plagiarism may be barred from submitting future work to JOPAS for a specified period.

Preventing Plagiarism:
Authors are encouraged to adhere to the following guidelines to prevent plagiarism:

1. Proper Citation: Ensure that all sources, including text, images, and data, are appropriately cited using the designated citation style of JOPAS.
2. Originality Check: We employ plagiarism detection tools to check all submitted manuscripts for potential instances of plagiarism. Authors are encouraged to conduct their own originality checks before submission.
3. Clear Attribution: Clearly attribute all ideas, concepts, and materials that are not your own to their original authors or sources.

We believe that by upholding these principles and fostering a culture of academic integrity, we can maintain the reputation and credibility of JOPAS as a platform for scholarly excellence.

Questions and Concerns:
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our plagiarism policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to our editorial. We are committed to providing guidance and support to authors to ensure their work meets our standards while adhering to ethical research practices.

We thank you for your dedication to responsibly contributing to the advancement of knowledge through JOPAS.

Sincerely,

JOPAS Editorial Team