Plagiarism Policy for Help: Journal of Community Service (HJCS)

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity and ethical standards. Help: Journal of Community Service (HJCS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of scholarly integrity and rigor. As such, we have established the following plagiarism policy to maintain the integrity of the research published in our journal:

Definition of Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's ideas, words, or work as one's own without proper acknowledgment or attribution. This includes, but is not limited to, copying text, data, images, or ideas from another source without permission or proper citation.

Types of Plagiarism:
Plagiarism can take various forms, including:

1. Verbatim Plagiarism: Copying and pasting text directly from another source without quotation marks and proper citation.
2. Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else's ideas or sentences without properly attributing the source.
3. Mosaic Plagiarism: Combining verbatim text from multiple sources without proper attribution or citation.
4. Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one's own previously published work without proper acknowledgment or citation.

Plagiarism Detection:
HJCS utilizes plagiarism detection software to screen all submitted manuscripts for potential instances of plagiarism. Authors are required to ensure that their work is original and properly cited, and any detected cases of plagiarism will be thoroughly investigated.

Consequences of Plagiarism:
If plagiarism is detected in a submitted manuscript, the following actions may be taken:

1. Rejection: The manuscript may be rejected outright if plagiarism is deemed extensive or severe.
2. Revision Request: Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit the manuscript with proper attribution and citation.
3. Withdrawal: If plagiarism is confirmed after publication, the article may be retracted from the journal and the author(s) may be prohibited from submitting future work to HJCS.

Preventing Plagiarism:
To avoid plagiarism, authors should:

1. Properly cite and attribute all sources used in their research, including text, data, images, and ideas.
2. Use quotation marks and proper citation for verbatim text taken from other sources.
3. Paraphrase and summarize information in their own words, with proper acknowledgment of the original source.
4. Avoid self-plagiarism by disclosing any overlap with their own previously published work and providing proper citation.

Appeals Process:
Authors have the right to appeal a decision regarding plagiarism. Appeals should be made in writing to the editorial office, providing detailed explanations and evidence to support their case.

Help: Journal of Community Service (HJCS) is committed to promoting academic integrity and ethical publishing practices. We appreciate the cooperation of authors, reviewers, and readers in upholding these standards.