Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal

Research Integrity Policy

Shodh Sari upholds rigorous standards of research integrity to ensure that published content is reliable, transparent, and ethically produced. Any form of research or publication malpractice is treated seriously and addressed in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism and unethical academic practices, including but not limited to:

• Plagiarism (including text recycling/self-plagiarism)

• Data fabrication or falsification

• Improper or deceptive authorship practices

• Undisclosed competing interests

All submissions undergo plagiarism screening using recognized similarity-checking software. Allegations of misconduct are investigated objectively and confidentially.

Detailed technical guidance is available on the Plagiarism Policy page.

Handling Allegations of Misconduct

When potential misconduct is identified:

1. A preliminary assessment is conducted by the editorial office

2. Authors are contacted and given an opportunity to respond

3. Investigations follow COPE flowcharts and principles

4. Appropriate corrective actions are taken where necessary

Possible outcomes include rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the severity of the issue.

Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

The journal is committed to correcting the scholarly record where necessary.

• Corrections (Errata): Issued for minor errors that do not compromise the integrity of the work

• Expressions of Concern: Issued when investigations are ongoing but unresolved

• Retractions: Issued when findings are unreliable due to serious error or misconduct

All notices are clearly labeled, permanently linked to the original article, and made openly accessible.

Corrections and Retractions Policy
If there is suspicion of misbehavior or alleged fraud, the editorial board will investigate as per journal guidelines. If there are valid concerns after an investigation, the authors will be contacted and given an opportunity to address the issue. Depending on the situation, this may result in the journal and/or publisher’s implementation of the following measures, including, but not limited to:

1. Rejecting the manuscript if it is still under consideration.
2. Resubmission of the article with corrections.
3. If the article has already been published online, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction:

• An erratum/correction may be placed with the article.
• The article may be placed with an editor’s note or editorial expression of concern.
• Or, in severe cases, retraction of the article may occur.

The reason will be given in the published erratum/correction, editor’s note, editorial expression of concern, or retraction notice. Retraction means that the article is maintained on the platform, watermarked “retracted,” and the explanation is provided in a note linked to the watermarked article.

Conflict of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise when professional, financial, or personal considerations influence—or appear to influence—judgment.

• Authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any competing interests

• Declared conflicts do not automatically disqualify submissions but are assessed transparently

• Editorial decisions remain independent of competing interests

Conflict of Interest Statement and Research Misconduct
As per Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines:
‘Conflicts of interest arise when authors, reviewers, or editors have interests that are not fully apparent and that may influence their judgments on what is published. They have been described as those which, when revealed later, would make a reasonable reader feel misled or deceived.’

Authors are required to read the journal’s author instruction and ethical policies carefully and to adhere to the terms before submission.

Many scholars, researchers and professionals may have potential conflicts of interest, that could – or could be seen to – have an effect on their research.

The editors, authors, and peer reviewers should disclose interests that might appear to affect their ability to present or review work objectively. These might include relevant financial interests (for example, patent ownership, stock ownership, consultancies, or speaker’s fees), or personal, political, or religious interests.

Articles will be evaluated fairly and will not necessarily be rejected when any competing interests are declared. Report of research misconduct, if any, may be related to a published article or a manuscript under peer-review process, should proceed with sensitivity, tact, in confidence, to shodhsari@icert.org.in

All research misconduct complaints will be treated as per complaints and appeal policy, and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.

Human and Animal Research Ethics

For research involving human participants or animals, the journal expects adherence to internationally recognized ethical standards.

• Ethical approval and informed consent must be obtained where applicable

• Privacy, confidentiality, and dignity of participants must be respected

• Ethical compliance statements are required within manuscripts

Detailed requirements are provided in the Publication Ethics.

Complaints and Appeals

Shodh Sari provides a transparent mechanism for handling complaints related to editorial decisions, publication ethics, or research misconduct.

• Complaints are reviewed confidentially and impartially

• Appeals are considered only where a clear procedural error or policy breach is demonstrated

• Final decisions rest with the Editor-in-Chief and are binding

Complaints & Appeals Policy

Complaints regarding any published materials will only be accepted within 12 months from the first publication date. In case of any complaint, the authors are required to submit their complaints along with their reasons to the editorial office via shodhsari@icert.org.in e-mail address.

Every attempt will be made to provide a full response as earliest. Complaints will be dealt with by the editorial team wherever possible, with reference to the journal policies. It will be escalated to the Editor-in-Chief where necessary. Where a complaint is made about an Editor, it will be independently investigated by one or the other two Editors or a committee constituted by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with Core Committee ICERT, if required so seeing the severity of the complaint. Complaints against authors and reviewers will also be dealt in the same manner. The Editor-in-Chief has the right to consult the other Editors or with any third party over the issue, and make a final decision. That final decision shall be binding, and the matter shall be deemed closed.

If you do not feel your complaint has been addressed, you may wish to refer it further. We will consider appeals against the editorial decision only under highly specific circumstances and usually only where a clear breach of policy can be demonstrated or author can indicate a clear misunderstanding of the article by the reviewer.

Ongoing Review and Compliance

These policies are reviewed periodically to ensure continued alignment with:

• COPE Core Practices

• International indexing requirements

• Evolving standards of scholarly publishing