Journal of the West is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and originality. All submissions are expected to reflect genuine scholarly work grounded in ethical research and writing practices.

Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to:
Direct copying of text without proper citation
Paraphrasing substantial portions of another work without acknowledgment
Self-plagiarism, including the reuse of previously published material without disclosure
Improper or misleading citation of sources

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using plagiarism detection tools. Manuscripts found to contain unacceptable levels of plagiarism will be rejected. In cases where plagiarism is discovered after publication, appropriate corrective action will be taken in accordance with the journal’s Retraction & Correction Policy.

Acceptable Similarity
The journal recognizes that scholarly writing, particularly in history, may involve commonly used terminology, archival references, and standard methodological language. Editorial decisions are based on qualitative assessment, not similarity percentages alone. Proper attribution and intellectual honesty remain essential.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
The journal adopts a restricted and transparent approach to the use of AI-assisted tools.

Permitted Uses (with disclosure):
Language polishing, grammar correction, or readability improvement
Formatting assistance
Reference management support
Such use must not alter the scholarly argument, interpretation, or originality of the research.

Prohibited Uses:
Generating original scholarly content, arguments, interpretations, or conclusions
Producing historical analysis, literature reviews, or source interpretations
Fabricating references, citations, or archival material
Using AI tools to rewrite or paraphrase sources in a way that obscures original authorship
Authors remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, and integrity of their manuscripts, regardless of any AI assistance used.

Disclosure Requirement
If AI tools have been used in manuscript preparation beyond basic spelling or grammar correction, authors must clearly disclose this in an acknowledgment or cover note at the time of submission.
Failure to disclose inappropriate AI use may be treated as a breach of publication ethics.

Editorial and Reviewer Use of AI
Editors and reviewers must not upload manuscripts to generative AI systems or third-party platforms that compromise confidentiality. Any editorial use of automated tools must respect privacy, data protection, and ethical standards.

Consequences of Policy Violations
Violations of this policy may result in:
Rejection of the manuscript
Request for clarification or revision
Retraction or correction of published articles
Notification to the author’s institution in serious cases
All cases are handled carefully, confidentially, and in line with ethical publishing standards.

Policy Review
This statement may be updated periodically to reflect evolving standards in scholarly publishing and responsible AI use.