Publication Ethics

Sangathya adheres to high standards of publication ethics consistent with UGC and COPE recommendations. We prioritise transparency, integrity, and accountability across the editorial process.

Principles

Honesty: accurate reporting of research and results.
Transparency: clear declarations of funding and conflicts.
Fairness: impartial editorial decisions and equitable treatment.
Accountability: prompt correction of errors and robust investigation of misconduct.

Authorship and contributorship

Authorship requires substantial contribution to conception, drafting/revising, final approval, and accountability. All contributors must be listed and contribution statements provided.

Conflicts of interest

Authors, reviewers and editors must declare any financial or non-financial conflicts. Declared conflicts will be managed by disclosure or recusal.

Handling allegations of misconduct

All complaints are acknowledged within 7 days.
An initial assessment is completed within 7 days of acknowledgment.
A full investigation is aimed to be completed within 2 weeks; authors will be given 7 days to respond to allegations and provide evidence.
If misconduct is confirmed, actions may include correction, expression of concern, retraction, notification to authors' institutions, and banning from publication.
Authors may appeal within 14 days; appeals are reviewed by an independent panel.

Recordkeeping and transparency

The Journal will retain records of submissions, reviews, investigations and outcomes for at least 10 years and will publish retraction or correction notices linked to the original article.