Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

The authors of the articles are fully responsible for the content of their work. All articles are checked against plagiarism; however, if any problem related to unethical research is observed, it should be communicated to the Editor-in- Chief for swift resolutions.

IJIRG, a Multidisciplinary International Journal, has established its Publication Ethics Policy on the acknowledged practice settled by Elsevier policies and COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Therefore, the guiding principles for authors, editorial board and peer reviewers are listed as follows:

For Authors

Quality Assurance

  • It is clearly advised to the authors to avoid copy and paste strategy of writing articles.
  • Articles should maintain its durability and excelling ability to attract its target intellectuals to refer it for further studies.
  • Articles must showcase novelty in thoughts and content
  • Credibility and reliability of the content establish the best publication ethics
  • Formatting standards should be maintained in a piece of publication so that it could be sufficiently informative about the research and profile of authors.
  • Appropriate Citations, referencing of individual articles, authors and publications are expected while writing articles.
  • International Journal of Innovative Research& Growth (IJIRG) provides the foundation for the fast publication of high-quality research articles.
  • International Journal of Innovative Research& Growth (IJIRG) follows a peer- review process for publications. Authors must agree to participate in the peer-review process

Novelty and Plagiarism

  • Authors are expected to present the original piece of work and should cite or mention in references if content or words of other articles are used.
  • Every author will be held responsible for the performance and fulfillment with the policy to breach of ethical standards of publication.
  • Authors should assure that the piece of work is original copy and has not been published anywhere earlier and is not in consideration for publication anywhere else.
  • Authors should accept and correct the mistakes and consider the suggestions given by the reviewers.
  • Authors should bring in knowledge of the editor the corrections and retraction of mistakes or errors if they have identified even after publication.

Data Access and Retention

  • Authors are expected to submit the original research articles for peer review, and accept the global access of their work.
  • Authors should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication

  • Ethically it is suggestible to authors to not publish the same content at various platforms for publication.
  • Simultaneous submissions or concurrent reviews of same paper are mark of unprofessionalism and are strictly not acceptable.
  • A paper already published in some national or international journal should not be presented for consideration to again publish at any other Journal. It is considered a breach of novelty.

Acknowledgement of Sources

  • During the course of study whatever sources are accessed and used must be mentioned in the article for publication.
  • Authors must cite and mention in references if the content of some other research work influences the reported work.
  • Information received during training tenure or confidential services or by third party discussion then it is advisable to use data from somebody else’s research only after getting a written permission from the source.

Authority of Paper

  • Names of authors and co-authors should be significantly mentioned in the research article.
  • The contributors, agencies and institutions supporting the study or who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be mentioned in the acknowledgements or listed as contributors.
  • Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported work.
  • The corresponding author that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

  • Any unexpected risks related to the chemicals, processes, or equipment utilized must be explicitly mentioned by the authors in the manuscript submitted to IJIRG.
  • The manuscript for any research involving human or animal subjects should attest to the compliance of all methods with institutional rules and applicable regulations.
  • Additionally, the document should attest to the work’s approval by the relevant institutional committee or committees.
  • The declaration that informed permission was acquired should be included by authors of studies involving human beings.
  • Human subjects’ right to privacy must always be upheld.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript.
  • All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.
  • Examples of potential conflicts of interest which should be disclosed include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest stage possible.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

  • When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
  • If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly retract or correct the paper or provide evidence to the editor of the correctness of the original paper.

For Editorial Board

(Sources: COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Publishing Ethics – Elsevier)

Fair play

  • In accordance with the ethical standards of scholarly publishing, members of the editorial board of the IJIRG shall assess submitted manuscripts strictly on the basis of their intellectual content. They shall not allow considerations of the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy to influence editorial decisions.

Confidentiality

  • Editorial board members and staff are ethically bound to keep submitted manuscripts confidential, sharing information only with the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, respective editors of the particular manuscript and the publisher as needed.  

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

  • Editors shall not make use of unpublished materials contained in a submitted manuscript for their own research without author’s written consent, thereby safeguarding the authors’ rights and the integrity of the editorial process.
  • In accordance with the ethical standards of scholarly publishing, editors shall hold in strict confidence any privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review and shall not use them for personal advantage. Editors shall recuse themselves from considering any manuscript of IJIRG in which a competitive, collaborative, or other relationship with the authors, or with associated organization and shall delegate its evaluation to a co-editor, associate editor, or other member of the editorial board.
  • Editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication.
  • If needed, other appropriate action should be taken, such as the publication of a retraction or expression of concern. It should be ensured that the peer-review process for sponsored supplements is the same as that used for the main journal. Items in sponsored supplements should be accepted solely on the basis of academic merit and interest to readers and not be influenced by commercial considerations.

Involvement and Cooperation in Investigations

  • An editor should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published paper, in conjunction with the publisher (or society). Such measures will generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration of the respective complaint or claims made, but may also include further communications to the relevant institutions and research bodies, and if the complaint is upheld, the publication of a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other note, as may be relevant even if it is discovered years after publication.

For Reviewers

(Sources: COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors and Publishing Ethics – Elsevier)

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

  • Peer review informs editorial decision-making and, through correspondence with authors, can contribute to the refinement of their manuscripts. It constitutes a vital element of formal scholarly communication and is integral to the scientific method.

Promptness

  • A selected reviewer who considers himself or herself insufficiently qualified to evaluate the manuscript submitted to IJIRG, or who anticipates being unable to provide a timely review, is obliged to notify the respective editor and recuse from the review process.

Confidentiality

  • In keeping with the ethical obligations of peer review, reviewers shall safeguard the confidentiality of all manuscripts entrusted to them. Disclosing a manuscript to or discussing its contents with third parties without the editor’s explicit authorization constitutes a breach of reviewer ethics.

Standards of Objectivity

  • In accordance with the ethical standards of peer review, Reviewers have an ethical duty to evaluate manuscripts objectively. Personal criticism of the authors is unacceptable; Judgments should be articulated clearly and substantiated with well-reasoned arguments.

Acknowledgement of Sources

  • In keeping with the ethical standards of peer review, reviewers shall identify pertinent published literature omitted by the authors and substantiate any assertion of prior publication with appropriate citations. Reviewers are further obliged to bring to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the submission and other published work of which they have personal knowledge, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

  • Reviewers are ethically bound not to use unpublished data from a manuscript without the author’s written consent, to keep privileged information confidential and not exploit it for personal gain, and to decline manuscripts where they have competitive, collaborative, or other relationship with the authors, or with associated companies or institutions.