Ethical Commitment

The Journal of Sanskrit & Indic Research is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. All stakeholders involved in the publication process—including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to established ethical principles and responsible scholarly conduct.

The journal follows generally accepted best practices in academic publishing and seeks to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability at every stage of the editorial and review process.

Adherence to COPE Guidelines

The Journal of Sanskrit & Indic Research follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. The journal is committed to upholding the COPE Core Practices across all aspects of its editorial operations, including peer review, authorship disputes, data integrity, conflicts of interest, and post-publication corrections.

This journal is committed to the principles and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). For further information on COPE's standards and best practices, please visit publicationethics.org . Editors, authors, and reviewers are encouraged to consult COPE's flowcharts and guidance documents when facing ethical questions during the publication process.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions at the Journal of Sanskrit & Indic Research are made independently of the publisher and are based solely on the academic merit, originality, and scholarly relevance of submitted manuscripts. The Department of Sanskrit, University of Delhi, as publisher, does not interfere in editorial decisions, including decisions to accept or reject manuscripts.

The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board retain full authority over all editorial content. No commercial, political, or institutional consideration influences the acceptance or rejection of any manuscript. This policy is consistent with the COPE guidelines on editorial independence and the principles of responsible academic publishing.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are required to ensure that their work is original and has not been published elsewhere in the same or substantially similar form. Proper acknowledgement of sources, references, and intellectual contributions is mandatory.

• Manuscripts must be free from plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data.
• All sources, primary and secondary, must be appropriately cited.
• Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is prohibited.
• Authorship should accurately reflect individual contributions.
• Any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed at the time of submission.
• Use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation must be disclosed in accordance with the journal's AI-Generated Content Policy.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, unbiased, and timely evaluation of all submitted manuscripts. Editorial decisions are based solely on the academic merit, originality, and relevance of the submission.

• Editors maintain confidentiality of submitted manuscripts.
• Decisions are free from discrimination based on personal or institutional factors.
• Editors avoid conflicts of interest in handling submissions.
• Editorial board members must not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest; such submissions are assigned to an independent editor.
• Corrections, clarifications, or retractions are issued when necessary.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer reviewers play a crucial role in maintaining the academic quality of the journal. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and timely assessments of manuscripts.

• Reviews should be conducted confidentially and objectively.
• Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.
• Reviewers should declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
• Unpublished material must not be used for personal advantage.
• Reviewers who are unable to complete a review within the stipulated timeframe should notify the editorial office promptly.

Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest exists when professional judgement concerning a primary interest—such as the validity of research—may be influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial gain, personal relationships, or institutional affiliation. The journal requires all parties to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Plagiarism and Misconduct

The journal adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism and academic misconduct. All submitted manuscripts are screened for similarity using iThenticate / Turnitin prior to being sent for peer review. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 20% (excluding the reference list and properly attributed quotations) will be returned to the author without review.

Any form of unethical behaviour identified at any stage of publication—including data fabrication, image manipulation, duplicate submission, or undisclosed authorship—will be addressed seriously. In cases of suspected misconduct, the journal follows the relevant COPE flowcharts and may take appropriate action, including rejection, retraction, or notification to the author's institution and relevant authorities.

Corrections and Retractions

The Journal of Sanskrit & Indic Research is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. Errors or ethical issues in published articles are addressed through the following mechanisms, in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines :

• Correction (Erratum): Issued when a minor error in a published article—such as a typographical mistake or misquotation—does not affect the findings or conclusions of the study.
• Expression of Concern: Published when the editorial office has reasonable grounds to suspect research or publication misconduct but a full investigation has not yet been concluded.
• Retraction: Issued when a published article is found to contain significant errors, fabricated data, plagiarised content, or other serious ethical violations that undermine the reliability of the work. A retraction notice is published with the reason clearly stated, and the original article is marked as retracted.

Requests for corrections or concerns about published articles should be submitted to the editorial office at jsir@sanskrit.du.ac.in. All such communications are treated with confidentiality and investigated within 30 days of receipt.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors who believe that their manuscript has been rejected in error, or that the peer review process was not conducted fairly, may lodge a formal appeal. The journal takes all appeals seriously and ensures that they are reviewed by an editor independent of the original decision.

How to Appeal a Rejection

1. Send an email with the subject line "Appeal: [Manuscript ID]" to head@sanskrit.du.ac.in within 30 days of receiving the rejection decision.
2. State clearly the grounds for the appeal. Acceptable grounds include: factual errors in the review, failure to follow the journal's stated review process, or evidence of bias or conflict of interest on the part of a reviewer or editor.
3. The appeal will be acknowledged within 7 working days and assigned to a senior editor who was not involved in the original decision.
4. A final decision on the appeal will be communicated within 30 days of acknowledgement. The decision of the senior editor is final.

Appeals based solely on disagreement with the reviewers' scientific assessment, without specific grounds of procedural or factual error, will not be upheld.

General Complaints

Complaints relating to the conduct of editors, reviewers, or the publication process may be submitted to the editorial office by email. All complaints are investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines. If a complainant is unsatisfied with the journal's response, they may escalate the matter to COPE for independent consideration.