Plagiarism and Similarity Policy

The Journal of Planner and Development (JPD) is committed to maintaining the originality, integrity, transparency, and ethical quality of all published scholarly work. The journal does not tolerate plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, improper paraphrasing, unattributed use of text, data, tables, maps, figures, photographs, diagrams, artificial intelligence-generated content, or any other form of academic misconduct.

All manuscripts submitted to JPD are subject to similarity screening using Turnitin or any other similarity-checking tool adopted by the journal or the University of Baghdad. Manuscripts may also be examined for indicators of inappropriate or undisclosed use of generative artificial intelligence tools. Screening may be conducted before editorial processing, before peer review, during revision, or at any stage where ethical concerns arise.

Similarity Screening Thresholds

Acceptable Similarity Limits

As a general editorial rule, the acceptable overall similarity percentage for manuscripts submitted to JPD should not exceed 20% after excluding the reference list, standard metadata, journal template text, institutional names, common terminology, and properly cited unavoidable expressions where applicable.

Screening Item JPD Limit Editorial Interpretation
Overall similarity Not more than 20% May proceed only if the overlap is properly cited, limited, and does not affect originality.
Similarity from a single source Less than 5% Any concentration of similarity from one source is examined carefully, even when the overall percentage is acceptable.
Uncited or poorly paraphrased text Not acceptable May lead to return, rejection, or ethical investigation depending on extent and seriousness.

The similarity report is used as an editorial assessment tool. A low similarity score does not automatically mean that the manuscript is free from plagiarism, and a higher score does not automatically mean rejection. The editorial office evaluates the nature, source, location, citation status, and academic significance of the overlap before making a decision.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

AI-Generated Content and Author Disclosure

JPD recognizes that authors may use artificial intelligence tools for limited language editing, translation support, formatting assistance, coding support, data processing, or other clearly defined research-related tasks. However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, interpretation, citations, and ethical compliance of the submitted manuscript.

The maximum acceptable AI-generated content indicator, where AI-detection or AI-screening tools are used by the journal, should not exceed 25%. This percentage is treated as an editorial indicator rather than a final judgment, because AI-detection results may require human review and contextual interpretation.

Authors must disclose any substantive use of generative AI tools. The declaration must identify the AI tool used, the purpose of use, the manuscript sections affected, the extent of dependence on the tool, and the type of human review performed by the authors. AI tools must not be listed as authors and must not replace scholarly reasoning, data interpretation, citation verification, or author accountability.

Unacceptable AI Use

JPD does not accept manuscripts in which generative AI tools are used to fabricate content, invent references, create unsupported analysis, manipulate results, replace authorial interpretation, or generate substantial parts of the manuscript without disclosure and human verification. Undisclosed or inappropriate AI use may be treated as an ethical concern and may result in rejection.

Editorial Actions When Thresholds Are Exceeded

Preliminary Editorial Screening

If the overall similarity percentage exceeds 20%, or if similarity from a single source is 5% or higher, the manuscript will not normally proceed directly to peer review. The editorial office will examine the report to determine whether the overlap is minor, properly cited, technical, unavoidable, or ethically problematic.

If the AI-generated content indicator exceeds 25%, the author may be asked to submit an explanation and complete the AI Use Declaration Form. The editorial office may also require revision to reduce inappropriate reliance on AI-generated wording and to restore clear authorial responsibility.

Revision Opportunity

Where the overlap appears correctable and does not involve clear plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated material, or deliberate concealment, authors may be given one formal opportunity to revise the manuscript before peer review. The revised submission must include a corrected manuscript, a short explanation of the changes made, and, where applicable, an updated similarity report or AI-use declaration.

A second opportunity may be granted only at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office when the remaining issues are minor and the authors have clearly acted in good faith. If the manuscript still exceeds the acceptable thresholds after revision, or if the explanation is unsatisfactory, the manuscript may be rejected before peer review.

Immediate Rejection Cases

The manuscript may be rejected without a revision opportunity if the editorial office identifies clear plagiarism, substantial copying from one or more sources, duplicate or redundant publication, fabricated references, manipulated data, reused figures or maps without permission, undisclosed reproduction of another author’s work, or substantial AI-generated content presented as original authorial work.

Repeated submission of manuscripts with unacceptable similarity, intentional concealment of sources, or failure to respond adequately to editorial concerns may lead to rejection and may be reported to the author’s institution where necessary, according to the journal’s publication ethics procedures.

Author Responsibility and Required Declarations

Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original, properly cited, ethically prepared, and not under consideration by another journal. By submitting a manuscript to JPD, authors confirm that all sources have been properly acknowledged, permissions have been obtained for copyrighted material where required, and any use of artificial intelligence tools has been accurately disclosed.

Authors should prepare their manuscripts according to the official JPD Manuscript Template and complete all required author declarations before submission or when requested by the editorial office.

Required Declaration Forms

To support ethical screening and originality verification, authors may be required to complete the relevant declaration forms. These forms help document originality, non-duplication, authorship responsibility, responsible manuscript preparation, and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools.

Post-Publication Concerns

Concerns Identified After Publication

If plagiarism, duplicate publication, undisclosed AI-generated content, fabricated references, or serious ethical misconduct is identified after publication, the journal will investigate the case according to its publication ethics procedures. Depending on the evidence and severity of the case, JPD may issue a correction, an expression of concern, a retraction, or notify the relevant institution or authority.

Related Policies and Author Guidance

This policy should be read together with the journal’s related editorial, ethical, review, and author guidance pages.