Publishing Ethics and Malpractice Declaration

ISSN: 0974-536X  ·  Follows COPE Guidelines  ·  Policy effective: 2022 onwards

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Section 1

Editorial Independence and Integrity

Creative Saplings (CS) is devoted to upholding the highest standards of editorial independence and integrity. The editorial team works to ensure that the peer review process is fair, objective, and transparent, and that editorial choices are made based solely on the quality and relevance of the research.

Creative Saplings takes ethics violations seriously and may apply penalties such as retraction of papers, barring authors from future submissions, or reporting misconduct to relevant authorities. The journal is dedicated to sustaining the highest standards of publication ethics, as well as the integrity and quality of its published research.

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Section 2

Commitment to Publication Ethics

The Society for Academic Facilitation and Extension (Regd.) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of scholarly publishing ethics. The journal diligently follows the guidelines set by academic organisations to ensure that publications meet international quality benchmarks. All individuals involved with Creative Saplings are expected to comply with the ethical norms detailed on the journal website.

This ethics and malpractice policy follows the general guidelines set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): http://publicationethics.org/

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Section 3

Peer Review Process

All submitted articles undergo a Double-Blind Peer Review process, ensuring the anonymity of both authors and reviewers. Submissions are first evaluated to ensure they meet basic standards and fall within the scope of the journal. If an article fails these criteria, it is promptly rejected and the author is informed. Should the editors approve, two or more expert reviewers are assigned for a thorough review. In cases of conflicting reviewer opinions, the final decision rests with the Chief Editor.

Stage	Description
Initial Screening	Checked for scope, originality, formatting, and plagiarism. Non-compliant manuscripts are returned to the author.
Reviewer Assignment	Should the editors approve, two or more expert reviewers are assigned for a thorough double-blind review.
Double-Blind Review	Both author and reviewer identities remain anonymous throughout the entire review process.
Final Decision	In cases of conflicting reviewer opinions, the final decision rests with the Chief Editor.

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Section 4

Authorship Guidelines

All publications must appropriately attribute authorship. The corresponding author — who initiates the submission — holds primary responsibility for ensuring adherence to publication ethics. This involves:

• —Guaranteeing that the manuscript is the original work of the author(s)
• —Informing all co-authors of the submission
• —Securing approval from all authors for publication
• —Properly acknowledging the contributions of each author
• —Recognising any additional individuals or organisations that contributed to the work
• —Ensuring that the Conflicts of Interest form is completed and submitted in a timely manner

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Section 5

Guidelines Regarding Changes in Authorship

Requests to alter the authorship of a submitted manuscript must be directed to the Chief Editor. The Editorial Board retains the authority to make the final decision on such requests. Changes will only be approved if a valid reason is presented and if there is unanimous agreement among all authors. If authorship changes occur after publication, a public notification will be issued.

Once a paper is published online, no further alterations to the authorship can be made. If changes are required prior to publication, the following must be provided:

• —A clear explanation for the addition or removal of an author
• —A written agreement (via scanned email) from all authors confirming consent to the proposed changes
• —The editor will inform any author to be added or removed, and will require their explicit written consent
• —Requests not submitted by the corresponding author will not be entertained

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Section 6

Denouncement of Ghost, Guest, or Gift Authorship

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Section 7

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity. Authors must ensure their submissions are free from plagiarism, with proper attribution and, where necessary, permission for the use of others' works. All research submissions are screened using Turnitin plagiarism detection software.

For the full Plagiarism Policy including similarity thresholds and consequences, see: https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/3

The journal disclaims responsibility for copyright violations and will not initiate legal actions in cases of copyright infringement — sole responsibility lies with the author(s).

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Section 8

Steps Against Misconduct

The following measures may be taken in response to any unethical practices:

• —Retraction of the published article with a public notification
• —Republishing a modified version with a clear explanation of the changes
• —Blacklisting the author, prohibiting them from future submissions to Creative Saplings
• —Informing the author's institution, supervisor, or relevant authorities of the misconduct, along with supporting evidence

In cases of unethical conduct, the Editorial Board follows the recommendations and guidelines set forth by COPE. The detailed guidelines of the Complaint Handling Committee are available at: https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/5

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Section 9

Publication Decisions

The editors of Creative Saplings are responsible for deciding which manuscripts are suitable for publication. These decisions are based on the reviewers' evaluations, consultations with other editors, and adherence to the journal's ethical policies. Editors must also comply with applicable legal standards concerning libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor makes the final decision.

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Section 10

Fair Play in the Review Process

All submissions are reviewed impartially, focusing solely on intellectual merit. An author's age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, or political beliefs will not influence the review process in any way.

Creative Saplings does not tolerate discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, or culture. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit, following the journal's submission guidelines.

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Section 11

Confidentiality of Manuscripts

All manuscripts submitted for peer review are treated with strict confidentiality. The editor and editorial team are prohibited from disclosing any information regarding a submitted manuscript to anyone except the corresponding author, potential reviewers, and other editorial advisors, as strictly necessary.

Editors and reviewers are not permitted to use submitted content for any purpose without the authors' explicit written consent. Any unpublished information disclosed in a manuscript will not be used by the editor or editorial board for personal research without such permission.

