Heritage of Southwest Asia

Heritage of Southwest Asia

Plagiarism Checker

 

Similarity & Plagiarism Policy

Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA)

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy has been developed to preserve academic integrity, prevent plagiarism, and promote research ethics in Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA).
All submitted manuscripts — including research articles, review papers, case studies, technical reports, and short communications — are subject to similarity screening.
The policy covers the main text, abstract, references, tables, figures, datasets, and direct quotations. This applies equally to both Persian and English versions of the journal.

2. Definitions

  • Similarity: The extent of textual overlap between a submitted manuscript and another work (published or unpublished), including direct copying, paraphrasing without citation, or using data, images, or tables without proper acknowledgment.
  • Plagiarism: The use of another person’s ideas, data, text, or work without explicit citation or with misrepresentation of the original source.
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reuse of substantial portions of one’s previously published work without citation or disclosure.
  • Similarity Index: The percentage of textual similarity between a manuscript and other sources, as determined by plagiarism detection software.
  • Academic Misconduct: Any inappropriate use of others’ or one’s own previous work in violation of research ethics.

3. Tools and Initial Screening Process

  • All manuscripts must be screened for similarity by the authors before entering the peer-review stage, using recognized plagiarism detection tools such as iThenticate, Turnitin, or other Crossref Similarity Check services. The generated report should be submitted along with the manuscript.
  • The generated report indicates the overall and source-specific similarity percentages and identifies the exact locations of matching text.
  • Authors are encouraged to check and reduce similarity using similar tools prior to submission.
  • During submission, the online system may require authors to attach their similarity report.
  • All similarity data are treated as strictly confidential and are used solely for scholarly evaluation.

4. Acceptable Thresholds and Interpretation

  • As a general guideline, the overall similarity index should be below 15% for research papers and below 20% for review articles.
  • No single source should contribute more than 5% of the total text.
  • Similarity in standard methodological or procedural descriptions may be acceptable when justified.
  • The Editor-in-Chief and the Journal Ethics Committee are responsible for interpreting the reports; similarity results are not judged solely on numerical percentages.

If similarity exceeds acceptable thresholds, manuscripts will be classified as:

  • Revisable: Minor and traceable overlap → returned to authors for correction.
  • Minor Misconduct: Improper paraphrasing or missing citations → request for revision and explanation.
  • Serious Misconduct: Extensive copying or self-plagiarism → rejection or referral to the Ethics Committee.

5. Decision and Corrective Measures

  • If similarity exceeds the permissible limit, the paper will be rejected at the pre-review stage and returned to the author for revision.
  • If plagiarism is detected after review or publication, Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) will act in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines:
    • Publication of a Corrigendum or correction notice.
    • In severe cases, the issue of a Retraction Notice and public disclosure.
    • Notification of the author’s affiliated institution or university.
  • The journal reserves the right to deny submissions from offending authors for a defined period (e.g., two years).

6. Responsibilities

  • Editor-in-Chief: Holds ultimate responsibility for monitoring the plagiarism screening process, evaluating results, and making final decisions.
  • Editorial Board: Must remain vigilant regarding academic misconduct and report any suspected cases during the review process.
  • Authors: Must confirm that their submission is original, unpublished, and properly referenced.
  • Reviewers: Should report any observed similarity or improper citation to the handling editor.

7. Journal-Specific Considerations (HSA)

  • Given the interdisciplinary nature of Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) (heritage studies, art, and architecture), the use of data, maps, or images from historical or archaeological sources is common. Authors must therefore declare the provenance of all visual material.
  • Translation or paraphrasing of previously published texts without citation, even when reworded, constitutes plagiarism.
  • If the manuscript includes parts derived from previous excavation reports or the author’s prior projects, this must be clearly stated in both the manuscript and the cover letter.
  • For bilingual submissions (Persian–English), any use of translated content from another language must be accompanied by proper citation.
  • To prevent software misclassification in highly technical or local texts (e.g., material descriptions or methods), a final human verification will be conducted by the scientific editor.

8. Consequences of Misconduct

Upon confirmation of academic misconduct, Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) may take one or more of the following actions based on the severity of the case:

  • Issue an official warning and request for correction.
  • Reject the manuscript at any stage.
  • Withdraw an accepted or published paper.
  • Notify the author’s affiliated institution.
  • Impose temporary or permanent submission bans.
    Final decisions are made by the Journal Ethics Committee under the supervision of the Editor-in-Chief.

9. Review and Update

This policy is reviewed biennially to align with new developments in plagiarism detection and AI-generated text identification technologies.
The current version complies with COPE (2023) and the CrossRef Similarity Check Framework (2024).
Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) is committed to maintaining transparency by publishing all updates on its official website.

10. AI-Generated Text Detection

  • In response to the increasing use of AI-based writing tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini), Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) will evaluate submissions for AI-generated content.
  • If AI-generated sections are identified, the manuscript will be returned to the author for clarification and reassessment.
  • Use of AI-assisted tools for language editing or translation is acceptable, provided it is transparently declared in accordance with the journal’s AI acknowledgment policy.

11. Data Integrity and Report Archiving

  • Similarity reports for all manuscripts are securely archived for five years after publication.
  • Requests from research institutions for access to such reports will be granted only with approval from the Editor-in-Chief and the Ethics Committee, in compliance with IranPapers Data Policy and Turnitin Confidentiality Clause.

12. Conclusion

Heritage of Southwest Asia (HSA) upholds academic authenticity as the foundation of its scholarly credibility.
Each article must reflect original, verifiable, and honest research.
Respect for prior scholarship and transparency in citation are integral to the journal’s academic culture.
Faithful implementation of this policy not only prevents misconduct but also enhances the international reputation of both the authors and the journal itself.