Ethics Statement

DRISTI follows internationally recognised best practices in scholarly publishing and encourages all publications hosted on its platform to operate in accordance with globally accepted ethical principles. The platform's editorial policies are informed by the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), and other internationally recognised standards for responsible scholarly communication. DRISTI recognises the importance of preserving the integrity, authenticity and permanence of the scholarly record. Accordingly, comprehensive policies governing editorial independence, peer review, plagiarism detection, artificial intelligence, corrections, retractions, research misconduct and complaints are established to safeguard the quality and credibility of every publication hosted on the platform.

Composition of Editorial Boards

Every publication hosted on DRISTI shall be governed by an appropriately constituted Editorial Board comprising qualified scholars with recognised academic and research expertise in the relevant discipline. Editors are ordinarily expected to possess significant academic experience and hold a senior academic or equivalent professional position. Editorial Boards should include experienced researchers representing diverse institutions, disciplines and, where appropriate, multiple countries to promote academic diversity and minimise conflicts of interest.

Editorial Boards are responsible for:

• maintaining editorial independence;
• safeguarding publication ethics;
• overseeing peer review;
• ensuring academic quality;
• advising on editorial policies;
• promoting transparency and research integrity.

The appointment of editors and advisory board members shall be based on academic merit, professional expertise and demonstrated commitment to ethical publishing.

Detecting Plagiarism

DRISTI publishes only original scholarly work. All submitted manuscripts may be screened using recognised plagiarism detection software prior to editorial assessment and peer review. Additional plagiarism screening may be conducted following revisions or immediately before publication where necessary. Editors carefully examine similarity reports to distinguish between legitimate scholarly citation and potential plagiarism. Where substantial similarity, duplicate publication, fabricated content or other forms of academic misconduct are suspected, the Editorial Office shall conduct an investigation in accordance with DRISTI's publication ethics policies.

Depending upon the outcome of the investigation, actions may include:

• requesting clarification from the author;
• requiring revision;
• rejection of the manuscript;
• withdrawal prior to publication;
• publication of corrections;
• formal retraction;
• notification of relevant institutions or funding agencies where appropriate.

Authorship and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

DRISTI recognises the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in scholarly communication while affirming that responsibility for published work always rests with human authors. Artificial Intelligence systems, including Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot or similar technologies, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of any publication. Authors using AI-assisted tools for language improvement, translation, literature organisation, coding assistance or other supportive functions should disclose such use where it materially contributes to manuscript preparation. AI-generated content must always be carefully verified by the authors for factual accuracy, originality and compliance with publication ethics.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• the originality of their work;
• accuracy of all statements;
• interpretation of findings;
• appropriate citations;
• compliance with ethical standards;
• copyright compliance.

Peer Review

All scholarly books, edited volumes, conference proceedings, policy reports and other academic publications hosted on DRISTI are subject to independent editorial evaluation and peer review. DRISTI ordinarily follows a double-blind peer review process, although single-blind or open peer review may be adopted where appropriate for specific publication categories. Each scholarly manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers, selected solely on the basis of subject expertise, academic competence and absence of conflicts of interest.

Editors may consider reviewer recommendations suggested by authors; however, reviewer selection remains entirely at the discretion of the Editorial Office. Persons having actual or perceived conflicts of interest including recent collaborators, supervisors, students, departmental colleagues or close professional associates will not ordinarily be appointed as reviewers.

Reviewers are expected to evaluate:

• originality;
• scholarly contribution;
• methodological rigour;
• theoretical framework;
• clarity of presentation;
• accuracy of data;
• adequacy of references;
• ethical compliance;
• significance of findings.

Reviews should be objective, constructive, confidential and completed within the stipulated review period. Editors shall base publication decisions primarily upon reviewer reports, scholarly merit and editorial judgment. The final decision regarding publication rests exclusively with the DRISTI Secretariat or the designated Editorial Committee.

Editorial Independence and Conflicts of Interest

Editorial decisions shall be made solely on the basis of academic merit without regard to nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, ethnicity, political beliefs or commercial interests. Editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could reasonably influence editorial decisions. Where an editor has a conflict of interest regarding a submission including submissions authored by colleagues, collaborators, students or institutional associates, the manuscript shall be assigned to another independent editor with no competing interests. Editors shall have no involvement in editorial decisions concerning their own submissions.

Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are expected to:

• maintain strict confidentiality;
• disclose any conflicts of interest;
• provide objective and constructive feedback;
• evaluate manuscripts solely on academic merit;
• avoid personal criticism;
• identify relevant uncited literature where appropriate;
• report suspected plagiarism or ethical concerns.

Reviewers must not use unpublished materials for personal research or professional advantage. Uploading submitted manuscripts, in whole or in part, to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot or any other generative AI platform or external artificial intelligence system without the explicit written permission of DRISTI and the author(s) is strictly prohibited.

Corrections and Retractions

DRISTI is committed to preserving the integrity of the scholarly record. Published works will not ordinarily be altered after publication except where necessary to correct significant errors or address ethical concerns.

Where appropriate, DRISTI may publish:

• Errata
• Corrigenda
• Addenda
• Expressions of Concern
• Retractions
• Updated Editions

Each correction or amendment shall remain permanently linked to the original publication to ensure complete transparency.

Retraction Policy

Retraction is reserved for publications whose findings can no longer be regarded as reliable.

Reasons for retraction may include:

• plagiarism;
• fabricated or falsified data;
• duplicate publication;
• unethical research practices;
• copyright infringement;
• manipulated peer review;
• serious methodological errors;
• fraudulent authorship;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Retraction notices shall clearly identify:

• the publication concerned;
• the reason for retraction;
• the party requesting or initiating the retraction;
• the date of the decision.

Retracted publications shall remain accessible for scholarly transparency but shall be clearly identified as retracted across all digital versions.

Editorial Training

Editors appointed to publications hosted on DRISTI receive guidance regarding:

• editorial policies;
• peer review management;
• publication ethics;
• plagiarism detection;
• conflict-of-interest management;
• AI governance;
• metadata standards;
• digital publishing workflows.

Continuous editorial support is provided by the DRISTI Secretariat to ensure consistency with international publishing standards.

Internal Quality Assurance

To ensure compliance with editorial standards, DRISTI periodically reviews the editorial management of hosted publications.

Quality assurance reviews may examine:

• peer-review documentation;
• editorial decisions;
• reviewer independence;
• conflicts of interest;
• publication timelines;
• ethical compliance;
• metadata quality;
• publication integrity.

Where deficiencies are identified, corrective measures and editorial recommendations shall be issued.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting work to DRISTI are expected to:

• submit original and unpublished work;
• accurately acknowledge all sources;
• obtain all necessary permissions;
• disclose conflicts of interest;
• obtain ethics approval where applicable;
• ensure the authenticity of all research data;
• cooperate during peer review;
• promptly notify editors of significant errors discovered after publication.

Authors remain solely responsible for the content of their publications.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• ensuring fair and impartial editorial decisions;
• maintaining confidentiality;
• preserving editorial independence;
• selecting qualified reviewers;
• preventing conflicts of interest;
• promoting research integrity;
• addressing allegations of misconduct promptly and fairly.

Editorial decisions shall never be influenced by commercial, institutional or personal considerations.

Research Integrity and Misconduct

DRISTI maintains zero tolerance towards research misconduct.

Research misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• plagiarism;
• data fabrication;
• data falsification;
• image manipulation;
• duplicate publication;
• citation manipulation;
• guest, gift or ghost authorship;
• peer-review manipulation;
• copyright infringement;
• unethical experimentation.

Allegations of misconduct shall be investigated confidentially and fairly, with due regard to the rights of all parties.

Complaints and Appeals

DRISTI provides transparent procedures for handling complaints concerning editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics or research misconduct. Authors, reviewers, editors or readers wishing to submit a complaint or appeal should contact the DRISTI Secretariat using the official contact details published on the platform.

Complaints should include:

• the publication title;
• manuscript or publication identifier (where applicable);
• description of the concern;
• supporting evidence where available.

Complaints are reviewed impartially by the Editorial Office and, where necessary, referred to the Academic Advisory Board or Ethics Committee for independent assessment. Every complaint is handled confidentially, fairly and within a reasonable timeframe. Decisions arising from complaints or appeals shall be communicated to the concerned parties in writing.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

DRISTI is dedicated to fostering a culture of responsible research, transparent scholarly communication and ethical publishing. With adhering to internationally recognised standards and continuously strengthening editorial governance, DRISTI seeks to ensure that every publication contributes meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge while maintaining the trust of authors, reviewers, editors, institutions and the global academic community.