Plagiarism Policy

This policy applies to all questionable journal publishing activities.

NJRST is committed to publishing original scholarly work and upholding high standards of research and publication ethics. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, unattributed use of sources, inappropriate paraphrasing and use of third-party material without permission are not acceptable.

Definition of plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when an author uses another person’s words, ideas, data, arguments, images, tables, figures, maps, software, methods or other intellectual property without proper acknowledgement. This includes:

  • copying text without quotation marks and citation;
  • close paraphrasing without appropriate acknowledgement;
  • using another author’s ideas, structure, argument or data without citation;
  • reusing substantial parts of one’s own previously published work without disclosure and citation;
  • submitting work that has been published elsewhere;
  • using images, figures, tables or other material without permission where permission is required; and
  • presenting AI-generated or third-party-generated content as the author’s own original work without disclosure.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources are accurately cited and that permissions have been obtained for copyrighted material included in the manuscript.

Similarity screening

Submissions may be screened for similarity as part of the editorial assessment process. NJRST may use Turnitin, iThenticate or another similarity-checking tool to assist editors in identifying possible overlap with published or previously submitted material.

Similarity reports are used as editorial aids and are not interpreted mechanically. A high similarity percentage does not automatically indicate plagiarism, and a low similarity percentage does not automatically confirm originality. Editors assess the nature, extent and context of any overlap.

Editorial assessment

Where similarity is identified, the editorial team may consider:

  • the extent and location of the overlap;
  • whether the overlap is properly cited;
  • whether copied wording appears in key sections such as the argument, analysis, findings or conclusion;
  • whether the manuscript duplicates previously published work;
  • whether the overlap involves the author’s own previous publications;
  • whether permissions are required for reused material; and
  • whether the issue appears minor, correctable or potentially serious misconduct.

Minor issues, such as missing quotation marks, incomplete referencing or limited overlap in background sections, may be returned to the author for correction before further review.

Possible outcomes

Depending on the seriousness of the concern, NJRST may:

  • request clarification from the author(s);
  • request revision before peer review;
  • reject the manuscript;
  • contact the author’s institution or funder where serious misconduct is suspected;
  • issue a correction, expression of concern or retraction for published content; or
  • take another action necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Referencing style

The NJRST strictly requires the use of APA (American Psychological Association) referencing and citation style for all documents.

Updated: 21 May 2026