POLICIES

Zonal Journal of Researcher’s Inventory (ZJRI)

1. Archiving and Preservation Policy

  • Purpose: The primary goal of the archiving and preservation policy is to ensure the long-term availability of published articles and their accessibility for future researchers, scholars, and the general public. This policy is vital for maintaining the integrity and scholarly value of the journal, ensuring that its contents remain accessible even in the face of technological changes.

  • Approach: To guarantee the sustainability of the articles, the journal follows global standards for digital preservation, such as LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS), or other trusted archiving services. These services are designed to ensure that content remains accessible in the long term by creating multiple copies in distributed locations.

  • Data Backup: The journal ensures regular backups of all published articles. These backups are stored securely in various locations to prevent the loss of data due to unforeseen circumstances. Backup procedures are routinely tested to confirm their effectiveness in data recovery.

  • Access: The journal's archives are maintained in publicly accessible digital repositories, allowing easy retrieval of past issues, articles, and research findings. These repositories are regularly updated to adhere to current digital standards, ensuring that content remains accessible for future generations.

2. Peer Review Policy

  • Purpose: The peer review policy is designed to ensure the quality and credibility of the journal by subjecting all submitted articles to rigorous evaluation by qualified experts in the field. This process ensures that the published articles are of high academic quality and contribute new knowledge to the field.

  • Process: Upon submission, each manuscript is reviewed by two or more independent reviewers who assess the validity, quality, and originality of the research. The peer review process follows a double-blind approach, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. This helps to maintain objectivity and prevent bias.

  • Selection Criteria: Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on its originality, the significance of its contribution to the field, the robustness of its research methodology, and its relevance to the journal’s scope. Articles with significant flaws, lack of innovation, or methodological weaknesses are typically rejected.

  • Review Timeline: The review process is usually completed within 4-6 weeks, after which authors are promptly notified of the decision. If revisions are needed, the authors are provided with detailed feedback from the reviewers, and they are given the opportunity to resubmit a revised version of their manuscript.

3. Paper Prints Policy

  • Purpose: This policy aims to clarify how paper versions of the journal are distributed and managed, particularly in a digital-first environment. The majority of journal subscribers access content digitally, but a limited number of printed copies may be made available for those who prefer hard copies or require them for institutional or personal reasons.

  • Print Availability: While the journal is primarily available in a digital format, printed copies of individual articles or full issues may be requested by authors, subscribers, or institutions. These copies are available at an additional cost and subject to availability.

  • Subscription: A limited number of print subscriptions may be available on an annual basis for those who wish to receive physical copies of each journal issue. Print subscriptions are subject to the availability of resources and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

4. Withdrawal Policy

  • Purpose: The withdrawal policy defines the circumstances under which authors can retract or withdraw their submission before it moves forward in the review or publication process. This policy ensures clarity in the submission process and gives authors the flexibility to withdraw their work for any reason, ensuring fairness and transparency.

  • Conditions: Authors are allowed to withdraw their manuscript at any time before it is accepted for publication. Once a manuscript has passed the peer review process and is accepted for publication, it cannot be withdrawn unless there are significant reasons such as ethical concerns or new developments related to the manuscript.

  • Procedure: To withdraw a manuscript, the author must submit a formal withdrawal request to the editorial office. The request should include the manuscript title, the reason for withdrawal, and the stage of the review process. Upon approval, the manuscript will be removed from the review queue and the submission system.

5. Refund Policy

  • Purpose: This policy outlines the circumstances under which authors may be entitled to a refund, especially regarding submission or publication fees. It clarifies the process for requesting refunds, ensuring that authors understand their rights and obligations.

  • Conditions: Refunds are generally provided if an article is withdrawn by the author before the peer review process begins. Once a manuscript has been sent out for peer review or has entered the publication process, no refunds will be issued.

  • Processing: Refund requests must be submitted in writing and are typically processed within 2-3 weeks of receipt. The journal will review the request to ensure that it complies with the policy conditions. Refunds will be made to the original payment method unless otherwise agreed upon.

6. Publication Ethics

  • Purpose: The publication ethics policy establishes the standards for ethical conduct by authors, editors, and reviewers involved in the publication process. This ensures the integrity and credibility of the journal and prevents unethical practices such as plagiarism, falsification of data, and conflicts of interest.

  • Principles: The journal adheres to the highest ethical standards, ensuring that all research submitted is original, well-conducted, and accurately reported. Authors are expected to avoid any form of plagiarism, fabricate or manipulate data, and appropriately acknowledge any contributions to the research.

  • Responsibilities: Authors must ensure their work is original and appropriately cited, and they must not submit manuscripts that have been previously published or are under review elsewhere. Reviewers must provide unbiased, constructive feedback, and editors must ensure the timely, fair, and ethical processing of all manuscripts submitted.

7. Plagiarism Policy

  • Purpose: This policy addresses the issue of plagiarism, defining it as the use of others’ work, ideas, or data without proper acknowledgment. The policy is in place to maintain the academic integrity of the journal and to prevent the publication of plagiarized content.

  • Detection: All submitted manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using advanced plagiarism detection tools such as Turnitin or iThenticate. Any manuscript that is found to have significant overlap with existing published work will be rejected immediately.

  • Consequences: If plagiarism is detected at any stage of the publication process, the manuscript will be rejected, and the author(s) may be banned from submitting future articles. Authors are expected to properly cite all sources, and failure to do so will result in serious consequences for both the author(s) and the integrity of the journal.

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