Plagiarism Policy

The Hammurabi Journal of Medical Sciences (HJMS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical publishing. Any form of plagiarism or unethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) is strictly prohibited. All manuscripts submitted to the journal are examined using established similarity-detection tools, including iThenticate and Turnitin, before entering the peer review process.

Authors are expected to submit a valid similarity report or clearly indicate the overall similarity percentage in the cover letter. Submissions that do not comply with these requirements may be rejected without further evaluation.

Similarity and Plagiarism Assessment

  • Manuscripts with an overall similarity index below 20% are eligible for editorial consideration.

  • Submissions showing a similarity index between 20% and 40% will be returned to the authors for revision. Only one revision opportunity is permitted.

  • Manuscripts exceeding an overall similarity index of 40% will be rejected outright, and resubmission of the same manuscript, in any format, will not be allowed.

  • Similarity originating from a single reference must remain below 5%. If overlap with any single reference exceeds 10%, the manuscript will be rejected immediately.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy 

HJMS allows limited use of AI tools in manuscript preparation only within the boundaries established by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Authors must ensure transparency and compliance with these regulations.

  • If AI-generated content exceeds the permitted threshold by 25%, the manuscript will be returned for correction on a one-time basis.

  • If AI usage surpasses the permitted threshold by 26% or more, the manuscript will be rejected permanently, with no option for resubmission.

Similarity Check Procedures

All manuscripts submitted to HJMS undergo initial screening using Turnitin to identify textual overlap with previously published works. When elevated similarity is detected, a detailed manual assessment is conducted to determine whether the overlap constitutes acceptable use or a breach of publication ethics.

Minor similarity in standard expressions, methodological descriptions, or commonly used terminology is acceptable. However, substantial reproduction of previously published material, except for properly cited quotations, is considered a serious ethical violation and will result in immediate rejection.

HJMS regards plagiarism and unauthorized duplication as grave offenses that undermine scientific credibility and copyright protections.