Plagiarism screening
SJARD has zero tolerance for plagiarism. Manuscripts submitted to the Semi-Arid Journal of Academic Research and Development are screened for plagiarism and self-plagiarism using Turnitin. Depending on the level of originality and similarity with other documents, the managing editor will decide whether to reject the manuscript immediately, contact the authors for further clarification, or proceed to peer review.
SJARD considers the following unacceptable:
- Copying text, data, figures or ideas from others without attribution.
- Duplicate or redundant publication, including republishing one’s own previous work without disclosure (self-plagiarism).
- Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.
Use of artificial intelligence by authors
- Generative AI tools (such as large language models) cannot be listed as authors, because they cannot take responsibility for the work.
- Authors may use AI tools to improve language and readability, but must review and edit the output and remain fully responsible for the content.
- Any use of AI beyond basic language editing — for example in data analysis, image generation or drafting text — must be disclosed in the Materials and Methods or Acknowledgement section, naming the tool and describing how it was used.
- AI-generated references must be checked; fabricated or inaccurate citations are treated as a serious breach of research integrity.
Use of artificial intelligence by reviewers and editors
Manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers and editors must not upload manuscripts, or any part of them, into generative AI tools, and must not use such tools to write review reports or decision letters.
Last updated 27 September 2026