Plagiarism, Similarity, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Tobruk University Journal of Medical Sciences (TUJMS) upholds the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing and enforces a strict policy against plagiarism, redundant publication, and undisclosed or inappropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI).

All submissions are subject to originality and integrity screening prior to peer review.

Similarity and Integrity Screening

Each manuscript is screened using Crossref Similarity Check (iThenticate).

Similarity reports are reviewed by the editorial team, who assess both numerical similarity scores and the context, location, and nature of overlapping material.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • Verbatim copying of text without quotation marks and appropriate citation
  • Inadequate paraphrasing without proper attribution
  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate publication without disclosure
  • Undisclosed or excessive use of AI-generated or AI-paraphrased content presented as original work
  • Reuse of previously published text, figures, images, or data without permission or proper attribution

Such practices constitute serious breaches of publication ethics.

Similarity Guidance

As a general guide, manuscripts should typically fall within the following limits:

  • Total Similarity Index: ≤ 20% (excluding references and appendices)
  • Similarity from a single source: ≤ 5%

Authors are strongly encouraged to check similarity prior to submission and revise any sections that exceed these levels.

Limited exceptions may be considered for standardised methodological descriptions or systematic reviews, provided that:

  • The overlap is unavoidable
  • All sources are properly cited
  • A clear justification is provided
  • Editorial approval is granted

Similarity scores are screening indicators and do not, on their own, constitute evidence of misconduct.

Contextual Editorial Assessment

Editorial assessment considers:

  • The section in which overlap occurs (e.g. Methods versus Discussion)
  • Whether the overlap reflects standard terminology or unacceptable copying
  • Whether reused material is appropriately cited and ethically justified

Final decisions are made using informed editorial judgement.

Image and Figure Integrity

All figures, images, and visual data are subject to integrity checks using appropriate image analysis tools.

Image manipulation that alters the scientific meaning of data, including selective enhancement, splicing, or duplication, is strictly prohibited.

Authors must ensure that all visual material is original or used with explicit permission and proper attribution.

Use and Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Limited use of AI tools is permitted only for language editing, grammar, or formatting support, under the following conditions:

  • AI-assisted content must not exceed 20% of the manuscript
  • AI tools must not be used to generate scientific content, analyse or interpret data, or produce results or conclusions
  • All AI use must be clearly disclosed at submission and within the manuscript
  • AI-generated figures or visual material must be clearly labelled

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including any AI-assisted material.

Manuscripts may be assessed using AI-detection tools; however, due to known limitations, all decisions are based on human editorial evaluation. Undisclosed or inappropriate AI use may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.

Editorial Actions for Ethical Breaches

In cases of confirmed plagiarism, excessive similarity, or inappropriate AI use, TUJMS may take one or more of the following actions:

  • Reject or withdraw the manuscript
  • Request revisions with a formal explanation
  • Notify authors affiliated institutions or funding bodies
  • Retract or correct published articles, including issuing expressions of concern
  • Impose temporary or permanent submission restrictions in cases of repeated misconduct

All actions are guided by the principles and flowcharts of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Post-Publication Oversight

If ethical concerns are identified after publication, TUJMS may:

  • Issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate
  • Update article metadata and notify indexing and abstracting services
  • Inform relevant institutions where necessary

All actions are conducted transparently and in accordance with COPE guidance.

Author Pre-Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors must ensure that they have:

  • Reviewed similarity levels and ensured they are within acceptable limits
  • Disclosed all AI use and ensured it does not exceed 20% of the manuscript
  • Properly cited all reused or adapted material
  • Provided justification for any unavoidable overlap
  • Ensured all figures and images are original or used with permission