Conflict of Interest Policy

BHĀRATĀYANA | भारतायन | ভারতায়ন

AI-Assisted Interdisciplinary Journal of Indian Knowledge Systems

Commitment to Transparency and Editorial Integrity

BHĀRATĀYANA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, impartiality, and integrity throughout the editorial and publication process. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest—whether actual, potential, or perceived—may influence, or appear to influence, scholarly judgment and editorial decision-making.

To preserve public trust in academic publishing, all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, guest editors, and members of the Editorial Board, are expected to disclose any relationships or circumstances that could reasonably be perceived as affecting their objectivity.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

• promote transparency in scholarly communication;

• safeguard the independence of editorial decisions;

• protect the integrity of the peer-review process;

• ensure fair and unbiased evaluation of manuscripts;

• maintain public confidence in published research.

Disclosure of a conflict of interest does not automatically disqualify participation. Rather, it enables the Editorial Board to assess the situation appropriately and manage potential bias.

2. What Constitutes a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, financial, institutional, or other relationships could influence—or reasonably appear to influence—the preparation, review, editorial handling, or publication of a manuscript.

Conflicts may be actual, potential, or perceived.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• financial relationships or funding;

• employment or consultancy;

• institutional affiliations;

• collaborative research relationships;

• personal or family relationships;

• academic competition or rivalry;

• advisory or editorial positions;

• ownership of intellectual property or patents related to the research.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived to influence their research or its interpretation.

Authors should disclose, where applicable:

• financial support;

• grants or sponsorship;

• consultancy arrangements;

• paid expert testimony;

• employment relationships;

• institutional interests;

• ownership of patents or intellectual property;

• other relationships that may influence the work.

Where no conflicts exist, authors should include the following statement:

The author(s) declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.

Failure to disclose relevant conflicts may result in editorial action.

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit.

Before accepting a review invitation, reviewers should decline the assignment if they have any conflict that may compromise—or reasonably appear to compromise—their impartiality.

Examples include:

• recent collaboration with the author(s);

• employment at the same institution;

• personal relationships;

• financial interests;

• direct academic competition.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.

5. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are expected to exercise independent and unbiased editorial judgment.

Editors must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript in which they have a conflict of interest, including:

• authorship or co-authorship;

• collaborative research relationships;

• institutional affiliations that may affect impartiality;

• financial interests;

• personal relationships.

Where a conflict exists, responsibility for editorial handling shall be assigned to another qualified editor.

Editorial decisions shall never be influenced by commercial, political, institutional, or personal considerations.

6. Editorial Board Members

Members of the Editorial Board are expected to uphold the same standards of transparency and impartiality as editors and reviewers.

Board members should disclose relevant conflicts promptly and refrain from participating in editorial decisions where impartiality may reasonably be questioned.

7. Management of Conflicts

When a disclosed conflict of interest is identified, the Editorial Office may take appropriate measures, including:

• obtaining additional disclosures;

• assigning alternative reviewers or editors;

• implementing independent editorial oversight;

• requesting clarification from the authors;

• documenting the conflict where appropriate.

The objective is to ensure that all editorial decisions remain fair, objective, and evidence-based.

8. Failure to Disclose

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict of interest may constitute a breach of publication ethics.

Where undisclosed conflicts are identified before or after publication, the journal may take appropriate action, including:

• requesting a correction;

• publishing a disclosure statement;

• rejecting the manuscript;

• retracting the published article in cases of serious misconduct;

• notifying the relevant institution or funding agency where appropriate.

9. Post-Publication Disclosure

If a conflict of interest is identified after publication, authors should notify the Editorial Office without delay.

Where necessary, the journal may publish a correction or other editorial notice to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

10. Commitment to Ethical Publishing

BHĀRATĀYANA believes that transparency is fundamental to trustworthy scholarly communication.

The journal encourages complete and timely disclosure of relevant interests, thereby strengthening the credibility of research, protecting editorial independence, and promoting confidence in the published literature.

Standard Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors may use the following statement where applicable:

The author(s) declare that there are no financial, professional, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest that could have influenced the research, authorship, or publication of this manuscript.

BHĀRATĀYANA | भारतायन | ভারতায়ন

Committed to transparency, editorial independence, ethical publishing, and the highest standards of scholarly integrity.