Publication Ethics & Malpractice Statement

The Indian Journal of Climate & Environmental Studies (IJCEMS) upholds the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. We strictly adhere to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing as jointly established by COPE, DOAJ, OASPA, and WAME, and follow the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Code of Conduct for editors, reviewers, and authors.

This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities of all parties involved in the publication process — authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

1. Editorial Responsibilities

• Editorial Independence:
  The Editorial Board of IJCEMS maintains complete independence in all editorial decisions.
  Acceptance or rejection of manuscripts is based solely on academic merit, originality, relevance, and scientific validity — not on authors’ institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, or financial considerations.
  
  

• Confidentiality:
  Editors and editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and other editorial advisors.
  
  

• Conflict of Interest:
  Editors shall recuse themselves from handling papers in which they have a conflict of interest or close personal/professional connection to any of the authors.
  
  

• Decision Transparency:
  Editorial decisions are made based on the recommendations of qualified peer reviewers and the journal’s policies, ensuring fairness and consistency.
  
  

2. Author Responsibilities

• Originality:
  Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original, and that any material drawn from other sources is properly cited or quoted.
  Submissions found to contain plagiarism, including self-plagiarism or AI-generated text without clear disclosure, will be rejected or retracted.
  
  

• Data Integrity:
  Authors must present accurate data and ensure that results are reproducible. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data is strictly prohibited.
  
  

• Authorship Criteria:
  Authorship must be limited to those who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
  All listed authors must have approved the final version and agreed to its submission.
  
  

• Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest:
  Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest — financial, institutional, or personal — that could influence the interpretation of results.
  
  

• Acknowledgment of Sources:
  Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. References must be accurate and complete.
  
  

3. Reviewer Responsibilities

• Confidentiality:
  Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and not share or discuss them with others unless authorized by the editor.
  
  

• Objectivity and Fairness:
  Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.
  Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
  
  

• Conflict of Interest:
  Reviewers should decline to review manuscripts where they have competing interests or prior involvement with the research.
  
  

• Plagiarism and Ethical Oversight:
  Reviewers are expected to inform the editors if they suspect plagiarism, data falsification, or unethical research practices.
  
  

4. Publisher Responsibilities

• The publisher (IJCEMS) is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scientific record.
  
  

• We ensure that all published content is permanently available through open access and archived repositories.
  
  

• The publisher works closely with authors and editors to prevent and address any publication misconduct.
  
  

5. Misconduct Handling & Retractions

IJCEMS strictly follows COPE guidelines for addressing publication misconduct.
If ethical breaches are confirmed — such as plagiarism, falsified data, duplicate submission, or authorship disputes — the journal may issue one or more of the following:

• Correction Notice (for minor issues).
  
  

• Retraction Notice (for confirmed ethical or scientific misconduct).
  
  

• Withdrawal Notice (for pre-publication ethical violations).
  
  

All notices are linked to the original article and remain permanently accessible.

6. AI and Automated Writing Policy

IJCEMS enforces strict ethical oversight of AI-generated content.
Authors must:

• Disclose any use of AI tools in writing, analysis, or image creation.
  
  

• Accept full responsibility for the content, accuracy, and integrity of the article.
  Undisclosed AI use detected during review may result in rejection or blacklisting.
  
  

7. Plagiarism Screening

All submitted manuscripts undergo plagiarism detection using trusted software.
Manuscripts with similarity levels exceeding 10–15% (excluding references) are subject to editorial review or rejection.

8. Ethical Research Standards

For research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data, authors must confirm compliance with relevant ethical standards and institutional approvals (e.g., IRB or ethics committee clearance).
Statements of ethical approval must be included in the manuscript where applicable.

9. Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions or lodge complaints regarding ethical matters by contacting:
📧 ijces.india@gmail.com
All appeals are reviewed transparently and independently by the Editor-in-Chief or Ethics Committee.

10. Compliance

This policy complies with and is regularly updated to reflect the standards of:

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
  
  

• DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
  
  

• OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association)
  
  

• WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)
  
  

• UGC CARE Guidelines (India)