Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Agrometeorology is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing in the field of agrometeorology and allied agricultural sciences. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious breach of publication ethics and will not be tolerated. This policy outlines the journal’s approach to preventing, detecting, and addressing plagiarism at all stages of the submission and publication process.

Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when an author presents another person’s work, ideas, data, or expressions as their own without proper acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to, copying text, figures, tables, images, or graphical material without appropriate citation; using portions of another author’s work without permission or reference; and self-plagiarism, which involves the reuse of substantial parts of one’s previously published work without proper citation of the original source.

Plagiarism Detection
All manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Agrometeorology undergo plagiarism screening before entering the peer review process. The journal uses recognized plagiarism detection software to assess textual overlap with published literature, theses, reports, and online sources. Manuscripts are evaluated based on the percentage and nature of overlap, including overlap with literature related to agrometeorology, climate science, crop–weather relationships, and sustainable agricultural systems.

Handling Plagiarism
Based on the extent of plagiarism detected, the Journal of Agrometeorology follows a structured and transparent approach:

• Less than 5% Plagiarism: The manuscript may be assigned an identification number and returned to the authors for minor revision and correction of citations.
  
  

• 5% to 15% Plagiarism: The manuscript will not be assigned an identification number. Authors will be informed and asked to revise the manuscript to address the identified overlap before resubmission.
  
  

• More than 15% Plagiarism: The manuscript will be returned to the authors without peer review. Substantial revision is required, and the manuscript must be resubmitted as a new submission after ensuring originality.
  
  

Rejection Due to High Plagiarism (More than 30%)
If plagiarism exceeding 30% is detected, the manuscript will be rejected outright. Such submissions indicate a serious violation of ethical standards. Authors may submit a revised version only as a completely new manuscript after making extensive corrections and ensuring full originality.

Post-Publication Plagiarism
If plagiarism is identified after publication, the Journal of Agrometeorology will conduct a detailed investigation. Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may notify the authors’ affiliated institutions and funding agencies, mark the article as plagiarized on each page of the published PDF, and issue a formal correction, expression of concern, or retraction notice in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Author Responsibility
By submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Agrometeorology, authors confirm that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by another journal. Authors are responsible for understanding and correctly applying principles of quotation, paraphrasing, and citation. Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism are treated with equal seriousness. Proper attribution is especially important when incorporating traditional knowledge, historical climate observations, or region-specific agricultural practices.

Self-Plagiarism
Self-plagiarism, including the reuse of text, data, or figures from an author’s previously published work without proper citation, is considered unethical. Authors must clearly cite their earlier publications when reusing any material. Failure to do so will be treated as plagiarism.

Ethical Commitment to Originality
The Journal of Agrometeorology is firmly committed to promoting original and ethically conducted research. All submissions are subject to originality checks, and the journal reserves the right to request clarifications, supporting documentation, or revisions where concerns regarding plagiarism arise. Authors are expected to adhere strictly to ethical standards by submitting only original work and accurately acknowledging all sources.