Plagiarism policy

Plagiarism and self-plagiarism policy

Public Knowledge Project (PKP) is a member of CrossCheck’s plagiarism detection initiative. Cancer Biome and Targeted Therapy maintains a strict policy against all forms of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, per international publication ethics standards. Authors are expected to submit original work that appropriately acknowledges the intellectual contributions of others through citation and referencing.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, data, or creative work without appropriate referencing. This includes but is not limited to: Copying text (see below for reuse policy), images, or data from previously published work without citation. Presenting another author’s research findings, figures, or language as one’s own. Submitting manuscripts that reproduce content (in whole or in part) from theses, conference presentations, or other sources without disclosure or permission. Cancer Biome and Targeted Therapy uses plagiarism detection software to screen all submission files. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content may be rejected without peer review. In cases where plagiarism is confirmed post-publication, the journal may issue a correction or retraction, and the author’s institution may be notified.

Self-Plagiarism 

Self-plagiarism, or text recycling, refers to the reuse of significant portions of an author’s previously published work without proper citation or justification. Authors must identify and cite all reused content, including methods, figures, or datasets, even if the original work was authored by the same individual(s). Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently or publishing substantially overlapping work in multiple outlets without clear disclosure (i.e., duplicate or redundant publication) is strictly prohibited.

Permissible Text Reuse Policy

Cancer Biome and Targeted Therapy recognizes that in scientific publishing, certain types of text, particularly those describing facts, standard methodologies, or universally accepted definitions, may be difficult to rephrase without compromising clarity or precision. As such, the journal permits limited reuse of text in the following cases: To describe common experimental methods, protocols, or computational procedures that are standard in the field. To state scientific facts, definitions, or regulatory statements that are broadly accepted and do not involve original interpretation. To report institutional affiliations, funding statements, or ethical declarations in consistent and formulaic language. This reuse must follow these conditions: The reused content must be limited to non-novel elements of the manuscript and must not include new data interpretation, conclusions, or analysis. Authors should indicate when a section (e.g., methods) has been adapted from prior work, especially if it is their own (to avoid self-plagiarism). Extensive copying, even of factual content, without attribution, may still be considered unethical. Authors are encouraged to paraphrase where possible and only reuse text when essential to maintain precision or regulatory consistency.

The journal adheres to COPE (https://publicationethics.org/) and ICMJE (https://www.icmje.org/) guidance regarding acceptable text reuse and reserves the right to assess the appropriateness of reused material on a case-by-case basis.

Author Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all authors to ensure that their submitted work is free from plagiarism and appropriately references all sources. Any reuse of prior work, by the authors or others, must be fully disclosed and properly cited. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that: The submission is original and has not been published elsewhere. Any reused content is appropriately cited, and permission has been obtained, where necessary. The manuscript complies with ethical publication practices

Editorial Action

In cases where plagiarism or self-plagiarism is suspected, the editorial office will investigate following the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines. Authors may be asked to provide explanations or source documentation. Confirmed violations may result in rejection, retraction, formal notification to the authors’ institutions, or a ban on future submissions.

Last updated: October 2025