Originality and Plagiarism Policy & Complaints, Misconduct and Ethics Procedures

Originality and Plagiarism Policy & Complaints, Misconduct and Ethics Procedures

Originality and Plagiarism Policy

The journal “Psychological Journal” adheres to high standards of academic integrity and ensures transparency and quality of scholarly publishing at all stages of the editorial process.

Manuscript Originality

The journal considers only original scholarly works that:

  • have not been previously published in whole or in part;
  • are not under consideration by other journals;
  • comply with the principles of academic integrity.

Authors are required to confirm the originality of their manuscript at the time of submission.

Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo mandatory screening for textual similarity using specialized software, including:

  • Detector Plagiarist
  • Antiplagiat
  • eTXT

The results of automated checks are assessed in conjunction with expert editorial evaluation and are not used as the sole basis for editorial decisions.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • use of text, ideas, or data without proper attribution;
  • verbatim copying without appropriate citation;
  • inadequate or superficial paraphrasing;
  • use of copyrighted materials without permission.

Pre-publication Policy

In cases where textual similarities are identified, the editorial office acts according to their nature and extent:

  • minor similarities (standard phrases, properly cited quotations) are acceptable;
  • moderate similarities result in the manuscript being returned to the authors for revision;
  • substantial plagiarism leads to rejection of the manuscript.

Editorial decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account:

  • the nature of similarities;
  • their extent;
  • the presence and accuracy of citations.

In cases of serious misconduct, the journal reserves the right to notify the author’s institution or employer.

Post-publication Policy

If plagiarism is identified after publication, the journal conducts an investigation in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Possible actions include:

  • publication of a correction;
  • marking the article as problematic;
  • retraction of the article.

Authors will be formally contacted and asked to provide an explanation.

Self-plagiarism (Redundant Publication)

Self-plagiarism includes:

  • reuse of substantial portions of previously published work without proper citation;
  • submission of the same results to multiple journals.

Limited reuse of previously published material is acceptable only with proper attribution.

Recommendations for Authors

To avoid breaches of academic integrity, authors are advised to:

  • properly cite all sources;
  • use quotation marks for direct citations;
  • avoid excessive use of direct quotations;
  • paraphrase appropriately with clear reference to the original source.

Copyright

Authors are fully responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce materials from other sources, including:

  • figures;
  • tables;
  • graphs.

Such permissions must be clearly indicated within the manuscript.

Complaints, Misconduct & Ethics Procedures

General Principles

The journal “Psychological Journal” ensures a transparent, objective, and impartial handling of all complaints related to academic misconduct and publication ethics.

The journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics and international publishing standards.

Types of Misconduct Considered

The journal considers complaints related to:

  • plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • duplicate publication;
  • improper authorship;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • violations of research ethics;
  • misconduct by editors or reviewers;
  • breaches of the peer review process.

How to Submit a Complaint

Complaints must be submitted in writing (via email) and should include:

  • a description of the issue;
  • a link to the article or manuscript;
  • supporting evidence or justification.

Anonymous complaints are accepted if sufficiently substantiated.

Investigation Procedure (Flowchart)

1. Detection

A concern may be raised by:

  • editor;
  • reviewer;
  • author;
  • reader;
  • automated detection systems.

2. Initial Assessment

Within 5–10 working days, the editorial office:

  • evaluates the validity of the complaint;
  • reviews the available evidence.