Editorial policies

Peer review and editorial decisions

Original scholarship is considered through editorial screening and double-blind peer review. Editorial decisions remain with the journal.

The journal uses a double-blind review model. Authors supply a separate title page and remove identifying information from the manuscript. Editors check the submission for suitability and completeness before assigning at least 2 independent experts.

Reviewers assess the research question, method, evidence, contribution, and presentation. They provide recommendations and constructive comments. The editor may request revisions, accept, or decline the work, and remains responsible for the final decision.

Reviewers must preserve confidentiality, declare competing interests, and decline assignments outside their expertise. A manuscript should not be shared with another person or an external AI service without editorial permission. Complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed where a work or its authors are already publicly identifiable.

Originality, authorship, and research ethics

Submissions must be original and must not be under consideration by another publication. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their evidence, quotations, citations, and references. Prior dissemination, including a thesis or preprint, should be disclosed for editorial assessment.

All authors must have made an appropriate scholarly contribution, approved the submitted version, and agreed to be accountable for their contribution. Changes to authorship require an explanation and the agreement of the affected authors.

Research involving people, sensitive information, or regulated activities must identify the relevant ethical approval, consent, or exemption where applicable. Authors must obtain permission to reproduce protected material and avoid disclosing identifiable personal information without an appropriate basis.

Similarity reports are aids to editorial assessment, not a substitute for evaluating sources and context. Concerns about plagiarism, fabricated evidence, or other research misconduct will be referred to the author for a response and reviewed before a decision.

Generative AI and assisted technologies

Authors must disclose the tool, purpose, and extent of any generative AI assistance relevant to the manuscript. AI tools cannot be credited as authors. Human authors remain responsible for every assertion, source, calculation, image, and passage in the submitted work.

Authors should verify all AI-assisted output, especially citations and factual statements. Confidential research data, personal information, or material belonging to others should not be supplied to an AI service without appropriate permission and safeguards.

The submission form records the disclosure for editorial consideration. Disclosure does not by itself establish that a use is acceptable; the editor will assess its effect on originality, transparency, and the reliability of the work.

Funding and competing interests

Authors must disclose financial, professional, or personal relationships that could reasonably be seen as influencing the work. Identify funding sources and describe any funder’s role in design, analysis, writing, or the decision to submit. State when there are no competing interests or relevant funding sources.

Editors and reviewers must also disclose relevant conflicts. A conflicted editor should not control the assessment or decision on that manuscript. Internal editorial notes and reviewer identities are kept separate from author-facing correspondence.

Corrections, concerns, and retractions

Authors and readers should report a material error or ethical concern to the editorial office, identifying the article and providing supporting details. The journal will consider the concern, seek a response where appropriate, and determine a proportionate action.

A correction should identify the affected publication and the change made. Where reliability is seriously undermined, a retraction or other editorial notice may be necessary. The publication record should remain traceable, with the reason for an action clearly stated.

Authors may request reconsideration of an editorial decision by explaining the specific grounds and supplying relevant evidence. An appeal does not guarantee reversal and should be addressed through the manuscript conversation or editorial email.

Privacy and manuscript confidentiality

The journal collects submission details, author information, uploaded files, declarations, and correspondence to administer review and publication. Authors can access their own manuscript records; authorised editorial users manage the review and production process. Assigned reviewers receive the materials needed for their assessment.

Title pages and private correspondence are not included in public article listings. After publication, the approved article and its public bibliographic details are available to readers. Do not place sensitive personal information in a public abstract or manuscript unless it is necessary and appropriately authorised.

Contact the editorial office about corrections to personal information or a data request. Applicable record-retention, data-handling, and publication requirements will be considered when responding. Wix member sign-in protects submission workspaces.

Publication charges and publication terms

Published content is freely available to readers, and authors retain copyright.

The precise Creative Commons licence variant and version are awaiting editorial confirmation before publication.

The publication-charge schedule is awaiting editorial confirmation.

Publication charges are subject to editorial confirmation. No payment is requested at submission.

No payment is collected through this website. Any applicable charge and its conditions must be disclosed before an author is asked to proceed.

No indexing, citation, or acceptance outcome is guaranteed. Acceptance decisions should be based on scholarly assessment. A DOI, indexing logo, or institutional affiliation must be displayed only when it has been verified for the journal or article concerned.

Accessibility and language

The website supports keyboard navigation, labelled controls, and responsive layouts. Authors should supply readable text, descriptive figure captions, and accessible tables wherever possible. Unicode is recommended for Hindi text entered online.

If a file, page, or submission step is difficult to access, contact the editorial office with the page or manuscript reference and the assistance needed. Alternative arrangements can then be considered.