Publication Ethics

Publication of a manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal directly reflects the quality of work of the authors and the institutions that support them. For all parties involved in process of publishing (Authors, Editorial Board and Reviewers) is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behaviour . The publishing process involves Authors, Editors and Reviewers. Each one of them play very important role with a defined responsibilities to meet ethical standards at each stage of their involvement during the process of publishing of  manuscripts. To ensure high ethical standards Journal has developed International standard for all the parties (Authors, Editors and Reviewers) and expects all the parties to commit to these standards.

General Duties, Responsibilities and International Standards for Authors :

• Plant Archives does not ask all authors of a research paper to sign a letter of submission nor does it is impose and order on the list of authors. All authors who submit manuscript to Journal are supposed to observe International standard for authors voluntarily.
• Authors of the original research article must present the accurate data of work performed during research. Authors are expected to discuss the objective, significance and relevance of their work. Manuscript should contain sufficient information and references to guarantee the reproducibility of the work.
• Authors must certify that their manuscripts are their original work, plagiarism, duplicacy, data fabrication, falsification and redundant publications are forbidden. Fraudulent are knowingly inaccurate statements considered as unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.
• Authors must ensure and certify that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. An author should not publish manuscripts that contain some concept and data in more than one journal. Manuscript  should not be submitted to two or more journals simultaneously. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals is unethical publishing behaviour and it should be forbidden.
• If the authors have used the work and words of others, the author must ensure that the work and words of others are appropriately cited or quoted.  Author should provide the proper acknowledgement for the work and words of others.
• If authors discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work it is authors responsibility to promptly notify the Journal Editor or Publisher for rectification.
• Contributors who have made a significant contribution in conception, design, execution and interpretation of the work should be listed as author. Others who have made significant contribution should be listed as co-authors. Corresponding author is the author responsible for communicating with Journal for publication.
• Authors are expected to acknowledge the funding resources.
• Authors must notify to the Journal for any conflict of interest.

General Duties, Responsibilities and International Standards for Editors and Editorial Board :

Editors and Editorial Board are required to follow the International Standards. Editors will adhere to the following guidelines to the best of their abilities :

• Authors must notify to the Journal for any conflict of interest.
• Editorial board is responsible for making publication decisions for submitted manuscripts.
• Editorial board must strive to meet the needs of readers and authors.
• Editorial board must scrutinized and evaluate manuscripts only for their intellectual content.
• Editorial board must strive to constant improvement of their Journal.
• Editorial board must have processes in place to ensure the quality of the material they publish.
• Editorial board must maintain the integrity of the academic record.
• The editorial board must always willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies when needed.
• Editorial board must preclude business needs from compromising intellectual and ethical standards.
• Editors must actively seek the views of authors, readers, reviewers and Editorial Board members about ways of improving the journal’s processes.
• Editors must select appropriate reviewers to judge the work.
• Editors must be guided by the COPE (Committee of Publication Ethics) flowcharts (http://publicationethics.org/flowcharts) in case of suspected, misconducts or dispute in authorship.

General Duties, Responsibilities and International Standards for Reviewers :

• Reviewers are expected to keep information related to the manuscript confidential.
• Reviewers must bring to the attention of the editorial board for any information that may be a reason to reject the publication of a manuscript.
• Reviewers are expected to evaluate the manuscript only for their intellectual content.
• Reviewers must also evaluate the manuscript for their originality, significance and relevance the domains of the Journal.
• Reviewers are expected to notify the conflicts of interest.

General Duties, Responsibilities and International Standards for Publisher :

• Publisher must protect intellectual property and copyright of the content submitted by the authors.
• Publisher must respect the privacy and personal data especially for authors and peer reviewers.
• Publisher must maintain close co-operation with the editors and peer reviewers for transparency and integrity of the peer review process.
• In case of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication or plagiarism the publisher enclose co-operation with editors will take all appropriate measures the clarify the situation and to amend the article in question.

Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct :

It is the responsibility of the author that publish data and unpublished data must be properly credited and the appropriate permissions has been sought. In the case of licence data, authors must submit a written assurance that they have signed the data-licensing agreement with its original owner.

Author should ensure the originality of their content, while preparing a manuscript. All the article submitted to the journal shall be screened for plagiarism (online plagiarism detection software). In case plagiarism is observed during review process such manuscripts will be rejected and other steps will be considered depending the seriousness of the case. If the plagiarism is detected after publication of the manuscripts such manuscripts will be removed from our website and appropriate announcement will be done in this regard.

Copyright and Lisencing :

Copyright is a form of protection given to the publishers and authors for their original work of authorship (title 17, U.S. Code). Under this license authors retain ownership of the copyright for their publications but grant license to journal publisher to publish the work in paper form and allow anyone to reuse, distribute and reproduce the content as long as the original work is properly cited. The safest way is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material.

