Bharati Darpan – Multidisciplinary International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Science is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, transparency, fairness, accountability, and ethical scholarly publishing.
This statement applies to authors, editors, reviewers, editorial board members, and the publisher. All parties involved in the publication process are expected to act responsibly and protect the accuracy, reliability, and credibility of the scholarly record.
Editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated fairly, independently, and solely on their academic merit.
Editorial decisions must be based on:
Originality and relevance of the manuscript;
Quality of the research;
Methodological soundness;
Clarity of analysis and presentation;
Contribution to knowledge;
Compliance with ethical and legal requirements;
Relevance to the journal’s aims and scope.
Editorial decisions must not be influenced by an author’s nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, institutional affiliation, political opinion, personal background, or professional status.
The Editor-in-Chief and authorised editors have full responsibility for editorial decisions.
The publisher, sponsors, advertisers, or external organisations must not interfere with:
Manuscript selection;
Peer-review outcomes;
Acceptance or rejection decisions;
Corrections or retractions;
Publication of research findings.
Commercial or financial considerations must not influence editorial judgment.
Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.
Information about a manuscript must not be shared with anyone other than:
The corresponding author;
Co-authors, where necessary;
Assigned reviewers;
Relevant editors;
Editorial and production staff;
Ethical or legal advisers, where required.
Unpublished material must not be used for personal research, professional advantage, or commercial benefit without written permission from the author.
Authors must ensure that their submissions are original, accurate, ethically prepared, and supported by reliable evidence.
Authors are responsible for:
Presenting an honest account of the research;
Providing sufficient methodological information;
Reporting findings accurately;
Avoiding fabrication, falsification, and manipulation;
Acknowledging all sources appropriately;
Obtaining necessary ethical approval;
Protecting participant confidentiality;
Disclosing conflicts of interest;
Identifying all sources of funding;
Cooperating with editorial enquiries and investigations.
Authors must not knowingly submit false, misleading, incomplete, or manipulated information.
All manuscripts must represent the original work of the authors.
Plagiarism includes:
Copying words or ideas without acknowledgment;
Presenting another person’s work as one’s own;
Reproducing text without proper citation;
Using images, tables, figures, or data without permission;
Paraphrasing another source without acknowledgment;
Submitting translated material without attribution;
Reusing substantial portions of previously published work.
The journal may use plagiarism-detection software to evaluate submitted manuscripts.
Manuscripts containing unacceptable levels of copied, duplicated, or improperly acknowledged content may be rejected or subjected to corrective action after publication.
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time.
A manuscript must not:
Be under review elsewhere;
Have already been published in substantially similar form;
Contain significant overlap with another submitted manuscript;
Be divided improperly into multiple publications to increase publication count.
Duplicate or simultaneous submission may result in immediate rejection and notification to the relevant authors or institutions.
Authors must disclose any previous publication that contains closely related content, data, analysis, or findings.
Substantial reuse of an author’s own previously published material without proper citation is considered self-plagiarism.
Limited reuse may be acceptable where:
The earlier source is properly cited;
The new manuscript offers a clearly distinct contribution;
Permission has been obtained where required;
The relationship between the publications is transparently explained.
Fabrication means inventing data, participants, observations, results, or references.
Falsification includes manipulating:
Research materials;
Data;
Images;
Figures;
Statistical results;
Experimental procedures;
Participant responses;
Research records.
The journal does not tolerate fabricated or falsified research.
Where concerns arise, the editorial team may request:
Original data;
Research instruments;
Ethics approval documents;
Laboratory records;
Survey forms;
Statistical files;
Institutional verification.
Failure to provide reasonable clarification may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or referral to the author’s institution.
Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to the research and manuscript.
All listed authors should have contributed to one or more of the following:
Conception or design of the study;
Data collection;
Data analysis or interpretation;
Preparation or critical revision of the manuscript;
Approval of the final version;
Accountability for the integrity of the work.
The journal does not accept:
Guest authorship;
Honorary authorship;
Purchased authorship;
Ghost authorship;
Inclusion of individuals without their consent;
Exclusion of genuine contributors.
Individuals who contributed but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged separately.
Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must include:
A written explanation;
Consent from all listed authors;
Consent from any author being added or removed;
Approval from the corresponding author;
Supporting information where necessary.
Authorship changes after acceptance or publication will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and may require a formal correction notice.
