Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism Policy

 
 
 

Whoosh: Journal of Transportation and Logistic requires submitted manuscripts to present original scholarly work and to acknowledge appropriately all ideas, words, data, figures, methods, and other materials derived from existing sources.

Plagiarism is regarded as a serious breach of publication ethics. Suspected cases are assessed by the editorial team based on the nature, extent, context, and significance of the identified overlap rather than solely on an automated similarity percentage.

What Constitutes Plagiarism

Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Verbatim Copying
Copying text from another source without appropriate quotation, citation, or attribution.
Improper Paraphrasing
Rewriting or summarizing another person's ideas, arguments, or findings without appropriate attribution.
Unattributed Ideas or Concepts
Presenting another person's intellectual contribution as if it were one's own.
Data or Research Findings
Using data, results, or research findings produced by others without appropriate acknowledgment, authorization, or citation where required.
Figures and Other Materials
Reproducing images, tables, charts, diagrams, or other protected material without proper attribution and, where required, permission.
Redundant or Text Recycling
Reusing substantial portions of an author's previously published material without transparent citation or acknowledgment of the earlier publication.
Misrepresentation of Sources
Providing misleading attribution, disguising the origin of material, or citing a source in a manner that falsely represents its contribution.
Similarity and Plagiarism Screening

Manuscripts submitted to the journal may be screened for textual similarity as part of the editorial evaluation process. The journal currently uses Turnitin and may use other appropriate similarity-checking tools when necessary.

Similarity reports are used as screening aids and are not treated as automatic evidence of plagiarism. An editor reviews relevant matches and considers their context, including quotations, references, commonly used terminology, methodological descriptions, properly cited material, and the concentration of overlap with individual sources.

Interpretation of Similarity Results

The journal does not determine plagiarism solely from a numerical similarity score. A low similarity percentage does not necessarily demonstrate originality, and a higher percentage does not necessarily indicate plagiarism.

Editorial assessment focuses on the source and nature of the matched material. Manuscripts containing inappropriate unattributed overlap may require revision or may be declined regardless of the overall similarity percentage.

Editorial Action

When potentially inappropriate textual or intellectual overlap is identified, the editorial team evaluates the circumstances before taking action. Depending on the nature and stage of the case, possible actions may include:

Requesting clarification from the author
Requesting correction of attribution or citation
Returning the manuscript for substantial revision
Rejecting or declining the manuscript
Concerns Identified After Publication

If potential plagiarism is identified in a published article, the journal will assess the concern in accordance with its publication ethics procedures. Any action affecting the published scholarly record will follow the journal's separate Correction & Retraction Policy and applicable publication ethics guidance.

Related Ethical Matters

Fabrication or falsification of research data, inappropriate authorship, manipulation of the peer-review process, undisclosed competing interests, misuse of artificial intelligence, and other forms of publication misconduct are governed by the journal's respective Publication Ethics and related policy sections rather than by similarity percentage alone.