Publication Ethics

BHĀRATĀYANA

AI-Assisted Interdisciplinary Journal of Indian Knowledge Systems

BHĀRATĀYANA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and scholarly responsibility. The journal expects authors, reviewers, editors, and all participants in the publication process to adhere to ethical principles that promote trust, credibility, and excellence in academic publishing.

This Publication Ethics Policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to the journal.

1. Principles of Academic Integrity

The journal upholds the fundamental principles of:

• Honesty in research and publication

• Transparency in methodology and reporting

• Respect for intellectual property

• Fairness in peer review

• Accountability for published work

• Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

All participants in the publication process are expected to contribute to the advancement of knowledge through ethical scholarly practices.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to BHĀRATĀYANA must:

• Submit original and unpublished work.

• Ensure that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere.

• Accurately present research findings and interpretations.

• Properly acknowledge all sources and references.

• Obtain permission for copyrighted materials when necessary.

• Disclose any conflicts of interest.

• Report funding sources, if applicable.

• Cooperate with editorial and peer-review procedures.

Authors are solely responsible for the content of their submissions.

3. Originality and Plagiarism

The journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism.

Authors must ensure that:

• All submitted work is original.

• Quotations and borrowed ideas are appropriately cited.

• Proper acknowledgment is given to previous scholarship.

The following practices are considered unethical:

• Direct plagiarism

• Self-plagiarism

• Mosaic plagiarism

• Data fabrication

• Data falsification

• Misrepresentation of sources

Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism may be rejected immediately or retracted after publication.

4. Authorship Criteria

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research.

Authors should have participated in:

• Conceptualization of the study

• Research design or methodology

• Data collection or analysis

• Interpretation of findings

• Drafting or revising the manuscript

Individuals who contributed in a limited capacity should be acknowledged appropriately but should not be listed as authors.

All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Tools

As an AI-Assisted Journal, BHĀRATĀYANA recognizes the responsible use of AI technologies in scholarly communication.

Authors may use AI tools for:

• Language enhancement

• Grammar correction

• Translation assistance

• Formatting support

• Data organization

However:

• AI systems cannot be credited as authors.

• Authors remain fully responsible for all content.

• The use of AI must be disclosed when it has substantially assisted manuscript preparation.

• Authors must verify the accuracy of all AI-generated content.

Undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI tools may result in editorial action.

6. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence their judgment.

Conflicts may include:

• Financial interests

• Institutional affiliations

• Professional relationships

• Personal associations

Transparency regarding conflicts helps maintain the integrity of the publication process.

7. Research Misconduct

The journal regards the following as serious ethical violations:

• Plagiarism

• Fabrication of data

• Falsification of results

• Citation manipulation

• Duplicate publication

• Unethical authorship practices

• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

• Peer-review manipulation

Any allegation of misconduct will be investigated carefully and confidentially.

8. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain confidentiality.

• Evaluate manuscripts objectively.

• Provide constructive and respectful feedback.

• Declare conflicts of interest.

• Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

• Inform editors of suspected ethical concerns.

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

9. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• Making fair and impartial publication decisions.

• Maintaining confidentiality.

• Ensuring an unbiased review process.

• Addressing ethical concerns promptly.

• Preventing conflicts of interest.

• Upholding academic quality and integrity.

Editorial decisions shall be based solely on scholarly merit, originality, relevance, and methodological quality.

10. Corrections and Retractions

If significant errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, the journal may:

• Publish corrections

• Issue expressions of concern

• Retract articles when necessary

Retraction decisions will be made in accordance with established principles of publication ethics and academic integrity.

11. Copyright and Intellectual Property

Authors must respect intellectual property rights and ensure that all copyrighted material used in their manuscripts is properly licensed or reproduced with permission.

Proper attribution must be provided for all borrowed content.

12. Ethical Use of Sources

Authors should cite sources accurately and responsibly.

The journal discourages:

• Excessive self-citation

• Citation manipulation

• Irrelevant references

• Artificial inflation of citation metrics

References should genuinely support the scholarly arguments presented in the manuscript.

13. Commitment to Ethical Scholarship

BHĀRATĀYANA is dedicated to fostering ethical, responsible, and impactful scholarship that contributes to the advancement of Indian Knowledge Systems and interdisciplinary research.

The journal encourages authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold the highest standards of academic conduct in order to promote trust, credibility, and excellence in scholarly communication.

BHĀRATĀYANA
AI-Assisted Interdisciplinary Journal of Indian Knowledge Systems

Advancing Ethical Scholarship, Responsible Research, and Sustainable Knowledge Creation.