The International Journal of Humanities, Arts, Commerce and Social Sciences (IJHACSS) is committed to promoting original scholarship, intellectual honesty, responsible citation practices, and the ethical dissemination of academic knowledge.

Originality is fundamental to scholarly progress. Academic research develops through engagement with existing ideas, theories, arguments, evidence, and interpretations. Researchers are encouraged to build upon previous knowledge, critically examine established perspectives, and contribute new insights to their respective disciplines.

However, this intellectual exchange depends on the accurate acknowledgment of scholarly contributions.

IJHACSS recognizes that research in the humanities, arts, commerce, and social sciences frequently involves extensive engagement with previously published literature, historical documents, philosophical texts, artistic works, cultural materials, and empirical evidence.

The journal therefore adopts an approach that protects intellectual originality while respecting legitimate scholarly practices such as quotation, textual analysis, historical interpretation, theoretical discussion, and critical review.

Our objective is not merely to detect copied text, but to ensure that published scholarship accurately represents the origins of ideas, evidence, arguments, and creative contributions.

The journal expects all authors to uphold high standards of academic integrity throughout manuscript preparation, submission, peer review, and publication.

Plagiarism occurs when a person presents another individual's words, ideas, arguments, interpretations, data, research findings, creative work, or intellectual contributions as their own without appropriate acknowledgment.

Plagiarism may involve published or unpublished material and can occur regardless of the original language or format of the source.

It is not limited to direct copying of written text.

In humanities and social sciences research, plagiarism may also involve the unauthorized or unattributed appropriation of theoretical frameworks, historical interpretations, unpublished manuscripts, archival discoveries, ethnographic observations, artistic concepts, or original analytical approaches.

Plagiarism may arise through deliberate misrepresentation, reckless disregard for attribution requirements, or seriously inadequate scholarly practices.

The seriousness of a case depends on the nature and extent of the material used, its intellectual significance, the adequacy of acknowledgment, and the circumstances surrounding the submission.

IJHACSS recognizes several forms of plagiarism and related unethical publication practices.

3.1 Direct Plagiarism

Direct plagiarism involves reproducing another author's words without appropriate quotation marks, citation, or acknowledgment.

Copying paragraphs from a journal article, book, thesis, website, or other source and presenting them as original writing constitutes direct plagiarism.

Even when a reference appears in the bibliography, directly reproduced passages must be distinguished from the author's own words through appropriate quotation conventions.

3.2 Paraphrasing Plagiarism

Paraphrasing plagiarism occurs when an author reproduces the substance or distinctive structure of another person's argument while making superficial changes to its wording and failing to provide proper attribution.

Replacing individual words with synonyms does not transform borrowed scholarship into original work.

Appropriate paraphrasing requires accurate acknowledgment and genuine reformulation within the author's own scholarly discussion.

3.3 Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism involves combining phrases, sentences, ideas, or arguments from multiple sources in a way that creates the misleading appearance of an original composition.

This may include rearranging published passages, blending borrowed expressions with original sentences, or repeatedly paraphrasing several sources without adequate attribution.

3.4 Plagiarism of Ideas and Interpretations

Ideas, theories, interpretations, and original analytical contributions deserve appropriate scholarly acknowledgment.

Presenting another scholar's distinctive interpretation of a historical event, literary text, philosophical concept, or social phenomenon as an original contribution may constitute plagiarism.

Authors should identify the intellectual origins of concepts and explain how their own arguments extend, challenge, or reinterpret existing scholarship.

3.5 Self-Plagiarism and Text Recycling

Self-plagiarism, also described as inappropriate text recycling, involves substantial undisclosed reuse of an author's previously disseminated work in a manner that misleads readers about the originality of the new contribution.

Examples may include:

• Reusing large sections of a previously published article without disclosure.
• Republishing substantially the same argument as a new paper without meaningful additional contribution.
• Reproducing previously published analyses or conclusions without appropriate reference.
• Submitting substantially overlapping manuscripts to different journals without disclosure.

Not every instance of textual reuse is unethical.

Limited reuse of appropriately attributed material may be legitimate, particularly where an author develops an earlier argument, expands preliminary research, or adapts material from a thesis or working paper.

The journal assesses such cases according to the nature of reuse, transparency of disclosure, the intellectual contribution of the new manuscript, and applicable copyright requirements.

