Screening for Plagiarism

Caring & Sharing Nursing Journal (CSNJ) is committed to upholding academic integrity and ensuring the originality of all submissions. To support this commitment, CSNJ performs similarity screening as part of the editorial workflow.

1) Similarity Screening Tool

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using Plagiarism Checker X during the initial editorial assessment (desk review) and, when necessary, again before publication.

2) What We Screen For

CSNJ screens manuscripts to identify potential:

  • Plagiarism (unattributed copying of text/ideas)

  • Self-plagiarism / text recycling without proper citation

  • Redundant/duplicate publication

  • Unethical paraphrasing or patchwork copying

  • Inappropriate citation practices

3) How Similarity Results Are Interpreted

Similarity reports are interpreted contextually by the editors. A similarity percentage alone is not used as the sole basis for acceptance or rejection. Editors consider legitimate sources of overlap, such as:

  • references and bibliography

  • properly quoted material

  • standard methodology descriptions

  • names of instruments, regulations, or technical terms

When overlap is identified, editors assess whether the reused text is appropriately cited, properly quoted, and academically justified.

4) Editorial Actions When Overlap Is Detected

Based on the similarity screening and editorial assessment, CSNJ may:

  • request revision and proper citation/quotation for minor issues

  • request clarification and supporting evidence (e.g., prior related publications) for suspected redundancy

  • reject a manuscript in cases of serious plagiarism or unethical duplication

  • apply additional actions in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policy, including documentation of the case and communication with authors

For published articles, CSNJ may issue corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern if substantial misconduct is confirmed.

5) Author Responsibility

Authors are responsible for ensuring:

  • the manuscript is original and properly cited

  • reused content (including their own previously published text) is clearly acknowledged and cited

  • any third-party material (figures/tables/images) is used with permission where required

6) Ethical Guidance

CSNJ handles suspected misconduct following recognized publication ethics guidance and documented internal procedures to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and integrity of the scholarly record. (publicationethics.org)