Good Governance (GG) is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing. All submitted manuscripts must present original work, acknowledge the contributions of other researchers, and provide appropriate citations for ideas, data, quotations, and other materials derived from existing sources. This policy is consistent with the principles outlined in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and COPE's guidance on handling suspected plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

 

Plagiarism occurs when an author uses another person's words, ideas, data, findings, images, or other intellectual contributions without appropriate acknowledgment, presenting them as their own. It may include copying text without citation, inappropriate paraphrasing, reproducing tables or figures without proper acknowledgment, and using another researcher's work without recognizing the original source. The journal follows the principles described in the COPE flowchart on suspected plagiarism in submitted manuscripts, which distinguishes minor text copying from more substantial cases requiring editorial investigation.

 

All manuscripts submitted to GG may be screened using plagiarism detection software as part of the editorial assessment. The screening process is intended to identify textual similarities and potential cases of unattributed copying before a publication decision is made. As stated in the journal's Author Guidelines, manuscripts must be free from plagiarism, and the editorial board may reject submissions that violate this requirement.

Similarity reports will be evaluated by the editorial team in context. A similarity score alone does not establish plagiarism, since properly cited quotations, references, standard terminology, and commonly used expressions may generate text matches. The editorial team will examine the nature, extent, location, and attribution of the similarities before determining whether further action is required. This approach is consistent with the case-by-case assessment described in the COPE guidance on suspected plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

 

If potential plagiarism is identified during initial screening or peer review, the editorial team will assess the available evidence and determine the appropriate response. Depending on the seriousness of the concern, the journal may request clarification from the authors, require corrections or revisions, reject the manuscript, or take further action when serious misconduct is suspected. These procedures follow the principles outlined in the COPE flowchart for suspected plagiarism in submitted manuscripts.

Authors will normally be given an opportunity to respond to allegations before a final decision is made. If the explanation is unsatisfactory or the evidence indicates substantial plagiarism, GG may reject the manuscript. Where appropriate, the journal may contact the authors' affiliated institutions or other relevant parties. Such actions are consistent with the investigation steps described in the COPE guidance on handling suspected plagiarism.

 

Authors must clearly acknowledge and cite their previously published work when reusing relevant material. Republishing substantial portions of one's own previously published text, data, or findings without appropriate disclosure may constitute redundant publication or inappropriate text recycling. Authors must not submit manuscripts that have already been published or are simultaneously under consideration by another journal, unless the circumstances have been fully disclosed and the journal has explicitly permitted the submission in accordance with its editorial policies. These matters will be assessed in accordance with the principles of publication ethics described in the COPE Core Practices and relevant COPE guidance.

 

If plagiarism is suspected or reported after an article has been published, GG will assess the allegation and review the available evidence. Depending on the findings, the journal may issue a correction, publish an editorial notice, or retract the article when the evidence warrants such action. The journal will handle these cases in accordance with its publication ethics policies and the COPE flowchart on suspected plagiarism in published articles.

 

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original, that all sources are properly acknowledged, and that any reused material is appropriately cited and disclosed. Before submission, authors should review their manuscripts to verify the accuracy of citations and references and ensure that the work does not contain unattributed material. GG reserves the right to reject manuscripts that violate this policy or to take appropriate post-publication action when plagiarism is established.

 

GG applies this policy fairly and consistently to protect the rights of original authors, maintain public trust in scholarly publications, and preserve the integrity of the academic record. The journal's approach is informed by the COPE Core Practices and its specific guidance on suspected plagiarism in submitted manuscripts and suspected plagiarism in published articles.