Plagiarism Policy

Upholding academic integrity and the highest ethical standards is a foundational principle of Sebha University and the Journal of Medical Sciences (JOMS). The JOMS editorial team is dedicated to fostering a scholarly environment defined by originality, intellectual honesty, and responsible research practices. To maintain the quality and credibility of the journal, this policy outlines our expectations and procedures regarding plagiarism.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism, in any form, is strictly forbidden. We define plagiarism as the act of presenting another's work, ideas, or words as one's own without full and proper attribution. This includes, but is not limited to:

Direct Copying: Reproducing text, data, or figures from any source, whether published or unpublished, without proper citation.
Improper Paraphrasing: Rephrasing another's work or ideas without providing a clear and specific citation to the original source.
Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one's own previously published work without appropriate citation and acknowledgement.

2. Consequences of Plagiarism

The JOMS takes a firm stance against plagiarism. Any submission found to be in violation of this policy will face the following consequences:

Immediate Rejection of Manuscript: Any manuscript containing plagiarized content will be immediately rejected and removed from consideration.
Academic and Ethical Sanctions: Authors who commit plagiarism may be reported to their academic institutions, funding bodies, or other relevant organizations, which may result in further institutional penalties.
Loss of Publication Privileges: The authors may be permanently or temporarily barred from submitting future work to JOMS.
Retraction of Published Work: If plagiarism is discovered in an article after publication, the article will be formally retracted, and a notice of retraction will be published in the journal.

3. Prevention of Plagiarism

Authors are expected to assume full responsibility for the originality of their work and to adhere to the following principles to prevent plagiarism:

Use Proper Citation: All sources of information, including text, data, and visual materials, must be appropriately and accurately cited using the JOMS's designated citation style.
Conduct an Originality Check: While JOMS employs plagiarism detection tools to screen all submitted manuscripts, authors are strongly encouraged to conduct their own checks before submission.
Provide Clear Attribution: It is the author's duty to clearly attribute all ideas, concepts, and materials that are not their own to their original creators.

We believe that by upholding these principles, we can maintain JOMS's reputation as a platform for scholarly excellence and ethical conduct.

For any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact the JOMS Editorial Team for guidance and support.