3.6 Translation Plagiarism

Translation plagiarism occurs when an author translates another person's work from one language into another and presents the translated material as original scholarship without acknowledging the source.

This is particularly relevant to research involving regional literature, historical manuscripts, philosophical texts, cultural traditions, and non-English scholarship.

Translating a Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Bengali, French, or other-language publication into English does not remove the obligation to acknowledge its original author.

Authors must provide appropriate citations and indicate when translations are their own.

3.7 Plagiarism of Data and Research Findings

Using another researcher's survey results, interview findings, statistical data, economic analysis, field observations, or other research outputs without proper acknowledgment is unacceptable.

Authors must identify the source of borrowed datasets and explain their own analytical contributions.

The reuse of publicly accessible data may be legitimate when permitted by applicable conditions and accompanied by proper attribution.

3.8 Visual and Artistic Plagiarism

Research in the arts and humanities frequently involves images, paintings, photographs, sculptures, architectural designs, illustrations, and other creative materials.

Presenting another person's original artistic expression or scholarly illustration as one's own without appropriate acknowledgment may constitute plagiarism.

Authors must identify the creators and sources of reproduced visual materials.

Copyright permission may also be required, even when attribution is provided.

3.9 Plagiarism of Unpublished Work

Unpublished manuscripts, research proposals, conference submissions, confidential reports, peer-review materials, archival discoveries, and other intellectual contributions are also protected by academic integrity principles.

Authors, reviewers, and editors must not appropriate confidential or unpublished material obtained through professional or scholarly activities.

IJHACSS recognizes that originality takes different forms across academic disciplines.

In experimental research, originality may arise through new observations, findings, or methods.

In humanities and social sciences scholarship, original contributions may emerge through new interpretations, conceptual analysis, theoretical development, comparative investigation, critical synthesis, or examination of previously neglected evidence.

For example, a scholar may produce an original interpretation of a historical document that has been studied extensively by earlier researchers.

Similarly, a literary critic may develop a new theoretical reading of a well-known novel, or a sociologist may reinterpret established findings through a different conceptual framework.

Such work can be original even when the underlying source material is not new.

IJHACSS therefore distinguishes between the legitimate scholarly use of existing sources and the misrepresentation of borrowed intellectual contributions.

Originality does not require authors to avoid established literature. It requires them to make their own contribution clear while acknowledging the scholarship on which it builds.

Direct quotations are essential to many forms of humanities and social sciences scholarship.

Literary analysis, historical inquiry, philosophy, cultural studies, legal research, and qualitative research may depend on the accurate reproduction of words spoken or written by others.

IJHACSS permits appropriate quotation when the quoted material is relevant to the scholarly argument and accurately attributed.

Authors should:

• Use quotation marks for short direct quotations.
• Format longer quotations according to APA 7th edition guidelines.
• Provide accurate source citations and page numbers or other suitable locators.
• Preserve the original meaning and context.
• Clearly identify translations and editorial modifications.
• Avoid excessive quotation that replaces substantial original analysis.
• Obtain necessary reproduction permissions where applicable.

Appropriately cited quotations are not automatically plagiarism.

However, extensive reproduction may still raise copyright or originality concerns, even when attribution is correct.

IJHACSS acknowledges that historical and cultural research often relies on original documents and other primary materials.

These may include manuscripts, government records, newspapers, diaries, letters, oral histories, photographs, inscriptions, and archival collections.

Authors should provide sufficient information to identify the sources of evidence.

Where available, references should include the creator, document title, date, archival collection, repository, and relevant catalogue or file identifier.

Historical Interpretation

Authors must distinguish between the content of historical sources and their own scholarly interpretations.

Borrowed interpretations from earlier historians must be acknowledged.

Archival Discoveries

The unpublished archival research or discoveries of other scholars must not be presented as an author's own contribution without appropriate acknowledgment.

Oral Histories and Community Knowledge

Oral testimonies, indigenous knowledge, traditional narratives, and culturally significant information should be documented and attributed responsibly, subject to consent, confidentiality, and applicable community protocols.

Where public attribution is restricted for ethical or cultural reasons, authors should explain the research approach without unnecessarily identifying confidential sources.

Literary criticism and philosophical scholarship frequently involve close engagement with previously published works.

Authors may quote, interpret, compare, and criticize literary or philosophical texts as part of legitimate scholarly analysis.

