Plagiarism Policy

The Editorial Board of the International Journal of Machine Learning (IJOML) recognizes that plagiarism is unacceptable and, therefore, establishes the following policy, which outlines specific actions (penalties) to be taken when plagiarism is identified in a submitted article. Plagiarism involves the use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.

Policy

Submitted papers must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Any material taken verbatim from another source must be clearly identified as distinct from the original text by:

  1. Indentation,

  2. Use of quotation marks, and

  3. Proper citation of the source.

Any text exceeding fair use standards (defined as more than two or three sentences or the equivalent thereof), or any reproduced graphic material, requires permission from the copyright holder and, if possible, the original author(s). Proper acknowledgment of the source (e.g., previous publication) is mandatory.

When plagiarism is detected, the Editor-in-Chief overseeing the review will determine appropriate measures according to the severity, as outlined below:

Levels of Plagiarism and Actions

  1. Minor:

    • Description: A short section is plagiarized without significant data or ideas taken from another paper.

    • Action: Authors receive a warning and must revise the text with proper citation.

  2. Intermediate:

    • Description: A significant portion of the paper is plagiarized without proper citation.

    • Action: The paper is rejected, and authors are prohibited from submitting to IJOML for one year.

  3. Severe:

    • Description: Large portions are plagiarized, including original results or ideas from another publication.

    • Action: The paper is rejected, and authors are banned from submitting to IJOML for five years.

All authors are held responsible for the content of their submission, as they must sign the IJOML Copyright Transfer Form. If plagiarism penalties are imposed, they apply to all authors equally.

In cases of repeated plagiarism by the same author(s), the Editorial Board (Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Members) will decide on further measures, which may include a permanent ban on submissions to IJOML.

Special Cases

  • Self-Plagiarism:

    • More than half of the paper overlaps with previous work → Severe case.

    • Between one-tenth and one-half overlap → Intermediate case.

    • Limited to methods section → Minor case.

  • Previously Published Material:
    Authors using previously published material must clearly identify the source, highlight differences with the current work, and obtain permission from the copyright holder.

  • Conference Proceedings:
    Manuscripts first published in conference proceedings may be submitted in expanded form but must cite the original source, include publication details, and secure republishing permission.

  • Translations:
    If a paper previously published in another language is submitted, the original title, date, and journal must be identified, and permission obtained. The editor may accept such translations to broaden accessibility.

  • Editorial Republication:
    The Editor may select a previously published paper for republication in IJOML to provide broader perspective, but this must be clearly identified, with author/publisher permission.

Implementation

The IJOML Layout Editor will maintain a list of penalized authors and ensure no submissions are accepted from banned individuals. If identified, the Editor-in-Chief will take necessary action.

This plagiarism policy will be publicly posted on the IJOML website, included in submission guidelines, and sent to authors with manuscript submission confirmations. A statement confirming authors’ acknowledgment of this policy will also be added to the Copyright Transfer Form.