Ethical Guidelines for the use of Animals in Research :

• Guidelines for the use of animals in research have been prepared by the National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT). Their purpose is to provide ethical guidelines for researchers and other people who are conducting experiments on animals. These guidelines are very helpful while planning projects; assessing them and reporting, publishing of findings and results.
• The ethical assessments related to the use of animals in research  are wide ranging. It is generally thought that the use of animals may be necessary to improvement for people, animals or the environment. At the same time, the general opinion is that animals have a moral status, and that our treatment of them should be subject to ethical considerations. Such views are reflected in the following positions :

1- Animals have an intrinsic value which must be respected.

2- Animals are sentient creatures with the capacity to feel pain, and the interests of animals must therefore be taken into consideration.

3- Our treatment of animals, including the use of animals, in research is an expression of our attitudes and influences us as moral actors.

Researchers must follow the following guidelines while working upon the animals:

1- Respect for animal’s dignity :- Researchers must have respect for animals worth, regardless of their utility value and for animal’s interests as living, sentient creatures. Researchers must be respectful when choosing their topic and methods and when disseminating their research. Researchers must provide care that is adapted to the needs of each laboratory animal.

2- Responsibility for considering options :- Researchers are responsible for studying whether there are alternatives to experiments on animals. Alternative methods and options must be given priority, if the same knowledge can be acquired without using laboratory animals. If no good options are available, researchers should consider, whether the research can be postponed until alternative methods have been developed. When justifying experiments on animals, researchers therefore must be able to account for the absence of options and the need to acquire knowledge immediately.

3- The principle of proportionality :- Researchers must consider the risk that laboratory animals experience pain and other suffering and assess them in relation to the value of the research for animals, people or the environment. Researchers must keep in their mind that suffering can only be caused to animals if this is counter balanced by a substantial and probable benefit for animals, people or the environment.
There are many alternative methods for analysing harm and benefit. Research institutions should provide training on suitable models and researchers are responsible for using such methods of analysis when planning experiments on animals.

4- Responsibility for considering reducing the number of animals :- Researchers must always consider the possibility of reducing the number of animals in the experimental plans. Researchers must only include the number necessary to maintain the scientific quality of the experiments and the relevance of the results. Researchers must conduct literature studies, consider alternatives experiment design and perform calculation before beginning the experiments on animals.

5- Responsibility for minimising the risk of suffering and improving animal welfare :- Researchers must always try to minimise the risk of suffering and provide good animal welfare. Suffering include pain, hunger, thirst, malnutrition, abnormal cold or heat stress, injury, fear, illness and restriction on natural behaviour.
Researchers must not only consider the direct suffering that may endured during the experiment itself, but also the risk of suffering before and after the experiment, including trapping, labelling anaesthetising, breeding, transportation, stabling and euthanizing. Need of period of adaptation before and after the experiment must be taken into account by the researchers.

6- Responsibility for maintaining biological diversity :- It is responsibility of the researchers to ensure that the use of laboratory animals does not harm and endanger biological diversity. Consequences of stock and ecosystem as a whole must be considered by the researchers. The use of endangered and vulnerable species must be minimised or avoided.

7- Responsibility when intervening in habitat :- Any disruption and bad impact on natural behaviour of individual animals including those that are not direct subject of research must be reduced by the researchers. Principal of Proportionality must be kept in mind while using of research. Technology related projects such as installing radar masts, antennas or other measurement instruments. Researchers must always try to minimise the possibility of negative impact. 

8- Responsibility for openness and sharing of data and material :- Researchers must ensure transparency in research findings and sharing of data and materials from experiments on animals. This practice avoid the unnecessary repetition of the experiments. The negative results of experiments on animals should be in public knowledge. It is responsibility of the researchers to disseminate the finding in public about the experiments which are not worth pursuing shine a light on unfortunate design and help in reducing the use of animals in research.

9- Requirement of expertise on animals :- Researchers and others who handle live animals must have adequately updated and documented expertise on animals. This include specific knowledge about the biology of animals species in question, and willingness and ability to take care of animals properly.

