Plagiarism Policies

KHD Production is committed to publishing original, high-quality academic works. We enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication. All authors submitting monographs or edited volume chapters to our press must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original and have not been published previously or are under consideration elsewhere.

1. Plagiarism Detection Process

To uphold academic integrity and prevent scholarly misconduct, all submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous originality check during the Initial Desk Review stage.

  • KHD Production utilizes industry-standard similarity detection software (Turnitin or iThenticate) to analyze submissions against a vast database of published academic literature, web pages, and previously submitted documents.

  • Manuscripts will not be forwarded to the handling editors or external reviewers until they have successfully passed this similarity check.

2. Acceptable Similarity Threshold

While KHD Production evaluates each manuscript individually, we generally apply the following thresholds for academic books:

  • Overall Similarity Index: The total similarity index must not exceed 20%.

  • Single Source Similarity: Similarity from any single source must not exceed 3% to ensure that authors are not overly relying on or copying from one specific work.

  • Exceptions: The similarity index calculation excludes the Bibliography/References section, appropriately formatted block quotes, and standard medical terminology or methodological descriptions commonly used in Health and Medical Sciences.

3. Self-Plagiarism and Redundant Publication

Self-plagiarism (text-recycling) occurs when an author reuses significant portions of their own previously published work without proper citation.

  • Thesis/Dissertation Adaptation: We encourage the publication of monographs adapted from academic theses or dissertations. However, authors must explicitly state this in the Acknowledgments section and ensure that the book manuscript represents a significant revision and expansion of the original academic exercise.

  • Reusing Published Articles: If authors wish to incorporate their previously published journal articles into a book chapter, they must obtain the necessary copyright permissions from the original publisher and clearly cite the original source.

4. Policy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs)

In accordance with the latest guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE):

  • AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) cannot be listed as an author of a book or chapter, as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work.

  • Authors who use AI tools to assist in writing, data analysis, or translation must transparently disclose the use of these technologies in the manuscript (e.g., in the Methods or Acknowledgments section).

  • Authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content generated or assisted by AI.

5. Consequences of Plagiarism

If plagiarism, duplicate publication, or severe ethical misconduct is detected at any stage:

  • Pre-Publication: The manuscript will be immediately rejected. The authors will be notified and asked to provide an explanation.

  • Post-Publication: If plagiarism is discovered after the book has been published, KHD Production will conduct an investigation following COPE guidelines. If the plagiarism is confirmed, the publisher reserves the right to issue a formal correction, an expression of concern, or a full retraction of the book or chapter. In severe cases, the authors' affiliated institutions may be notified.