The Tengeru Community Development Journal (TCDJ) is committed to upholding academic integrity, originality and ethical scholarly publishing. The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, including the unattributed use of others' ideas, words, data or research findings, as well as inappropriate reuse of previously published work (self-plagiarism). All submitted manuscripts must be original, properly cited and free from research misconduct. TCDJ may use plagiarism-detection software to screen submissions, and the editorial team assesses similarity reports based on the nature and context of textual overlap rather than similarity percentages alone. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism may be rejected, while concerns identified after publication may result in corrections or retractions following established publication ethics procedures.
TCDJ recognises the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in scholarly research and manuscript preparation but requires their responsible, transparent and ethical use. Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language editing, grammar correction, translation and other supportive purposes, provided that the originality, accuracy and integrity of their work are maintained. Authors must clearly disclose any substantive use of generative AI in content development, data analysis, or interpretation, specifying the tool used and its purpose. AI tools cannot be credited as authors or co-authors, and human authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content. Using AI to fabricate data, generate fictitious references, manipulate findings, or misrepresent research is strictly prohibited.
TCDJ requires editors and reviewers to maintain confidentiality and exercise independent scholarly judgement throughout the editorial and peer review processes. Submitted manuscripts, review reports and confidential editorial information must not be uploaded to unauthorised AI platforms. Suspected plagiarism, undisclosed AI use or other forms of research misconduct shall be assessed fairly and confidentially, with authors given an opportunity to respond. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, appropriate editorial actions may include manuscript revision, rejection, correction or retraction, guided by recognised publication ethics principles, including those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).