🔹 Overview

This editorial policy outlines the ethical standards and procedural guidelines followed by the Prithvi Journal of Academic Research & Development (PJARD). The journal is committed to upholding transparency, integrity, and academic excellence throughout its publication processes. PJARD adheres to the principles and practices recommended by the following international bodies:

1. • COPE – Committee on Publication Ethics
2. • ICMJE – International Committee of Medical Journal Editors
3. • STM – International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers
4. • WAME – World Association of Medical Editors
5. • IFAC, IASB/IFRS, GARP, and AACSB – in line with disciplinary standards for Commerce, Accounting, Finance, and Management research

👤 Authorship

Authorship must be based on substantial scholarly contribution and intellectual responsibility. As recommended by ICMJE, all authors must meet the following four criteria:

1. 1. Significant contributions to the conception or design of the study; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
2. 2. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content
3. 3. Final approval of the version to be published
4. 4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Gift authorship, ghost authorship, and honorary authorship are strictly prohibited.

🙏 Acknowledgement

Individuals or institutions who contributed to the project but do not meet authorship criteria must be properly acknowledged. This includes:

1. • Editorial assistance
2. • Technical support
3. • Financial sponsorship
4. • Research administration

✏️ Changes in Authorship

Requests to modify the author list after submission must follow COPE’s guidelines and include:

1. • A completed Change in Authorship Form
2. • Written consent from all listed authors (including removed or added names)
3. • A valid explanation for the change

Only the corresponding author may submit this request to the Editor-in-Chief for approval.

📤 Submission of Manuscripts

Authors must:

1. • Review the Author Guidelines carefully before submission
2. • Ensure the manuscript aligns with the journal’s ethical, structural, and referencing requirements
3. • Declare contributions of all listed authors
4. • Obtain approval from all authors for the final manuscript
5. • Submit contact details including full name, affiliation, and email for each author
6. • Disclose any Conflict of Interest in the manuscript

Manuscripts must be submitted through the designated online submission platform (URL to be provided upon website launch).

⚠️ Conflict of Interest

A Conflict of Interest (COI) arises when an individual's private interests compromise—or appear to compromise—their academic or professional responsibilities. Examples include:

1. • Financial relationships with commercial entities
2. • Personal relationships that influence research or review
3. • Institutional affiliations that may affect objectivity

All authors, editors, and reviewers must declare any potential conflicts. Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict exists.

For detailed guidance, refer to:

1. • [COPE – Conflict of Interest Flowcharts]
2. • [ICMJE – Disclosure of Financial and Non-Financial Relationships]
3. • [WAME – Conflict of Interest Policies]

🔐 Confidentiality

All manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Disclosure is limited to:

1. • Editorial staff
2. • Editors and peer reviewers
3. • Ethics or legal committees (in case of misconduct)

Information from submitted manuscripts must not be used for personal advantage or shared outside of the review process.

🚨 Misconduct

Research or publication misconduct includes (but is not limited to):

1. • Plagiarism
2. • Data fabrication or falsification
3. • Authorship manipulation
4. • Duplicate submission
5. • Citation manipulation
6. • Undisclosed COIs

Suspected misconduct will be investigated in line with COPE’s procedures, and consequences may include:

1. • Manuscript rejection or article retraction
2. • Notification to authors’ institutions
3. • Blacklisting of authors or reviewers

🛠️ Corrections and Retractions

1. • Minor corrections (e.g., typographical errors) may be made directly to the original article.
2. • Major corrections will be published as a separate document, clearly linked to the original.
3. • Retractions are issued if the research is found to be invalid, unethical, or previously published elsewhere.

All corrections and retractions follow COPE Retraction Guidelines and will be clearly labeled, citable, and indexed.

Further Reading:

1. • COPE Retraction Guidelines
2. • ICMJE on Corrections and Expressions of Concern
3. • WAME – Retraction and Correction Best Practices