Plagiarism Policy

The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutics (JMCT) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. Plagiarism in any form is considered unethical and unacceptable. All submitted manuscripts are evaluated for originality before entering the peer-review process and, where necessary, during editorial assessment and post-publication review.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts represent original work and that all ideas, data, chemical structures, figures, tables, computational results, and text derived from other sources are appropriately cited and acknowledged.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the presentation of another person's ideas, text, data, images, chemical structures, figures, tables, computational results, or research findings as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment. It also includes inappropriate paraphrasing, substantial textual overlap, duplicate publication, redundant publication, and unauthorized reuse of previously published material.

2. Similarity Screening

All manuscripts submitted to JMCT may be screened using plagiarism and similarity-detection software before peer review. Additional similarity assessments may be conducted during editorial evaluation, peer review, or after publication if concerns regarding originality arise.

Similarity reports are interpreted by editors and are not used as the sole basis for editorial decisions. Editorial assessment considers the source, context, extent, and nature of any textual overlap.

3. Acceptable Similarity

The journal does not rely solely on a fixed similarity percentage when evaluating manuscripts. Legitimate overlap arising from references, standard methodological descriptions, technical terminology, commonly used scientific expressions, or properly quoted material may be acceptable. Editorial decisions are based on the overall originality and integrity of the manuscript rather than on a numerical similarity score alone.

4. Self-Plagiarism

Authors should avoid excessive reuse of their own previously published text, figures, tables, chemical structures, datasets, or other materials without appropriate citation or disclosure. Where portions of previously published work are reused, the original source must be properly cited, and the overlap should be scientifically justified.

5. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

JMCT does not consider manuscripts that have been published previously or are simultaneously under consideration by another journal. Duplicate publication, redundant publication, and inappropriate fragmentation of research into substantially overlapping publications may be considered unethical publishing practices and may result in editorial action.

6. Editorial Actions

If plagiarism or unacceptable textual overlap is identified during editorial assessment or peer review, the Editorial Office may take one or more of the following actions depending on the severity and nature of the concern:

• Request clarification from the authors.
• Request revision and appropriate citation.
• Return the manuscript for correction before further evaluation.
• Reject the manuscript.
• Refer the matter to the relevant institutional authorities where appropriate.
• Take further editorial action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

7. Post-Publication Plagiarism

If plagiarism is identified after publication, JMCT will investigate the matter confidentially and fairly. Depending on the findings and severity of the concern, appropriate editorial actions may include publishing a correction, issuing an Expression of Concern, retracting the article, notifying relevant institutions, or taking other appropriate measures to protect the integrity of the published scientific record.

8. Author Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted work is original and that proper acknowledgment is given to the work of others. Before submission, authors should carefully review their manuscripts for originality and ensure that all quotations, reproduced materials, adapted content, datasets, figures, chemical structures, and computational information are appropriately cited and acknowledged.

Authors should also ensure that previously published work arising from the same research project or dataset is appropriately disclosed to the Editorial Office where relevant.

9. Appeals

Authors may appeal editorial decisions related to plagiarism or similarity findings by submitting a detailed explanation together with relevant supporting evidence to the Editorial Office. Appeals will be evaluated impartially in accordance with the journal's Appeals & Complaints Policy.

10. Policy Review and Updates

This Plagiarism Policy is reviewed periodically to reflect developments in publication ethics, similarity-detection practices, research integrity, and international publishing standards. The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutics reserves the right to revise this policy whenever necessary. Updated versions become effective upon publication on the journal website unless otherwise stated.