Plagiarism and originality policy

Applied Biofilm Science (ABS) expects all submitted manuscripts to be entirely original contributions. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism, data fabrication, and the unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property.

1. Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves presenting the work, words, ideas, data, or figures of others as your own, without proper attribution or permission. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Copying text verbatim from other sources without quotation marks and appropriate citation.

  • Paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or methodology without citing the original source.

  • Using tables, figures, or data from previously published work without explicit permission from the copyright holder and proper acknowledgement.

2. Self-Plagiarism (Text-Recycling)

Authors must avoid "self-plagiarism," which occurs when an author reuses significant portions of their own previously published work without proper citation.

  • Salami-Slicing: We strongly discourage the unwarranted division of a single research project into multiple small papers. Manuscripts must represent a substantial and complete piece of original research.

  • Exceptions: We actively encourage the submission of work that has previously been posted to preprint servers (e.g., bioRxiv), institutional repositories, or presented as a conference abstract or poster. These do not constitute prior publication or self-plagiarism. However, authors must disclose these previous versions in the cover letter upon submission.

3. Similarity Screening Process

To ensure the originality of published content, Applied Biofilm Science utilizes industry-standard similarity detection software (such as iThenticate / Crossref Similarity Check).

  • Initial Check: Every manuscript undergoes an automated similarity check immediately after submission and before being assigned to an editor or sent out for peer review.

  • Thresholds: While we do not rely solely on arbitrary similarity percentages, manuscripts with an overall similarity index exceeding 20%, or with greater than 5% similarity to any single source, will be flagged for closer editorial scrutiny.

  • Qualitative Review: The editorial board reviews flagged reports manually. We recognize that certain sections (such as Materials and Methods involving standard biofilm assays) may naturally have overlapping terminology. However, overlapping text in the Results, Discussion, or Conclusions is strictly prohibited.

4. Actions Taken in Cases of Suspected Plagiarism

We follow the protocols outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when handling suspected cases of plagiarism.

  • Before Peer Review: If substantial plagiarism or self-plagiarism is detected during the initial screening, the manuscript will be desk-rejected immediately.

  • During Peer Review or Production: If plagiarism is identified by reviewers or editors later in the process, processing will be halted. The corresponding author will be contacted for an explanation. If the explanation is unsatisfactory, the manuscript will be rejected, and the authors' institutions may be notified.

  • Post-Publication: If plagiarism is discovered after an article has been published, the journal will conduct a formal investigation. Depending on the severity of the offense, this may result in a formal Correction, an Editorial Expression of Concern, or the complete Retraction of the article.

5. Author Responsibilities

By submitting a manuscript to Applied Biofilm Science, all authors confirm that:

  1. The work is original and has not been published elsewhere.

  2. The manuscript is not currently under consideration by another journal.

  3. All external sources of information, data, and methodologies have been appropriately cited.

  4. Necessary permissions have been obtained for the reproduction of any copyrighted material (including modified figures).