However, they must distinguish clearly between:

• The original author's words.
• Earlier scholarly interpretations.
• Established theoretical concepts.
• Their own analytical arguments and conclusions.

Reproducing another scholar's distinctive interpretation without acknowledgment is unacceptable, even when the wording has been changed.

Translations, critical editions, commentaries, and secondary interpretations must be cited appropriately.

Authors should not rely on references to original texts alone when their analysis substantially derives from another scholar's published interpretation.

Research in commerce, economics, finance, business, and management may involve published datasets, statistical reports, commercial case studies, financial statements, economic models, and organizational information.

Authors must accurately acknowledge external data and analytical contributions.

The journal prohibits presenting another researcher's economic model, business analysis, survey findings, statistical results, or distinctive conceptual framework as original work without attribution.

Publicly available financial information and secondary datasets may be reused when permitted, provided their sources are clearly identified.

Authors should distinguish original calculations and interpretations from data or analyses obtained from third parties.

Confidential business information must not be reproduced without appropriate authorization.

IJHACSS recognizes that artificial intelligence tools may assist with language editing, translation, literature organization, coding, and other research activities.

However, AI assistance does not remove the author's responsibilities concerning originality, attribution, accuracy, and intellectual contribution.

Authors must not use generative AI to conceal plagiarism or disguise previously published content.

Unacceptable practices include:

• Using AI tools to paraphrase copied material while concealing its original source.
• Submitting AI-generated passages containing unattributed borrowed ideas.
• Presenting fabricated quotations or references as authentic.
• Producing fictional interview responses and describing them as actual research evidence.
• Generating false archival records or historical documents.
• Presenting AI-generated artistic representations as authentic historical artifacts.
• Using AI-generated analyses without verification or appropriate disclosure.

Substantial AI assistance should be disclosed in accordance with the journal's Author Guidelines.

AI tools cannot be credited as authors.

The human authors remain accountable for the authenticity, originality, accuracy, and integrity of the complete manuscript.

IJHACSS may evaluate submitted manuscripts for textual overlap using available similarity-checking software and editorial assessment.

Screening may take place during initial evaluation, peer review, revision, or production.

The journal does not represent a similarity report as definitive proof of plagiarism.

Similarity software identifies textual matches; it does not independently determine whether those matches are appropriately cited, legitimate, excessive, or unethical.

Editorial Assessment of Similarity

Editors may consider:

1. The amount and nature of overlapping text.
2. Whether the original sources are acknowledged.
3. Whether direct quotations are properly identified.
4. Whether borrowed ideas are accurately attributed.
5. The location and scholarly significance of the overlap.
6. Whether the material constitutes common terminology or conventional phrasing.
7. Whether the overlap originates from the author's earlier work.
8. Whether the submitted manuscript offers a meaningful original contribution.
9. Whether extensive reproduction raises copyright concerns.

Why Similarity Scores Require Context

A historical article may contain substantial quotations from original documents.

A literary analysis may reproduce excerpts from poems or novels for critical examination.

A qualitative study may include participant quotations essential to the presentation of findings.

Such material may produce textual matches without necessarily constituting plagiarism.

Conversely, a manuscript with a relatively low similarity percentage may contain an unattributed central argument or distinctive interpretation.

Accordingly, IJHACSS does not treat any numerical similarity percentage as an automatic determination of plagiarism.

Editorial decisions should be based on informed examination of the relevant material.

The following considerations guide the evaluation of similarity reports.

The journal does not endorse practices aimed merely at reducing similarity percentages without improving attribution or originality.

Authors must not submit substantially the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.

Duplicate submission may waste editorial and reviewer resources and create disputes over publication rights and scholarly originality.

Authors must disclose relevant earlier dissemination of their work, including preprints, working papers, conference proceedings, dissertations, institutional reports, and other publications.

Preprints and Working Papers

Prior circulation of a manuscript as a preprint or working paper does not automatically constitute plagiarism.

Authors must disclose the previous version and comply with the journal's applicable prior-publication policy.

Theses and Dissertations

Research developed from an author's thesis or dissertation may be considered for journal publication when the submission meets the journal's requirements.

The author should disclose the relationship to the earlier work and provide appropriate acknowledgment.

Conference Publications

Authors should disclose substantial overlap with previously published conference papers or proceedings.

The editorial office will determine whether the submission provides sufficient additional scholarly contribution.

