Policies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal rights, and Informed Consent

The International Journal of Research, Innovation and Practice (IJRIP) upholds the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. To ensure the credibility and reliability of our scholarly publications, our policies are guided by international frameworks, including:

  • COPE Core Practices
  • ICMJE Recommendations
  • WAME Ethical Guidance

Research involving human participants must strictly adhere to the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality & Plagiarism: Authors must ensure their manuscripts are entirely original. All submissions are screened using plagiarism-detection software (iThenticate/Crossref). Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding acceptable limits (generally above 15–20%, excluding references and bibliography) may be rejected or returned for revision.
  • Simultaneous Submission: Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is strictly prohibited.
  • Authorship Criteria: Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.
  • Data Integrity: Authors must present accurate data. Fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data is unacceptable. Authors may be requested to provide raw data during the editorial review process.
  • Conflict of Interest (COI): All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of the data.
  • AI Tool Usage: Any use of AI tools for language editing or drafting support must be disclosed. AI tools cannot be listed as authors. (Please refer to our AI Policy).
  • Data Availability: Authors are encouraged to include a data availability statement indicating where the data supporting their findings can be accessed. Whenever possible, datasets should be deposited in appropriate public repositories to promote transparency and reproducibility.

2. Ethical Considerations in Research

Human Participants:

  • Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards (Declaration of Helsinki).
  • Authors must explicitly state:
    • The name of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee.
    • The Ethics approval number (if applicable).
    • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from all participants.
  • For studies involving minors, consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.

Privacy & Confidentiality:

  • Authors must protect the privacy of participants. Identifiable information (names, photographs, personal details) must not be published without explicit written consent.

Research in Educational Settings:

  • Studies involving students or educational institutions must ensure voluntary participation. Researchers must avoid coercion and ensure that participation does not impact academic evaluation or institutional relationships.

Clinical Trials:

  • Manuscripts reporting clinical trial results must be registered in a recognized public clinical trial registry (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov or other WHO-approved registries) in accordance with international guidelines.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fairness & Impartiality: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on scholarly merit, including originality, rigor, clarity, and relevance.
  • Confidentiality: Editors treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where they have a conflict of interest, in accordance with COPE guidance.
  • Ethical Oversight: Editors take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, citation manipulation, data fabrication).

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Reviewers must not share or discuss manuscripts without authorization.
  • Objectivity: Reviews should be constructive, evidence-based, and free from personal bias.
  • Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must decline the review if their impartiality could be compromised.
  • Timeliness: Reviews must be completed within the agreed-upon timeframe.

5. Peer Review Process

IJRIP follows a double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts. Final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment.

6. Misconduct & Post-Publication Updates

  • Allegations of Misconduct: The journal follows COPE procedures when handling allegations of misconduct. Institutions may be contacted to assist in investigations.
  • Corrections/Retractions: All post-publication corrections are clearly linked to the original article. Retracted articles remain accessible but are clearly labeled to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

7. Editorial Independence & Appeals

  • Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher, sponsors, or commercial interests. The Editor-in-Chief holds full authority over editorial content.
  • Appeals: Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written request to the editorial office. The appeal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent board member. A decision is typically communicated within 2–4 weeks.
  • Publisher Responsibilities: The publisher supports the journal in maintaining ethical standards and assists editors in addressing cases of publication misconduct.