The corresponding author is responsible for:
Communicating with the journal;
Confirming that all authors approved the submission;
Ensuring the accuracy of author details;
Sharing reviewer comments with co-authors;
Coordinating revisions;
Confirming conflicts of interest and funding information;
Approving the final proof;
Informing the journal of any significant error.
The corresponding author must not act without the knowledge and agreement of the co-authors.
Authors must properly acknowledge all sources that influenced the research.
Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every reference included in the reference list must be cited in the manuscript.
Authors should avoid:
Fabricated references;
Misleading citations;
Excessive self-citation;
Unnecessary citation of editors or reviewers;
Citation arrangements intended to manipulate metrics;
Citing sources that have not been consulted.
Retracted or unreliable publications should not be cited as valid evidence unless the retraction itself is being discussed.
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any interest that could influence their judgment.
Conflicts may include:
Financial relationships;
Employment or consultancy;
Institutional relationships;
Personal relationships;
Academic competition;
Intellectual property interests;
Political or ideological involvement;
Commercial sponsorship.
Where no conflict exists, authors may include the statement:
“The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript.”
Editors and reviewers with a significant conflict must withdraw from handling the manuscript.
Authors must identify all financial support received for the research.
Funding information should include:
Name of the funding organisation;
Grant number, where available;
Role of the funder;
Institutional or commercial sponsorship;
Material or technical support.
Where no specific funding was received, authors may state:
“The authors received no specific funding for this research.”
Funding must not influence the honest reporting of research findings.
Research involving human participants, personal information, medical records, interviews, surveys, or identifiable data must comply with appropriate ethical standards.
Authors should provide:
Name of the approving ethics committee;
Approval or reference number;
Informed consent statement;
Explanation of privacy protection;
Permission for publication of identifiable information, where applicable.
Participants must not be identified without valid consent and ethical justification.
Authors must obtain informed consent where required.
Participants should be informed about:
Purpose of the research;
Procedures involved;
Potential risks and benefits;
Voluntary participation;
Right to withdraw;
Use and storage of data;
Publication of findings.
For minors or individuals unable to provide consent, permission must be obtained from an authorised parent, guardian, or legal representative.
Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and professional standards for animal welfare.
Authors should provide:
Ethical approval details;
Name of the approving body;
Approval number;
Description of humane procedures;
Steps taken to minimise pain, distress, and unnecessary use of animals.
The journal may reject research that does not demonstrate appropriate ethical treatment of animals.
Authors must protect confidential and personally identifiable information.
Sensitive information should be anonymised unless:
Identification is scientifically necessary;
Written consent has been obtained;
Publication is ethically and legally permitted.
Editors and reviewers must also protect confidential information obtained during manuscript evaluation.
Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining the academic quality of the journal.
Reviewers must:
Evaluate manuscripts objectively;
Provide constructive and evidence-based comments;
Maintain confidentiality;
Complete reviews within a reasonable period;
Disclose conflicts of interest;
Identify relevant uncited literature;
Report suspected plagiarism or misconduct;
Avoid personal or discriminatory criticism.
A reviewer who lacks sufficient expertise or cannot complete the review fairly should decline the assignment.
Reviewers must not:
Share the manuscript;
Contact authors directly;
Disclose review discussions;
Use unpublished findings;
Upload confidential manuscripts to unauthorised platforms;
Delegate the review without editorial approval.
Review reports and editorial communications must remain confidential.
Reviewer comments should focus on the scholarly content of the manuscript.
Reviews must not contain:
Personal attacks;
Offensive language;
Discriminatory comments;
Unsupported allegations;
Requests for unnecessary self-citation;
Demands intended to increase citations;
Recommendations influenced by rivalry or personal interest.
Editors may disregard inappropriate reviewer comments and remove reviewers from future assignments.
The journal follows a double-blind peer-review process.
Any attempt to manipulate peer review is considered serious misconduct.
Peer-review manipulation may include:
Providing false reviewer identities;
Creating fabricated email accounts;
Suggesting reviewers with undisclosed relationships;
Interfering with reviewer selection;
Submitting fraudulent review reports;
Pressuring editors or reviewers;
Participating in organised review rings.
Where manipulation is identified, the manuscript may be rejected or retracted.
The journal does not tolerate attempts to manipulate citations or scholarly metrics.
Authors, editors, and reviewers must not pressure others to add citations that are:
Irrelevant;
Unnecessary;
Intended to benefit an individual;
Intended to increase journal metrics;
Part of a citation-exchange arrangement.
References must be included only where they contribute meaningfully to the research.
Images, photographs, graphs, and figures must accurately represent the original data.