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Section 12

Significant Errors in Published Works

If a substantial error or inaccuracy is identified in a published work — either by the author or independently — the journal's editors will collaborate with the author to retract or correct the article as necessary. The editors retain the right to make corrections and issue a dated erratum if deemed appropriate.

If an author discovers a major error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obliged to notify the journal editor promptly and work with the editor to retract or correct the article.

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Section 13

Retraction Policy

Creative Saplings adheres to the COPE Retraction Guidelines in all retraction matters. The journal is committed to issuing corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies as needed, promptly and transparently. The Journal's retraction policy can be read here: https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/retraction-policy 

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Section 14

Conflict of Interest

To ensure transparency, all participants — authors, editors, reviewers, and other involved parties — are required to declare and avoid any conflicts of interest. The journal's publication policies are regularly updated to address these concerns.

Party	Obligation
Authors	Must avoid financial, promotional, or honorary conflicts of interest. The corresponding author is responsible for submitting the Conflict of Interest statement, signed by all co-authors. All financial support for the research must be acknowledged.
Editors	Must avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Internal conflicts are addressed by the Chief Editor. The editorial board operates with full autonomy and scholarly independence, without interference from the publisher.
Reviewers	Must not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors or affiliated institutions.

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Section 15

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Duty	Requirement
Reporting Standards	Authors must provide an accurate report of their work and an objective interpretation of its significance. Data must be reliable and sufficient for replication. Fabrication or false reporting is unethical and unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention	Authors must be prepared to provide data relevant to their manuscript for editorial review, and should retain this data for a reasonable period following publication.
Originality and Plagiarism	Authors must ensure that their submissions are entirely original. If the work or words of others have been used, proper citation or quotation must be provided.
No Simultaneous Submission	Authors must not submit the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time. This is considered unethical and will result in immediate rejection.
Acknowledgement of Sources	Authors must appropriately acknowledge the work of others that has influenced their research. Proper citation of all such works is mandatory.
Disclosure of Conflicts	All authors must disclose any financial or other significant conflicts of interest that could affect the interpretation or results of their manuscript.
Primary Authorship	The primary author should be the individual who made the most significant contribution. All contributors must be listed as co-authors. The final manuscript must be approved by all co-authors before submission.
Copyright Warranty	Authors guarantee that the submitted manuscript is original, has not been published elsewhere, and does not infringe the rights of others. Authors are responsible for securing permissions for any copyrighted material included.

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Section 16

Duties of Reviewers

Duty	Standard
Contribution to Decisions	Peer review assists the editor in making publication decisions and helps authors improve their work through constructive feedback.
Promptness	Reviewers who feel unqualified or unable to provide a timely review must notify the editor immediately and withdraw from the process.
Confidentiality	Manuscripts received for review must be treated as strictly confidential and must not be shared or discussed with others without the editor's explicit permission.
Objectivity	Reviews must be objective and free from personal criticism of the author. Reviewers must express opinions clearly and support all comments with evidence.
Acknowledgment of Sources	Reviewers must identify relevant published works not cited by the authors, and must notify the editor of any significant overlap between the submitted manuscript and other works.
Conflict of Interest	Information obtained during peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. Reviewers must not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.

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Section 17

Duties of the Publisher

The publisher, Society for Academic Facilitation and Extension (Regd.), upholds the following commitments:

• —Ensures independent editorial decision-making free from economic or political pressure
• —Is committed to preventing academic misconduct, including fraud and plagiarism
• —In cases of alleged or proven academic misconduct, will cooperate with editors to address the issue, including publishing errata or retracting work as appropriate
• —Will take proactive steps to identify and prevent the publication of work based on research misconduct
• —Does not discriminate on the basis of age, colour, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, nationality, race, gender, or sexual orientation
• —Is committed to the long-term availability and preservation of academic research through digital archiving

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Section 18

Advertising Policy

Creative Saplings does not endorse any product or service advertised or promoted by sponsors in its publications. The integrity of editorial content remains unaffected by commercial or financial interests or agreements with advertising clients or sponsors. The editorial board strictly does not consider or publish advertising articles, whether paid or free of charge.

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Section 19

Revenue Sources

Creative Saplings is a self-financed, open-access journal, available online at no cost to readers. The journal does not impose any article processing charges (APC), hidden fees, or copy-editing fees on authors. Its operation relies entirely on the volunteer efforts of individuals affiliated with various institutions and universities.

See the No APC Policy: https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/7

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Section 20

Direct Marketing Policy

Creative Saplings does not engage in direct marketing practices such as direct mail, telemarketing, or direct response advertising to solicit papers from authors. The journal recognises that such marketing approaches can have detrimental effects on the integrity of global research.

Manuscripts are not solicited through commercial means. Authors choose to publish in Creative Saplings based on its reputation for quality, content, and open-access availability. The journal publishes exclusively through a rigorous double-blind peer-review process.

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This policy follows the COPE Code of Conduct for Journal Editors  ·  Plagiarism Policy  ·  Complaint Handling Committee  ·  COPE Retraction Guidelines

Creative Saplings  ·  e-ISSN: 0974-536X  ·  editor@creativesaplings.in  ·  https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/