Publication Ethics

This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication of articles in PRANALA LAW REVIEW JOURNAL (PLRJ), including authors, editors, peer reviewers, and the publisher. These guidelines are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

Publication Decisions

Editors are responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published based on the validation of the work and its significance to researchers and readers. Editors must adhere to the journal's editorial policies and applicable legal requirements concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

Fair Play

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on the basis of their intellectual content, without discrimination or bias based on the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and may disclose information only to authorized parties, such as authors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished materials from submitted manuscripts for their own research without the authors' explicit consent.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Reviewers assist editors in making editorial decisions and provide constructive feedback to help authors improve their manuscripts.

Promptness

Reviewers should promptly notify the editors if they feel unqualified to review a manuscript or are unable to complete the review process within the required timeframe.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not discuss or disclose their contents to unauthorized individuals.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively and constructively, without personal criticism of the authors. Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited and notify the editors of any substantial similarity between the manuscript under review and other published works.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and refrain from reviewing manuscripts where such conflicts may affect the objectivity of the review.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors should present their research findings accurately and provide sufficient detail and appropriate references to enable the work to be understood and, where applicable, replicated. Fraudulent, fabricated, or inaccurate statements are considered unethical.

Data Access and Retention

Authors should be prepared to provide access to relevant raw data and retain research data for a reasonable period after publication, where applicable and in accordance with ethical and legal requirements.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is original and properly acknowledge and cite all sources when using the ideas, words, or findings of others. Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Manuscripts should not be published in substantially similar forms in multiple journals without appropriate justification and disclosure.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission for publication.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects

Authors must clearly identify any potential hazards associated with their research. Where research involves human or animal subjects, authors must ensure that the study complies with applicable ethical standards and regulations.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, personal, or substantive conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, interpretation, or presentation of their manuscript.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

Authors should promptly notify the editors if they discover significant errors or inaccuracies in their published work and must cooperate with the editors in issuing appropriate corrections, retractions, or other necessary actions.