Can I perform plagiarism checks on a manuscript I am reviewing? Is it ideal?
As a reviewer, it is highly recommended to check for plagiarism issues in the manuscript you are reviewing. It is important to ensure that the manuscript presents original work and ideas, and that any sources used are properly cited. Plagiarism can damage the credibility of the manuscript and the authors, and can result in rejection of the manuscript. However, it is important to note that plagiarism checkers should not be the only tool used to evaluate the manuscript, as they may not always detect all instances of plagiarism. A thorough read-through of the manuscript and an understanding of the field can also help identify potential plagiarism issues.
Enoch Kabinaa Suglo Yes, you must check for plagiarism, IMHO. Often it is copy and paste of previously published material from the author(s). I find that a simple Google search with the appropriate lines is a very quick way of seeing if the material is already in existence. Take a look at:
https://www.grammarly.com/plagiarism-checker
Checking a submitted paper to a scientific journal for plagiarism should be a responsibility of the target journal and not of the reviewer/s assigned.
And only when the submitted manuscript has passed the preliminary check and the plagiarism check, reviewers should be assigned for further proceeding.
However, if a journal requires reviewers to check for plagiarism issues, it should equip them with the right tools.
Only then will a journal go in the right direction when assigning submissions to reviewers.
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