Publication Ethics & Peer Review Policy
1. Introduction
i-manager Publications follows a transparent and structured process from submission to publication. This includes initial screening, relevance checks, plagiarism screening, double-blind peer review, Editor-in-Chief evaluation, and final publication. All steps are carried out using the publisher’s proprietary Online Editorial Management System, with strict adherence to ethical and professional publishing standards.
2. Author Responsibilities
2.1 Dual Submission
If an author, knowingly or unknowingly, submits a manuscript for publication in more than one of i-manager’s journals, one of the submissions will be rejected. Authors are advised to refrain from dual submission practices to two journals, whether from the same publisher or different publishers. During the entire process of publication, rejection will be done if any dual submission is discovered. If the paper has been accepted by both journals, it will be removed from the website, citing dual submission as the reason, if the other journal proceeds with publication.
2.2 Multiple Authors
There can be a maximum of 7 authors for a research paper. If a paper has more than 7 authors, the authors must submit the contributions of each co-author for approval by the Internal Committee on Publication Ethics.
2.3 Data Sharing and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to share the data supporting their research findings to ensure reproducibility. Data should be made available upon request or through publicly accessible databases, where applicable, in accordance with ethical guidelines. If the study involves the participation of human subjects, consent and participant anonymity are expected to be adhered.
2.4 Research Involving Humans and Animals
If any research involves any human participants, then it must comply with recognized ethical principles, including the Helsinki Declaration, and must have prior approval from a relevant Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. For research involving animals, authors must follow the ARRIVE guidelines and obtain approval from an appropriate animal care and use committee. The manuscript must include a statement confirming approval, along with the committee name and approval number.
2.5 Data Fabrication and Falsification
Data fabrication and data falsification are considered serious ethical violations. Any suspicion will result in investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines. Proven cases will result in immediate rejection or retraction, and notification to the authors’ institutions.
2.6 Preprint Policy
Authors may submit manuscripts previously posted on recognized preprint servers, provided they disclose this at submission and include the preprint DOI in their cover letter. Upon acceptance, authors should update the preprint with a published version of the link.
3. Authorship Policy
3.1 Authorship Criteria
The authors listed in the manuscript must fulfil all of the following:
3.2 Contributor Roles (CRediT)
Authors are encouraged to identify their roles, such as: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project Administration, or Funding Acquisition.
3.3 Order of Authors
Author order should reflect relative contributions and be agreed upon by all authors prior to submission. The journal does not intervene in disputes unless misconduct is suspected.
3.4 Corresponding Author Responsibilities
3.5 Changes in Authorship
Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors must:
3.6 Group Authorship
Group or consortium authorship is permitted. Individual contributors who meet authorship criteria should be listed in a footnote or appendix.
3.7 Authorship Misconduct
Gift authorship (naming someone without contribution) and ghost authorship (excluding someone who contributed) are unethical. Suspected cases will be investigated.
3.8 Use of AI Tools
AI tools cannot be credited as authors. Any use of AI for text drafting, image generation, or analysis must be disclosed, with authors taking full responsibility for the content.
3.8.1 AI Tool Use Safeguards
While AI tools may assist in drafting text, generating images, or analyzing data, authors must verify all outputs for accuracy and ensure no false references are introduced. Authors must not upload confidential or sensitive data to AI tools.
3.9 Funding and Acknowledgments
All funding sources, institutional support, and non-author contributions must be declared in the acknowledgments.
3.10 Data Responsibility
At least one author must accept responsibility for the accuracy and availability of the data supporting the work.
4. Relevance Check
Each manuscript is screened by the internal editorial team for suitability to the chosen journal. If the paper is relevant to any other journal published by us, it may be transferred to that journal at the editor’s discretion with author’s consent. If the paper is not relevant to any of the journals we publish, it will be rejected without proceeding to the next level.
5. Plagiarism Check
All manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening. Submissions with similarity above 20% are rejected. Plagiarism includes not only text but also tables, images, graphs, and any other form of content. If the paper is within the tolerance limit, it will be moved for review.
6. Peer Review
The journal follows a double-blind peer review process. Reviewers evaluate manuscripts based on originality, significance, and quality.
The editorial team then reviews the reviewers’ observations and decides whether the paper needs modifications, can be accepted without modifications, or should be rejected. If modifications are needed, the author revises the paper and resubmits it through the online system.
7. Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers have the right to accept and review the paper based on their area of specialization. Reviewers send their recommendations for the papers through the Online Editorial Management system.
Reviewers of the journals undertake to conduct a fair and unbiased double-blind review and to remain impartial. They ensure that the papers submitted are significant to the research community. Confidentiality must be maintained throughout the process.
7.1 Reviewer Ethics
Reviewers must disclose any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment. Unpublished information revealed in the contribution shall not be used for personal gain at any instant. Reviews should be completed within the agreed timeline to avoid publication delays.
8. Editor-in-Chief Review
Following peer review and revisions, the Editor-in-Chief may accept, reject, or request further changes. Accepted articles are published.
The decision of the Editor-in-Chief is final and binding. The overall responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief is to oversee all editorial processes of the journal and ensure that the papers published benefit the research community.
9. Final Publication
Accepted manuscripts undergo technical editing, formatting, and proofreading. A preprint is sent to authors for approval before publication.
10. Publishing Fee Policy
No publishing fees are charged.
11. Ethical Oversight
The Journal adheres to high standards and ethics in research and publication. All manuscripts are subjected to ethical guidelines to ensure compliance with international standards.
The journal supports and follows COPE guidelines to address misconduct such as plagiarism, modified data’s or falsification.
11.1 Sanctions for Misconduct
Depending on the severity of the violation, sanctions may include rejection of the manuscript, a submission ban for up to five years, notification to the author’s institution, and/or public disclosure of the misconduct in accordance with COPE procedures.
12. Copyright
Upon submission of an article, authors are requested to complete a copyright form, which transfers copyright of all original material in the article to the publisher if the article is accepted. The copyright form must be filled out correctly, signed by all authors, dated, and submitted before the article is accepted. The signed, scanned copy of the completed and duly signed declaration form may be sent by e-mail to editor@imanagerjournals.com.
i-manager Publications owns the copyright of the article to be published, and any reuse of the content requires the publisher's consent.
Click here to download the Copyright Form
13. Author Rights
We follow a green open access policy with regard to author rights. Authors shall post the link to their accepted or published papers on their own academic websites or university repositories to which they are affiliated, provided that they include complete citations. However, this does not grant the right to use the papers for commercial gain.
14. Publisher Responsibilities
In case of any misconduct, the publisher will take all appropriate measures to clarify the situation and amend the article in question. This involves promptly publishing an erratum or, in the worst situations, retracting the impacted work entirely.
The publisher and the journal do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, national origin, race, gender, career status, or sexual orientation in their publishing programs, services, and activities.
14.1 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Commitment
The journal actively promotes diversity and inclusivity in editorial board membership, reviewer selection, and author engagement. We strive to ensure equal opportunities for all contributors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, geography, or career stage.
15. Complaints and Appeals
Authors who wish to make complaints regarding the editorial process or appeal editorial decisions are encouraged to contact the editorial office. Complaints and appeals will be handled promptly and in a transparent manner by the editorial team and the Editor-in-Chief. Any unresolved issues will be escalated to the publisher for final resolution.
15.1 Appeals Procedure
Authors may appeal editorial decisions within 30 days of notification. Appeals should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief and must provide detailed reasons. An independent editorial board member who was not involved in the initial decision will consider the appeal. The outcome will be final.
16. Conflicts of Interests/Competing Interests
Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of the research or editorial process. Any financial, personal, or professional affiliations that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretations should be declared.
17. Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections
The Journal welcomes post-publication discussions and commentary on published articles through official channels such as correspondence with the editor or online commentaries. Authors may request corrections or clarifications, and any significant errors identified post-publication will be addressed through errata or retractions. Authors may request retractions with proper reasoning and proper steps maintained officially.
In case of any serious errors found after publication of an article, the authors are contacted by email and the article is retracted immediately with the reason for retraction mentioned along with the abstract in the Journal’s website.
17.1 Retraction and Correction Workflow
The journal follows COPE’s retraction guidelines. Retractions will be issued when there is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to misconduct or honest error, redundant publication, plagiarism, or unethical research. Retraction notices will clearly state the reasons, remain permanently associated with the original manuscript, and preserve the scholarly record. Corrections (errata) will be published promptly for minor errors that do not affect the overall conclusions.
18. Access to Journal Content
All published scholarly articles will be preserved and made permanently available by the publisher. They ensure continuous accessibility by partnering with other abstracting and indexing databases, in addition to maintaining their own digital archive.
