Plagiarism

Screening for Plagiarism and Similarity

WALABI: Animal Reproduction, Genetics and Breeding is committed to maintaining the originality, integrity, and reliability of all manuscripts considered for publication.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using Turnitin or other appropriate similarity-detection tools to identify potentially inappropriate text overlap, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of unattributed reuse.

Similarity Screening Process

Similarity screening is conducted at appropriate stages of the editorial process, including:

  1. Initial Submission
    Manuscripts may be checked when first submitted to determine whether substantial text overlap or other concerns are present before the manuscript proceeds to peer review.
  2. Revised Manuscript
    Revised manuscripts may be screened again after authors have responded to reviewer and editor comments, particularly when substantial textual changes have been made.
  3. Pre-Publication Check
    The editorial team may conduct an additional similarity assessment before final publication when necessary.

Similarity Threshold

As an editorial guideline, WALABI may use a similarity index of 20% or lower as an initial screening reference. However, the similarity percentage alone does not determine whether plagiarism has occurred.

Editors will evaluate the similarity report in context, including the location and source of matched text, the extent of overlap with individual sources, the use of quotation and citation, commonly used methodological phrases, reference lists, and other legitimate forms of textual similarity.

A manuscript with a similarity score below 20% may still require revision or further investigation if inappropriate unattributed overlap is identified. Conversely, a manuscript with a higher similarity score may not necessarily constitute plagiarism when the overlap is properly attributed or arises from legitimate scholarly content.

Editorial Actions

When problematic similarity or suspected plagiarism is identified, the editorial team may take one or more of the following actions:

  • request clarification from the author;
  • request revision and appropriate citation or paraphrasing;
  • return the manuscript before peer review;
  • reject the manuscript when serious plagiarism or duplicate publication is identified; or
  • take further action in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and research integrity policies.

Additional Verification

In addition to similarity-detection software, the editorial team may use scholarly databases, search engines, bibliographic databases, and other appropriate resources to verify potentially duplicated or previously published material.

Such checks may be used to assess possible:

  • plagiarism or unattributed text reuse;
  • duplicate or redundant publication;
  • substantial overlap with previously published work;
  • inappropriate reuse of figures, tables, or data; and
  • other concerns related to research and publication integrity.

Multiple and Simultaneous Submission

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to more than one journal. Manuscripts under consideration by WALABI must not be submitted elsewhere until a final editorial decision has been made or the manuscript has been formally withdrawn from the journal.

Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted work is original, that the work and ideas of others are appropriately acknowledged, and that all quotations, paraphrased material, data, figures, and other reused content are properly cited and used in accordance with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.

By applying similarity screening as part of its editorial process, WALABI: Animal Reproduction, Genetics and Breeding aims to support responsible scholarly communication and protect the integrity of the scientific record.