Plagiarism Policy

What Constitutes Plagiarism?

Plagiarism involves presenting another person's intellectual work as one's own without appropriate acknowledgement. It may involve words, ideas, research findings, data, images, tables, figures or other scholarly material.

Examples include:

• Copying substantial text from another source without appropriate quotation or attribution.
• Paraphrasing another author's ideas or analysis without acknowledging the original source.
• Using another person's research findings, illustrations, figures or data without appropriate acknowledgement.
• Presenting another person's scholarly contribution as original work.
• Misleadingly reproducing or adapting published material without necessary attribution or permissions.

The assessment of possible plagiarism considers the nature, extent and context of the material, the presence or absence of attribution and the circumstances of its use.

Quotation, Paraphrasing and Citation

Authors may quote, summarize, discuss and critically evaluate previously published work when sources are appropriately acknowledged.

Direct quotations should be clearly identified and attributed. Paraphrased ideas and findings should also be supported by suitable citations. Merely changing a few words in copied material does not necessarily constitute acceptable paraphrasing.

Common scientific terminology, established methodological descriptions and standard expressions should be evaluated in context rather than automatically treated as plagiarism.

Text Similarity and Manuscript Assessment

The GMS may assess manuscripts for textual overlap using editorial examination and appropriate similarity-checking methods or tools where available.

A similarity percentage alone does not establish plagiarism. Similarity reports may identify legitimate quotations, references, standard terminology, methodological descriptions or appropriately acknowledged material.

Editorial assessment considers the source, extent, nature and context of any overlap. The journal does not apply a universal numerical similarity threshold as the sole basis for accepting or rejecting a manuscript.

Authors are not required to purchase a plagiarism-checking report as a condition of submission.

Reuse of an Author's Previous Work

Authors may build upon their previously published research, observations, interpretations and scholarly arguments. Such reuse should be transparent and appropriately acknowledged.

Reusing substantial portions of previously published text, data, figures or findings without appropriate disclosure may raise concerns about redundant publication, misleading originality or copyright.

Limited reuse of standard methodological descriptions or background information may be acceptable when justified, appropriately attributed and consistent with relevant copyright requirements.

The GMS evaluates these circumstances individually rather than treating every instance of textual overlap as misconduct.

Preprints and Prior Dissemination

The existence of a preprint does not automatically constitute plagiarism or duplicate publication.

Authors should disclose relevant preprints, conference presentations, abstracts, working papers or other prior dissemination when submitting related manuscripts.

Editors may consider the nature of the earlier dissemination, the originality of the submitted contribution and any applicable copyright or publication restrictions.

Appropriate disclosure enables transparent editorial assessment without unnecessarily discouraging legitimate scholarly development.

Simultaneous Submission and Redundant Publication

Authors should not submit substantially the same manuscript to multiple journals for simultaneous consideration without appropriate disclosure and agreement.

Submissions that substantially reproduce previously published work without meaningful additional scholarly contribution or transparent disclosure may be considered redundant publication.

Legitimate secondary publication, translation, extension or adaptation may be considered where appropriate editorial conditions, permissions and attribution requirements are met.

AI-Assisted Writing and Originality

The GMS permits responsible use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation. Such use does not remove the author's responsibility for originality, accuracy and appropriate attribution.

Authors must verify AI-assisted content, including citations, quotations, factual claims and references. Fabricated references, misleading representations and unattributed reproduction of protected or previously published material are unacceptable.

Material AI assistance should be disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy .

Handling Suspected Plagiarism

Where potential plagiarism or inappropriate overlap is identified, The GMS will consider the available evidence and the circumstances of the concern.

The editorial team may seek clarification from the author, request appropriate attribution or revision, consult relevant sources or undertake further editorial assessment.

Depending on the seriousness of the concern and the evidence available, the journal may decline a manuscript or take other appropriate action.

Authors should ordinarily have an opportunity to explain relevant circumstances before a substantive finding of misconduct is made. An allegation or similarity result alone does not establish wrongdoing.

Plagiarism Concerns After Publication

Concerns raised after publication will be assessed in relation to the available evidence, the reliability of the published contribution and the seriousness of any inappropriate reuse.

Depending on the circumstances, appropriate action may include clarification, correction, an expression of concern or retraction, consistent with the journal's publication ethics and post-publication procedures.

These actions are intended to protect the integrity of the scholarly record while ensuring fair consideration of the individuals involved.

Author Responsibility and Editorial Fairness

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that their submissions appropriately acknowledge sources, respect intellectual property and accurately represent their scholarly contributions.

The GMS recognizes that different article types involve different forms of originality. Reviews, case reports, clinical observations, perspectives and interdisciplinary contributions should be assessed according to their scholarly purpose and content.

Editorial decisions concerning plagiarism and originality are independent of publication charges, waiver requests and optional manuscript development or post-publication services.