Purpose

The Ethiopian Journal of Business and Social Sciences (EJBSS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical publishing. This policy outlines the journal’s position on plagiarism, research misconduct, and the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Copying text, data, or ideas without proper citation
• Submitting another person’s work as one’s own
• Self-plagiarism (duplicate publication or significant overlap with previously published work)
• Paraphrasing without acknowledgment
• Unattributed use of tables, figures, or graphics

EJBSS follows international publication ethics standards consistent with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Plagiarism Screening

• All submitted manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software (Turnitin).
• The acceptable similarity index should generally not exceed 20%, excluding references and properly quoted material.
• Similarity above the acceptable threshold may result in:
• Immediate rejection
• Request for revision

Types of Plagiarism and Actions

Type	Action
Minor similarity (poor citation)	Revision required
Moderate plagiarism	Major revision or rejection
Severe plagiarism	Immediate rejection + possible author ban

If plagiarism is discovered after publication, EJBSS reserves the right to:

• Publish a correction
• Retract the article
• Notify the author’s institution

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Acceptable Use of AI

Authors may use AI tools for:

• Language editing
• Grammar checking
• Improving readability

Prohibited Use of AI

Authors must NOT:

• Use AI to generate entire manuscripts
• Fabricate data, references, or citations using AI
• Manipulate images using AI in a misleading manner
• List AI tools as authors

Mandatory Disclosure of AI Use

If AI tools were used beyond basic grammar correction, authors must disclose this in a separate section titled:

Declaration of AI Assistance

Example statement:

“The authors used an AI-based language editing tool to improve grammar and clarity. The authors take full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.”

Failure to disclose significant AI use may be considered ethical misconduct.

Authorship Responsibility

All authors must confirm that:

• The manuscript is original
• The work has not been previously published
• The manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere
• Proper citations are provided
• AI tools, if used, are disclosed

Ethical Compliance

EJBSS adheres to international best practices in academic publishing and follows COPE flowcharts when addressing misconduct cases.

Serious ethical breaches may result in:

• Retraction
• Publication ban (1–3 years)
• Notification to affiliated institutions

Post-Publication Issues

If plagiarism or undisclosed AI misuse is identified after publication:

• The Editorial Board will conduct an investigation.
• Authors will be contacted for explanation.
• Appropriate corrective action (correction, expression of concern, or retraction) will be taken.

Policy Review

This policy shall be reviewed every three (3) years by the Editorial Board of EJBSS to align with evolving technological and ethical standards.