A similarity index above 20% (excluding references and quoted material) is treated as suspicious, and the manuscript is rejected. The editor also checks matches from a single source, even when the overall index is low.

Manuscripts previously posted on a preprint server (for example, a university repository or RINarxiv) may be submitted. Authors must disclose the preprint, with its DOI or link, and update it with the published article's DOI. Work already published in a journal or full conference proceedings is not accepted, nor is a thesis chapter that is not substantially revised.

• Minor overlap: the author is asked to rewrite and cite properly.
• Substantial plagiarism or duplicate submission: the manuscript is rejected, and the authors' institution may be informed.
• Overlap with a manuscript under review elsewhere: treated as severe; the other journal's editor is notified.

Plagiarism found after publication is investigated following COPE flowcharts and may lead to a correction or retraction. See Retraction, Withdrawal & Correction.

For a second severe case by the same author(s), the editorial board decides the measures, which may include a ban on further submissions.