Plagiarism Policy

The Paktia University International Journal of Social Sciences (PUIJSS) maintains a strict policy against plagiarism in all its forms. The journal is committed to ensuring academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing standards in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines, including COPE principles.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) before the peer review process. This helps ensure that submitted work is original and properly acknowledges all sources.

Similarity Threshold

Manuscripts with a similarity index of more than 15–20% (excluding references, quotations, and properly cited material) may be returned to authors for revision or rejected, depending on the extent and nature of the overlap.

Forms of Plagiarism

The journal considers the following as plagiarism:

• Direct copying of text without proper citation
• Paraphrasing substantial parts of another work without acknowledgment
• Self-plagiarism (reusing one’s previously published work without proper citation)
• Data fabrication or misrepresentation of sources

Editorial Action

If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the publication process, the manuscript will be immediately rejected. If identified after publication, the article may be retracted and appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with ethical publishing standards.

The journal strongly encourages authors to ensure originality and proper citation practices in all submissions.