PLAGIARISM POLICY

• Definition: URDU maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, including verbatim copying, paraphrasing without attribution, and Text Recycling (Self-Plagiarism).

• Plagiarism Screening: All submitted manuscripts undergo rigorous screening using Turnitin (HEC-recommended software). Following HEC guidelines, a similarity index of less than 19% is generally required.

• Evaluation Criteria: * upto 19% Similarity: The manuscript may be returned to the author for revision and mandatory re-phrasing.

  • Above 19% Similarity: The manuscript may be rejected immediately, depending on the nature of the plagiarized content.

• Manual Detection for Urdu Content: Recognizing the limitations of automated tools for the Urdu language, the Editorial Board also performs manual checks. If plagiarism is detected manually at any stage, the same strict actions will apply.

• Post-Publication Plagiarism: If plagiarism is reported with evidence after publication:

  1. A formal investigation will be conducted following COPE Flowcharts.

  2. The author will be given an opportunity to provide an explanation.

  3. If proven, the article will be formally Retracted. A "Retraction Note" will be issued, and the PDF will be watermarked accordingly.

  4. The author(s) may be blacklisted from submitting to URDU for a specified period (e.g., 3 years or 6 issues).

• Author Responsibility & Undertaking: Authors must submit a signed Plagiarism Undertaking at the time of submission, confirming the originality of their work. In the case of multiple authors, the Corresponding Author (or Principal Author) is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the entire manuscript.