Plagiarism
STEPX (Sustainable Technology, Energy, and Policy Exchange) upholds the highest standards of academic integrity and publication ethics. Plagiarism in any form is considered a serious violation and is strictly prohibited.
Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
- Copying text, data, figures, or ideas from other sources without proper citation.
- Close paraphrasing of another work without appropriate acknowledgment.
- Submitting previously published work (self-plagiarism) without disclosure or permission.
- Using images, tables, or datasets without appropriate credit or authorization.
Plagiarism Detection
- All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (iThenticate/Turnitin).
- The acceptable similarity index threshold is 20% (excluding references, quotations, and commonly used phrases).
- Any manuscript that exceeds this threshold or shows evidence of unethical overlap will be returned to the author for revision or rejected.
Handling of Plagiarism Cases
- Minor Overlap (≤20%): Authors may be asked to revise and properly cite sources before further review.
- Major Overlap (>20%): The manuscript will be rejected outright.
- Confirmed Plagiarism after Publication: If plagiarism is identified after publication, the article will be retracted in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines, and the author’s institution may be notified.
Author Responsibilities
- Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original and properly cites all sources.
- Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for reproducing third-party material.
- Authors must disclose if the manuscript contains previously published material (e.g., conference papers, preprints).