Authors must not:
Add or remove important features;
Combine images in a misleading manner;
Alter contrast to hide information;
Duplicate the same image as different results;
Use another person’s image without acknowledgment;
Manipulate visual evidence to support a false conclusion.
Permissible adjustments must be applied consistently and must not change the meaning of the data.
Authors must disclose significant use of generative artificial intelligence tools in preparing, editing, translating, analysing, or presenting a manuscript.
Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot:
Accept responsibility;
Approve the final manuscript;
Declare conflicts of interest;
Hold copyright;
Respond to ethical concerns.
Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, confidentiality, and integrity of all AI-assisted content.
AI tools must not be used to fabricate:
Data;
Results;
Images;
References;
Quotations;
Participants;
Research evidence.
Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts to external AI systems without appropriate authorisation and data protection.
Authors may submit a reasoned appeal against an editorial decision.
An appeal should:
Identify the manuscript;
Explain the basis of disagreement;
Respond to reviewer or editorial concerns;
Provide supporting evidence;
Remain respectful and professional.
Appeals do not guarantee reconsideration or acceptance.
Complaints relating to editorial conduct, peer review, ethical concerns, or journal procedures will be examined fairly and confidentially.
Where an error is identified in a published article but the main findings remain valid, the journal may publish a correction.
Corrections may address:
Author detail errors;
Incorrect data labels;
Typographical errors affecting meaning;
Missing acknowledgements;
Reference errors;
Minor analytical inaccuracies.
The correction will be linked to the original article wherever technically possible.
An article may be retracted where there is reliable evidence of:
Fabricated or falsified data;
Plagiarism;
Duplicate publication;
Serious ethical violations;
Manipulated peer review;
Unauthorised publication;
Major errors invalidating the findings;
Fraudulent authorship;
Unlawful or harmful content.
A retraction notice should clearly state the reason for retraction and remain linked to the original article.
Retracted articles should remain identifiable as part of the scholarly record rather than being silently removed.
The journal may publish an expression of concern where:
Serious allegations have been raised;
An investigation is incomplete;
Evidence is inconclusive;
Institutional findings are delayed;
Immediate caution is necessary.
An expression of concern may later be replaced by a correction, retraction, or notice confirming that no further action is required.
Authors may request withdrawal before publication by providing a valid written reason.
The journal may withdraw a manuscript or publication in exceptional circumstances involving:
Legal risk;
Confidentiality breach;
Fraudulent submission;
Copyright violation;
Serious ethical concern;
Accidental duplicate publication.
Published articles will not ordinarily be removed solely because an author changes their opinion or wishes to publish elsewhere.
Concerns regarding published content may be submitted to the editorial office.
The journal may:
Contact the authors;
Request original data;
Consult reviewers or experts;
Contact the author’s institution;
Seek legal or ethical advice;
Publish a correction or retraction;
Take no action where the concern is unsupported.
All investigations will be handled as fairly, confidentially, and transparently as possible.
Gungun Publishing House, as the publisher of the journal, is committed to:
Supporting editorial independence;
Maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record;
Protecting confidential information;
Preventing commercial influence over editorial decisions;
Supporting corrections and retractions;
Preserving published content;
Responding to credible allegations of misconduct;
Maintaining transparent publication policies.
The publisher will cooperate with editors, authors, reviewers, institutions, and relevant authorities when ethical concerns arise.
The journal aims to preserve published articles, issue records, metadata, and correction notices as part of the permanent scholarly record.
Corrections, retractions, and amendments will be displayed transparently and linked to the relevant publication where possible.
Any advertising or promotional activity associated with the journal must remain separate from editorial decision-making.
Advertisements must not:
Influence manuscript acceptance;
Mislead readers;
Create false endorsement;
Compromise academic independence;
Conflict with the journal’s ethical standards.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work complies with applicable laws relating to:
Copyright;
Privacy;
Defamation;
Data protection;
Research ethics;
Intellectual property;
Participant consent;
Confidentiality.
The journal reserves the right to reject, correct, retract, or remove unlawful material where legally required.
The journal is committed to protecting the accuracy, transparency, credibility, and reliability of published research.
All allegations of misconduct will be evaluated based on available evidence. Corrective action will be proportionate to the seriousness of the issue and may include:
Requesting clarification;
Rejecting the manuscript;
Publishing a correction;
Issuing an expression of concern;
Retracting the article;
Informing relevant institutions;
Restricting future submissions;
Removing individuals from editorial or reviewer roles.