Translated or Secondary Publications

Translated or secondary publication may be considered only where expressly permitted by the journal and where the original publication, necessary permissions, and nature of republication are transparently identified.

Authors bear primary responsibility for ensuring that their manuscripts comply with academic integrity requirements.

Before submission, authors should:

• Review the manuscript for originality.
• Verify that all borrowed ideas and materials are properly attributed.
• Check quotations against their original sources.
• Confirm the accuracy of references.
• Identify previously published or disseminated versions of the work.
• Verify the sources of figures, photographs, data, and archival materials.
• Obtain required reproduction permissions.
• Disclose relevant AI assistance.
• Ensure that all co-authors approve the manuscript.
• Avoid simultaneous submission to another journal.

Authors are encouraged to conduct an originality assessment before submission when appropriate tools are available.

The absence of access to commercial plagiarism-detection software does not remove an author's obligation to acknowledge sources correctly.

Maintaining publication integrity is a shared responsibility.

Reviewers

Peer reviewers should alert the handling editor when they identify suspected plagiarism, unexplained duplication, unattributed arguments, or substantial overlap with existing scholarship.

Concerns should be supported by specific examples or source references whenever possible.

Reviewers must not independently publish allegations or disclose confidential manuscript information.

Editors

Editors must evaluate plagiarism concerns fairly and consistently.

They should distinguish between deliberate appropriation, substantial unattributed reuse, inadequate referencing, legitimate quotations, and correctable citation errors.

Editors must avoid relying exclusively on automated similarity scores.

Where appropriate, editorial concerns should be examined through direct comparison with the original sources and consultation with relevant disciplinary experts.

Editors must also maintain confidentiality and manage relevant conflicts of interest.

Where plagiarism or serious unattributed overlap is suspected during submission, peer review, or production, the journal may initiate an editorial examination.

Step 1: Preliminary Examination

The handling editor examines the relevant manuscript passages and compares them with the suspected sources.

Step 2: Assessment of the Concern

The editor evaluates the nature, extent, and significance of the overlap.

Step 3: Author Clarification

Where appropriate, the corresponding author may be asked to explain the overlap, provide references, clarify the status of prior publications, or supply supporting documentation.

Step 4: Editorial Evaluation

The editor considers the author's explanation and the available evidence.

An additional academic or publication-ethics assessment may be requested when necessary.

Step 5: Editorial Action

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may:

• Request corrections to citations or quotations.
• Require substantial revision.
• Request clarification of originality.
• Suspend consideration while a concern is examined.
• Reject the manuscript when serious misconduct or unacceptable overlap is established.
• Refer serious or repeated concerns for further investigation.

Minor, correctable referencing errors should not automatically be treated as equivalent to deliberate scholarly misconduct.

The editorial response should be proportionate to the evidence and seriousness of the issue.

Concerns regarding published articles may be raised by readers, researchers, authors, institutions, or other interested parties.

IJHACSS will consider credible allegations of plagiarism or unethical reuse of scholarly material.

Investigation

The Editor-in-Chief or an appropriately appointed editor may examine the reported concerns.

This may include:

• Comparing the published material with original sources.
• Reviewing citation and attribution practices.
• Seeking clarification from the corresponding author.
• Consulting independent experts.
• Examining relevant copyright or publication records.
• Considering responses from affected individuals.

Possible Outcomes

No Further Action

Where the concern is unsupported or the identified material is appropriately attributed.

Publication of a Correction

Where an error can be corrected without undermining the article's central scholarly contribution.

Expression of Concern

Where significant unresolved concerns require readers to be alerted while further examination is ongoing.

Retraction

Where serious plagiarism or other integrity problems make the article's publication unreliable or fundamentally misleading.

Institutional Notification

Where serious or repeated misconduct is supported by sufficient evidence, the journal may communicate relevant concerns to appropriate institutions or authorities.

Corrective actions should be transparent, evidence-based, and proportionate to the nature of the problem.

Plagiarism and copyright infringement are related but distinct issues.

Plagiarism concerns inadequate acknowledgment of intellectual contributions.

Copyright infringement concerns unauthorized use of material protected by applicable intellectual property law.

A manuscript may contain properly attributed material that nevertheless requires permission for reproduction.

For example, citing the creator of a copyrighted photograph does not automatically authorize its republication.

