Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics for Urdu Research Journal: ارمغانِ سرحد

Urdu Research Journal: ارمغانِ سرحد is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and ensuring integrity in scholarly publishing. This policy is aligned with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is binding on all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting to the journal must adhere to the following ethical principles:

a. Originality and Plagiarism

  • Authors must ensure their submissions are original and free from plagiarism.
  • Proper citations and acknowledgments must be given for all sources, including data, ideas, and text from others.

b. Authorship

  • All individuals who have significantly contributed to the research must be listed as co-authors.
  • The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

c. Data Integrity

  • Authors must present accurate and honest data in their submissions.
  • Falsification, fabrication, or selective reporting of data is strictly prohibited.

d. Ethical Compliance

  • Authors must ensure their research complies with ethical standards, including obtaining necessary approvals for human or animal studies.
  • Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.

e. Duplicate Submission

  • Manuscripts must not be submitted to multiple journals simultaneously or published elsewhere.

2. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors play a crucial role in maintaining the journal's academic integrity and are expected to:

a. Fair Review Process

  • Ensure that manuscripts are evaluated based on academic merit without regard to the authors' race, gender, nationality, or personal beliefs.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all submissions.

b. Conflict of Interest

  • Recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

c. Decision-Making

  • Make publication decisions based on the quality, originality, and relevance of the manuscript, guided by peer reviewers’ recommendations.

d. Misconduct Investigation

  • Act promptly on allegations of misconduct and follow the COPE guidelines for resolving disputes.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to assist the editorial board by providing objective and constructive feedback.

a. Confidentiality

  • Treat all submissions as confidential and refrain from sharing or using unpublished data for personal benefit.

b. Objectivity

  • Provide clear, unbiased, and constructive feedback to improve the manuscript.

c. Timeliness

  • Review submissions within the stipulated timeframe or inform the editor if unable to meet the deadline.

d. Conflict of Interest

  • Disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their impartiality.

4. Publisher’s Responsibilities

The publisher of ارمغانِ سرحد ensures that:

  • All publication processes comply with industry best practices and ethical standards.
  • Cases of misconduct are investigated thoroughly and resolved transparently.
  • Retraction or correction mechanisms are in place for published content when necessary.

5. Addressing Ethical Concerns

The journal takes allegations of misconduct seriously. Any concerns should be reported to the editorial office immediately.

Steps for Addressing Ethical Concerns:

  1. A preliminary assessment will be conducted by the editorial team.
  2. If necessary, the matter will be escalated to the ethics committee.
  3. Appropriate action will be taken, such as retraction, correction, or banning authors from future submissions.

6. Retraction Policy

The journal reserves the right to retract published articles in cases of:

  • Proven misconduct.
  • Severe errors that invalidate the research findings.
  • Ethical violations, including plagiarism or duplicate publication.

A retraction notice will be published to maintain the academic record's transparency.