Plagiarism Policy

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism Policy

Our strict commitment to originality and ethical scholarly publishing.

Zero-Tolerance Policy

QUALITATIVE STUDIES maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate publication. All submitted manuscripts are screened for originality before entering the peer-review process.

Key Guidelines

  • Similarity Limit: The maximum allowable similarity index is 20% (excluding references and quoted text).
  • Screening Tool: All manuscripts are checked using plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin) upon submission.
  • Desk Rejection: Manuscripts exceeding the 20% threshold will be immediately rejected by the editor without undergoing peer review.
  • Author Responsibility: Authors must ensure their work is entirely original and that all sources are properly cited according to APA 7th edition guidelines.
  • Post-Publication: If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the journal reserves the right to immediately retract the article and notify the author's institution.

By submitting to this journal, authors confirm that their manuscript is original and complies with this policy.