Similarly, the reproduction of a lengthy literary extract may raise copyright concerns even when accurately attributed.

Authors are responsible for obtaining necessary permissions and complying with applicable copyright requirements.

IJHACSS may request documentation of permission before accepting or publishing material.

IJHACSS aims to handle suspected plagiarism fairly and professionally.

The journal recognizes that allegations of academic misconduct can have serious consequences for researchers and institutions.

Accordingly, decisions should not be based solely on unverified accusations or automated similarity reports.

Where appropriate, authors should have a reasonable opportunity to respond to concerns and provide relevant documentation.

Editors should evaluate explanations objectively and avoid premature conclusions.

The journal may seek independent advice where a case involves complex authorship issues, translated scholarship, contested intellectual ownership, or unclear publication history.

The confidentiality of individuals involved should be respected to the extent consistent with an appropriate investigation.

Authors who believe that a plagiarism-related editorial decision resulted from a factual misunderstanding, procedural error, or incorrect interpretation of evidence may submit a formal appeal.

The appeal should include:

• Manuscript title and identification number.
• The specific decision being challenged.
• A clear explanation of the grounds for appeal.
• Relevant sources or supporting documentation.
• Any additional information necessary to clarify the concern.

The journal may assign an appeal to an editor or independent academic specialist who was not directly involved in the original decision.

An appeal does not guarantee that the decision will be reversed.

The journal's objective is to ensure that academic integrity decisions are fair, consistent, and supported by appropriate evidence.

IJHACSS believes that preventing plagiarism is as important as detecting it.

Good scholarly writing requires accurate engagement with existing research and clear acknowledgment of intellectual sources.

Authors are encouraged to develop responsible research practices throughout the writing process.

These include:

• Maintaining accurate research notes.
• Recording complete bibliographic information.
• Clearly distinguishing direct quotations from paraphrased notes.
• Identifying original sources rather than relying exclusively on secondary citations.
• Documenting archival and interview materials accurately.
• Verifying references before manuscript submission.
• Acknowledging collaborative and intellectual contributions.
• Using reference-management tools responsibly.
• Reviewing manuscripts for citation omissions and unintended textual overlap.

Researchers should understand that scholarly originality does not mean avoiding previous research.

Rather, it involves developing new knowledge, arguments, interpretations, or insights through transparent engagement with existing scholarship.

IJHACSS supports open-access publishing because it enhances the availability and dissemination of scholarly knowledge.

Open access permits broader engagement with research, but it does not eliminate authorship, attribution, or intellectual property requirements.

Readers who reproduce or adapt published content must comply with its applicable license and acknowledge the original sources.

Similarly, authors submitting manuscripts to IJHACSS must properly acknowledge open-access articles, digital archives, online reports, and other publicly available material.

Free access to scholarly work does not mean that its intellectual contributions may be presented as someone else's original creation.

IJHACSS is committed to promoting a scholarly environment in which original contributions are recognized, intellectual diversity is respected, and academic work is evaluated fairly.

We encourage researchers to engage critically with established knowledge, question assumptions, reinterpret historical and cultural materials, and develop innovative perspectives across disciplinary boundaries.

Such intellectual freedom must be accompanied by responsibility for accurate citation, honest representation of evidence, and acknowledgment of the contributions of others.

By combining responsible originality screening, discipline-sensitive editorial evaluation, transparent ethical procedures, and constructive author guidance, IJHACSS seeks to maintain confidence in its published scholarship.

Authors, reviewers, researchers, and readers seeking clarification about plagiarism, originality, attribution, duplicate publication, or related research integrity matters may contact the journal's editorial office.

Concerns regarding suspected plagiarism in published articles should include sufficient information to identify the relevant publication and the source of the alleged overlap.

Reports will be assessed according to the journal's editorial and publication ethics procedures.

International Journal of Humanities, Arts, Commerce and Social Sciences (IJHACSS)

Website: https://khaki-starling-459600.hostingersite.com/

Editorial Contact: Available through the official journal Contact page.

Our Principle

Original scholarship does not emerge in isolation. It develops through critical engagement with existing knowledge, respect for intellectual contributions, and the pursuit of new understanding. IJHACSS is committed to protecting this process through academic honesty, fair editorial assessment, and responsible publication practices.

IJHACSS — Promoting Originality, Academic Integrity, and Responsible Scholarship.