Indian Journal of Renewable Energy (IJRE) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and academic honesty in the research it publishes. Plagiarism is a serious violation of ethical standards and undermines the credibility of scholarly work. This policy outlines IJRE’s stance on plagiarism and the measures taken to detect and address it.

Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism involves the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, or creative work without proper acknowledgment. This includes, but is not limited to:
1. Direct Plagiarism: Copying text word-for-word from another source without proper citation.
2. Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one’s own previously published work or parts thereof without acknowledgment or proper citation.
3. Mosaic Plagiarism: Blending copied material from several sources with original content without proper citation.
4. Paraphrasing Plagiarism: Rewriting someone else’s work with minor changes and presenting it as one’s own without proper citation.

Detection of Plagiarism
IJRE employs several strategies to detect plagiarism:
1. Manuscript Screening: All submitted manuscripts are subjected to plagiarism detection software to identify any potential overlaps with existing literature.
2. Reviewer Vigilance: Reviewers are encouraged to report any suspected cases of plagiarism they may come across during their review.
3. Editorial Oversight: The editorial team conducts thorough checks for plagiarism during the review process.

Handling Plagiarism
When plagiarism is detected, IJRE follows a strict protocol to address the issue:
1. Minor Overlap: If minor overlap or similarity is detected (less than 10%), authors may be asked to revise their manuscript and provide proper citations.
2. Moderate Plagiarism: If moderate plagiarism is detected (10-30%), the manuscript is returned to the authors for revision with a requirement to address the issue and resubmit within a specified timeframe. The revised manuscript must be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the changes made.
3. Severe Plagiarism: If severe plagiarism is detected (more than 30%), the manuscript is immediately rejected, and the authors are notified of the decision. The authors may be barred from submitting to IJRE in the future.
4. Published Work:  If plagiarism is discovered in a published article, IJRE will take the following actions:
    Issue a retraction notice in the subsequent issue of the journal.
    Remove the plagiarized article from the journal’s website and databases.
    Notify the authors’ affiliated institutions and any relevant funding agencies.

Author Responsibilities
Authors submitting to IJRE are responsible for ensuring that their work is original and free from plagiarism. They must:
1. Proper Citation: Properly cite all sources, including their own previous work, in accordance with the journal’s citation guidelines.
2. Ethical Compliance: Adhere to ethical guidelines and best practices for scholarly publishing.
3. Declaration: Provide a signed declaration that the submitted work is original and has not been previously published or under consideration elsewhere.

Educating Authors
IJRE is committed to educating authors about plagiarism and promoting ethical research practices. Resources and guidelines on how to avoid plagiarism are made available to authors on the journal’s website.