Plagiarism and Ethics Statement

At the International Journal of Cardiology Research, we hold ourselves and our authors to the highest standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism—in any form—undermines the trust that readers, researchers, and institutions place in scholarly publishing. This statement outlines our commitment to preventing plagiarism and upholding ethical standards throughout the publication process.

What Is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work, ideas, language, or data as your own, without proper acknowledgment. It can take many forms:

Verbatim copying: Reproducing text word-for-word from another source without quotation marks and citation.

Paraphrasing without credit: Rewording someone else's ideas without citing the original source.

Idea appropriation: Using another researcher's concepts, theories, or interpretations as though they were your own.

Self-plagiarism: Reusing substantial portions of your own previously published work without disclosure or proper citation. This includes submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.

Data and image manipulation: Presenting fabricated or falsified data, or reusing figures from other publications without permission and attribution.

Our Screening Process

All manuscripts submitted to International Journal of Cardiology Research undergo plagiarism screening using established detection software. This check typically occurs after initial editorial review, before the paper is sent for peer review. We look for textual overlap with published literature, including the authors' own previous work.

However, software alone cannot catch everything. Our reviewers—who are experts in their fields—also play a crucial role in identifying borrowed material that might not be flagged automatically. If a reviewer recognizes uncited work or suspects plagiarism, they report it to the handling editor.

How We Handle Suspected Plagiarism

When plagiarism is suspected or detected, our response depends on when the issue arises and how severe it is.

During submission/review: If significant plagiarism is found before publication, the manuscript is rejected. We may contact the authors' institution if the case is egregious.

After publication: If plagiarism is discovered in a published article, we follow COPE guidelines. Depending on severity, we may issue a correction, publish an expression of concern, or retract the article. Retraction notices clearly explain the reason and remain linked to the original article.

Authors found to have committed plagiarism may be barred from future submissions to the journal.

Broader Ethical Commitments

Plagiarism is just one form of research misconduct. International Journal of Cardiology Research also takes seriously:

Data fabrication and falsification: Inventing results or manipulating data to misrepresent findings.

Authorship disputes: Adding "gift" or "ghost" authors, or failing to credit those who contributed substantively.

Conflicts of interest: Not disclosing financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could bias the research.

Ethical violations in research conduct: Failure to obtain proper ethical approval for human or animal studies, or breach of informed consent.

We follow the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling all ethical concerns.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are expected to:

Submit only original work that has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration at another journal.

Properly cite all sources, including their own prior publications when relevant.

Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Ensure all listed authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria and approve the final manuscript.

Cooperate fully with any investigation into suspected misconduct.

Editor and Reviewer Responsibilities

Our editors commit to handling all submissions fairly and confidentially, recusing themselves when conflicts of interest exist, and taking appropriate action when misconduct is suspected.

Reviewers agree to maintain confidentiality, provide honest and constructive feedback, and report any ethical concerns they identify during review.

Questions or Concerns?

If you have questions about this statement, suspect plagiarism or other misconduct in a submitted or published article, or want to report an ethical concern, please contact us at cardio.article@gmail.com. All reports are treated confidentially.