Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Upholding Integrity, Transparency and Responsible Scholarly Publishing

Shiksha Samvad is an International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, transparency, accountability and academic integrity. The journal follows the principles and best-practice guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) to ensure a fair, impartial and responsible publication process for authors, reviewers, editors and readers.

01 Duties of Editors

Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding whether a manuscript should be accepted, revised or rejected on the basis of originality, academic quality, relevance and compliance with journal policies.

Initial Evaluation: All submissions are subject to preliminary editorial screening, including plagiarism, originality and policy-compliance checks, before being forwarded for peer review.

Fair Evaluation: Manuscripts are assessed solely on scholarly merit without discrimination based on gender, race, religion, nationality, institutional affiliation, political belief or geographical origin.

Confidentiality: Editors must protect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer identities, author information and all related editorial communications.

Conflict of Interest: Editors must disclose any conflict of interest and must not use unpublished material for personal, academic or professional advantage without written permission from the author.

Corrections and Retractions: Editors are responsible for issuing corrections, clarifications, expressions of concern or retractions whenever required to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.

Ethical Oversight: Suspected publication misconduct must be examined fairly, confidentially and in accordance with established ethical procedures.

02 Duties of Authors

✓ Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must submit original work and properly acknowledge all sources, ideas, data, images and quotations used in the manuscript.

✓ Exclusive Submission: A manuscript must not be simultaneously submitted to or under consideration by another journal.

✓ Authorship: Authorship must be limited to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis or interpretation of the study.

✓ Data Integrity: Authors must ensure that data, results and supporting information are accurate, reliable and free from fabrication, falsification or inappropriate manipulation.

✓ Source Acknowledgement: All relevant sources must be cited accurately, consistently and completely.

✓ Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial, personal, institutional or professional interest that could influence the research or its interpretation.

✓ Human and Animal Ethics: Research involving human participants or animals must include appropriate ethical approval, informed consent and compliance statements wherever applicable.

✓ Corrections: Authors must promptly inform the Editor if a significant error is discovered and cooperate fully in issuing a correction or retraction.

03 Duties of Reviewers

Confidentiality: Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents and must not be shared, copied or used for personal advantage.

Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted fairly, professionally and constructively without personal criticism, inappropriate language or bias.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify important published work that has not been properly cited or acknowledged.

Ethical Concerns: Suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, data manipulation or other unethical practices must be reported confidentially to the Editor.

Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must disclose any conflict of interest and decline the review whenever an impartial evaluation is not possible.

Timeliness: Reviews should be completed within the agreed period. The Editor should be informed promptly if additional time is required.

04 Responsibilities of the Journal

✓ Ethical Standards: The journal upholds recognised standards of academic integrity, responsible research and publication ethics.

✓ Transparency: Editorial, peer-review, authorship, correction and retraction policies are communicated clearly.

✓ Monitoring and Enforcement: Allegations of misconduct are examined seriously, confidentially and fairly, and appropriate action is taken where violations are established.

✓ Awareness: The journal promotes responsible publishing practices among authors, reviewers, editors and Editorial Board Members.

✓ Editorial Independence: Editorial decisions are based exclusively on academic merit and are not influenced by commercial, institutional, political, financial or personal considerations.

05 Misconduct and Malpractice

Plagiarism, duplicate submission, redundant publication, fabrication, falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, citation manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, authorship abuse and unethical treatment of research participants are considered serious forms of publication misconduct.

01. Manuscripts involving confirmed unethical practices may be rejected, withdrawn or retracted.

02. Authors may be asked to provide explanations, original research data, ethical approval records or other supporting documents.

03. Serious or repeated misconduct may result in restrictions on future submissions.

04. Where appropriate, the author’s institution, funding organisation or another relevant authority may be informed.

06 Retraction and Correction Policy

✓ Articles may be retracted where findings are unreliable because of research misconduct, major error, duplicate publication or a serious ethical violation.

✓ Minor errors that do not invalidate the principal findings may be corrected through an erratum, corrigendum or formal correction notice.

✓ Retraction and correction notices will clearly identify the affected article and explain the reason for the editorial action.

✓ Retracted articles will remain identifiable within the scholarly record and will be clearly marked as retracted.

07 Archiving and Access

The publisher seeks to preserve published scholarly content and maintain continued access through the journal website and suitable digital preservation or archiving arrangements. Reasonable measures are taken to protect the integrity, availability and long-term accessibility of the journal’s published academic record.

Our Ethical Commitment

Shiksha Samvad International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research is committed to protecting the integrity of the scholarly record and promoting responsible publication practices. The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected misconduct and take appropriate corrective action, including manuscript rejection, correction, withdrawal, expression of concern or retraction, whenever necessary.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement