Plagiarism and AI Policy

The Journal of Pak International Medical College (JPIMC) maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism, academic misconduct, and inappropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI). Ensuring research integrity is central to our mission. All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism and AI-assisted content screening before peer review.

Similarity Index Thresholds

  • Acceptable Limit: The overall similarity index must not exceed 19%, and no single source should exceed 5% (excluding references, bibliography, and commonly used phrases).

  • Manuscripts exceeding these thresholds will be returned for revision or rejected outright, depending on the extent of overlap.

AI-Generated Content Policy

  • Prohibited Use: Manuscripts written entirely or primarily by AI-generated tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) are not acceptable for publication.

  • Permitted Use: Authors may use AI tools only for limited purposes such as:

    • Improving grammar, spelling, or language clarity.

    • Generating charts, figures, or statistical code with clear author oversight.

  • Mandatory Disclosure: Any use of AI tools must be explicitly declared in the Methods or Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.

  • Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of the content.

Types of Plagiarism Considered Unacceptable

  • Direct Plagiarism: Copying text verbatim without citation.

  • Mosaic Plagiarism: Rephrasing ideas without proper attribution.

  • Self-Plagiarism / Redundant Publication: Republishing one’s own work without acknowledgment.

  • Data Fabrication or Falsification: Altering or inventing data, images, or results.

  • Undisclosed AI-Generated Content: Using AI to produce text, data, or references without disclosure.

Detection and Screening

  • JPIMC uses Turnitin/iThenticate for similarity checks.

  • AI-detection software may be used to evaluate suspicious manuscripts.

  • Editorial staff carefully review similarity and AI reports before assigning manuscripts to reviewers.

Consequences of Plagiarism or Undisclosed AI Use

  • Minor Overlap (<19% with no single source >5%): Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit.

  • Major Overlap (>19% or >5% from a single source): Immediate rejection.

  • Undisclosed AI Content: Treated as research misconduct and subject to rejection or retraction.

  • Post-Publication Discovery: If plagiarism or undisclosed AI content is identified after publication, the article will be retracted and authors may be blacklisted from future submissions.

Author Responsibility

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

  • The work is original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.

  • All sources are properly cited.

  • AI use, if any, is limited, disclosed, and responsibly applied.

  • They accept responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

Editorial Discretion

The final decision regarding plagiarism, similarity index, or AI-generated content rests with the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, in line with COPE guidelines and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan plagiarism policy.