10- Requirement of due care :- Researchers must follow the national laws and rules and international conventions and agreements regarding the use of laboratory animals. Any person who plans to use animals in experiments must familiarise themselves with the current rules.(Source:  NENT- Norwegian National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology; https://www.inrca.it/inrca/Files/Ricerca/OPBA/Link20.pdf )

 

IRB APPROVAL POLICY :

Journal follows an established IRB Approval policy in line with the international guidelines and regulations. For any study involving human beings researchers are supposed to seek IRB approval as per the established guidelines. On interaction with IRB, research methodology may be modified including protocol, content and data security. Researchers are supposed to ensure confidentiality, privacy and anonymity of participants taking part in the study, and liability to maintain this information lies with them.
At the start of any study involving human beings, researchers are supposed to obtain an informed consent in writing from each participant. This consent must mention all risks and benefits of study to each participating individual, and only after their conscious agreement without coercion, greed or any hidden fact that the participants to the study are selected. Also participants are free to withdraw themselves at any point of the study.
Consent form is supposed to include-

• Full details of the purpose of study
• All facts on participation and withdrawal from the study at any point,
• All facts about benefits or adverse effects due to experimental procedure during or after the study
• Information on side effects of experimental procedure and its amelioration
• Details on experimental dateline, so the participants are aware of the duration of the study
• Any compensation to the participants must be open and known to the public
• Confidentiality and private information of the participants must be maintained
• Details of the persons involved with carrying out the experiments, collection of samples or data
• Details on funding agency of the research study
• A signed consent from the participants that they are aware of the study procedures and are voluntarily taking part in the study

In studies involving surveys and traditional methods IRB approval may be waved off as per International regulations.

 

IRB Approval for vulnerable population

Researchers  has to provide protocol specific justification to the IRB regarding need for enrollment of children in the research.  In the case research study is deemed necessary to include underage population, legal guardian has to make an informed decision and give consent  for the inclusion of its ward. Legal guardian has to make decision totally understanding the protocol, timeframe and any after effect of the research study. Also guardian is to give his/her consent  free of any repercussion, fear or rewards that may occlude the informed decision for participation of its wards.
Researchers have to collect a written consent from legal guardian of the participant in the given format at the start of study and keep a record of it. They have to submit about this along with the manuscript to the Editor.

Format for Consent of Legal Guardian on behalf of vulnerable population
I,
Name: ………………………………………………………………………….
Address:  …………………………………………………………………….
on behalf of
Name of participant:……………………………………………………….
Age of participant:…………………………….
Date of Birth of participant:………………………………………………
Gender:  M / F
is giving my consent for participation of my ward, fully understanding the all aspects of research study. Decision has been made free of any greed, fear or repercussion.

 

Date:                                                                                          Full Signature of the guardian
Place:

 

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT POLICY :

Journal adopts a vigorous Conflict of Interest policy. Authors of all manuscripts submitted for publication have to submit a duly signed Conflict of Interest disclosure statement before the manuscripts are accepted for publication.
For proper facilitation of this policy all authors are expected to divulge “All their potential conflict of interests” to the editors at the time of submission of manuscripts on a prescribed format. The actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest relate to:

• Any financial and non-financial interests
• Employment benefits(Direct employment ,either full-time or part time)
• Any benefit in the form of goods and services
• Any regional, religious and political influence related to publication
• Paid or unpaid work activities like consultancy services
• Relationship with anyone who might be benefitted or harmed by the publication
• Any relation with a person that may influence the publication of the paper
• In case of any other form of interests authors are expected to disclose it prudently, so that readers can make a proper assessment of given facts in the manuscript.

In this regard all authors are required to submit a Conflict of Interest Statement Declaration form as appended with the policy and downloadable from the journals website, duly signed by individual author. In case of multi-author manuscript, corresponding author is required to collect completed Conflict of Interest Statement from all co-authors and send them along with manuscript.
Authors are also supposed to mention the source of research funding in the acknowledge section. Help of persons involved with the research or manuscript preparation be duly referred to in the acknowledge section also. Adoption of material from previous printed or digital publication shall also be acknowledged.
Any claims related to Non-disclosure of any of the Conflict of Interests related to manuscript at a later stage may lead to rejection or withdrawal of paper from the journal. Therefore all authors are required to resolve any conflict of interests before the submission of manuscript and mention it properly in the disclosure form in consent with the related personnel / authorities.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM
As the author of this manuscript, I hereby make the following disclosure to the best of my knowledge:
Author Name:………………………………………………
Title of manuscript:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Signature……………………………………………………………                Date:…………………………………………………………………

• I have no relevant interest (s) to divulge

Or

• My potentially relevant interests are outlined below ( in case of extra-space , please attach a separate sheet)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Conflict of Interest Policy for Editors
Journal adopts an internationally accepted ethical policy about publication of manuscript in the journal for Editor-in-Chief, Editors and other members associated with publication process. All persons having a say in the publication have to take an impartial decision on inclusion of manuscript in the journal. Editors have to submit a declaration at the start of their tenure regarding their commitment to total impartiality on publication decision. Editors have to make a decision free of personal gains, relations, Institutional affiliation, academic interests or personal beliefs. Any member of the editorial board directly linked to authors of a particular manuscript have to relieve him / her from the decision making process for it.