Editor Code of Conduct

1. Editorial Duties

1.1 Impartial Decision-Making
Editors shall evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of academic merit, originality, relevance, clarity, and contribution to the field of study.
Editorial decisions shall not be influenced by the race, gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, religion, political beliefs, or personal relationships of the author(s).
Editors must ensure a fair, unbiased, and transparent review process for all submissions.

1.2 Maintaining Quality
Editors shall uphold the academic and ethical standards of the Journal.
Editors shall ensure that manuscripts published by the Journal meet standards of originality, research quality, proper citation, and scholarly contribution.
Editors shall ensure consistency in formatting, citation style, language quality, and publication standards.

1.3 Confidentiality
Editors shall maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts and related communications.
Manuscripts shall not be disclosed, discussed, circulated, or used for personal advantage prior to publication.
Information relating to submissions shall only be shared with individuals directly involved in the editorial and peer review process.

1.4 Professionalism
Editors shall conduct all editorial activities with integrity, professionalism, accountability, and respect.
Editors shall communicate with authors, reviewers, and fellow editors in a professional and constructive manner.
Editors shall avoid any conduct that may compromise the credibility or reputation of the Journal.

1.5 Timely Review Handling
Editors shall ensure timely processing of manuscripts at every stage of review and publication.
Junior Editors shall conduct the preliminary screening of manuscripts, including plagiarism checks, AI-generated content screening, formatting review, and compliance verification.
Manuscripts that successfully pass the preliminary screening shall be forwarded for peer review.
After completion of peer review, the manuscript along with reviewer comments shall be forwarded to the Senior Editor or Managing Editor for final editorial assessment and approval.
Editors shall make reasonable efforts to avoid unnecessary delays in editorial communication and publication timelines.

2. Ethical Standards

2.1 Plagiarism Prevention
Editors shall ensure that all submissions undergo plagiarism screening before being considered for peer review.
Manuscripts containing plagiarism, excessive similarity, or unacknowledged reproduction of content shall be rejected or returned for clarification.
Editors shall take appropriate action in cases involving suspected plagiarism or copyright infringement.

2.2 AI Disclosure
Authors shall disclose the use of Artificial Intelligence tools, including generative AI tools, in the preparation of manuscripts wherever applicable.
Editors and reviewers shall not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished content to public AI platforms.
AI tools shall not be treated as authors under any circumstances.

2.3 Research Integrity
Editors shall promote honesty, transparency, and integrity in academic publishing.
Editors shall take appropriate action where research misconduct, unethical experimentation, fabricated findings, or manipulated data is suspected.
Editors shall ensure that ethical approvals and acknowledgements are appropriately disclosed wherever required.

2.4 Citation Manipulation Prohibition
Editors shall not compel authors to add unnecessary citations for the purpose of artificially increasing citations, impact, or visibility of particular works, authors, or journals.
Citation recommendations shall only be made where academically relevant and necessary.

2.5 Data Falsification Prevention
Editors shall take reasonable steps to identify fabricated, manipulated, or falsified data.
Where credible concerns arise regarding authenticity of data or findings, editors may seek clarification, supporting materials, or expert review prior to making an editorial decision.

3. Professional Conduct

3.1 Respectful Communication
Editors shall communicate respectfully and professionally with authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and other stakeholders.
Editors shall provide constructive feedback and maintain academic decorum in all correspondence.

3.2 No Harassment or Discrimination
Editors shall not engage in harassment, intimidation, discriminatory conduct, or abusive behaviour in any form.
The Journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination based on gender, race, caste, religion, ethnicity, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or institutional affiliation.

3.3 Conflict Management
Editors shall disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest relating to a manuscript.
Editors shall recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where personal, professional, financial, or institutional conflicts may affect impartiality.
In such cases, the manuscript shall be reassigned to another editor.

3.4 Confidentiality of Submissions
Editors shall ensure that submitted manuscripts and reviewer comments remain confidential throughout the editorial process.
Unpublished materials obtained through submissions shall not be used for personal research, teaching, publication, or professional advantage without express written consent from the author.

4. Editorial Independence

4.1 Independence in Editorial Decisions
Editorial decisions shall remain independent and free from external influence.
Editors shall not be influenced by sponsors, advertisers, institutions, funding bodies, authors, or political considerations while making editorial decisions.
Acceptance or rejection of manuscripts shall be based solely on scholarly merit, ethical compliance, reviewer feedback, and editorial assessment.

4.2 Protection of Editorial Integrity
No individual or entity associated with funding, sponsorship, or administration of the Journal shall interfere with the editorial process.
Editors shall uphold the integrity, credibility, and independence of the Journal at all times.

4.3 Publication Decisions
Payment of publication fees, processing charges, sponsorships, or institutional affiliations shall not guarantee acceptance or publication of any manuscript.
Final publication decisions shall rest with the Senior Editor, Managing Editor, or Editor-in-Chief, as applicable.