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Publication Ethics Statement

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The National Law School of India Review (‘Journal’) is a student-run, peer-reviewed academic journal. The quality and integrity of the works published by the Journal are the primary priorities of the editorial board in the conduct, reporting, editing, and reviewing of works.

The editorial team encourages the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all reasonable preventative measures against publication malpractices through this Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement (‘Statement’). This Statement has been formulated in line with guidelines recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

All persons associated with the Journal, in the capacity of author, reviewer, and editor, are expected to acquaint themselves with and adhere to the terms of this Statement.

1. Editors

1.1 Fair Play and Editorial Independence

Editors shall ensure that submissions are evaluated objectively and exclusively on the basis of academic merit, without regard to secondary considerations such as the authors’ ethnic origin, religious belief, race, sexual orientation, gender, citizenship, political philosophy, or institutional affiliation.

1.2 Publication Decisions

Editors shall reject submissions which fail to fulfill legal requirements in relation to defamation, libel, slander, obscene content, or other unlawful matter. Editors shall also reject plagiarized submissions, as determined by the Editorial Board on a case-by-case basis.

The Editor-in-Chief has full authority over the content of the Journal and may refuse publication on grounds of author misconduct (see §2.2).

If the Journal publishes an article critiquing a previously published article, the Editors shall ensure that the original author(s) are given an opportunity to respond, provided that the response meets the Journal’s review standards.

1.3 Confidentiality

Editors shall not disclose information about or ideas obtained from a submission to anyone other than the author(s), editorial team, reviewers, and publisher, without the author’s consent.

1.4 Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors shall disclose relationships that may cause a potential conflict of interest and recuse themselves from decisions where such conflicts exist or are perceived to exist. The Editor-in-Chief may reassign editorial duties where necessary.

Editors shall not use unpublished material disclosed in a submission for their own research without the author’s consent.

Submissions made by members of the editorial team shall not be accepted for publication in the Journal.

1.5 Potential Issues

Editors shall respond to ethical concerns, queries, and malpractice complaints in a timely and responsible manner. Such concerns may be addressed to mail.nlsir@gmail.com.

1.6 Investigations

All reported acts of unethical behavior shall be investigated by the current Editorial Board, irrespective of when the issue arose. If the complaint involves a member of the Editorial Board, the Faculty Advisor shall conduct the investigation.

There is no temporal limitation on reporting unethical behavior.

In cases of substantial plagiarism or repeated malpractice, the Editorial Board may contact the relevant institution.

If misconduct is proven, the Editorial Board shall publish an appropriate clarification, correction, expression of concern, retraction, apology, or other relevant notice in a subsequent issue.

1.7 Digital Archiving and Access

Editors shall ensure that published issues are securely preserved and remain open access and freely available, through partnerships or maintenance of a digital archive.

2. Authors

2.1 Authorship

Authorship must be based on:

  • Substantial intellectual contribution to ideation or conception;
  • Contribution to drafting or revising the manuscript;
  • Final approval of the version to be published;
  • Accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

Only individuals meeting these criteria shall be listed as authors. Others may be acknowledged with written permission.

The corresponding author must obtain written permission from acknowledged individuals.

Requests for addition or removal of authors must include a detailed explanation and signed agreement.

The Journal shall not adjudicate authorship disputes.

2.2 Conduct of the Author

The Journal may refuse publication where an author has engaged in misconduct.

Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • Violations of another journal’s publication ethics policy;
  • Previous criminal convictions;
  • Ongoing criminal proceedings;
  • Sexual harassment allegations or proceedings;
  • Ongoing disciplinary proceedings, including ragging or bullying.

Authors must disclose such matters at the earliest possible time.

2.3 Concurrent Submissions and Text Recycling

Manuscripts must not be simultaneously submitted elsewhere. Authors must disclose prior or concurrent publication or acceptance of related material in any language.

2.4 Originality and Plagiarism

Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. Authors must ensure originality, proper citation, and appropriate acknowledgment of all sources. Information obtained through private communication must not be used without explicit written permission.

2.5 Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal conflicts of interest, including relationships with Editors, employment, grants, consultancies, representation in disputes, or paid expert testimony.

2.6 Fundamental Errors in Published Works

Authors must promptly notify the Journal of fundamental errors and cooperate in rectification. The Editorial Board shall determine the form and manner of correction.

3. Publishers

3.1 Handling Unethical Publishing Behaviour

Upon notification of proven misconduct, the publisher shall take appropriate measures including publication of clarifications, corrections, expressions of concern, apologies, or retractions.

3.2 Digital Archiving and Access

Publishers shall cooperate to ensure secure preservation and open access availability of Journal content.

4. Peer Reviewers

The duties and responsibilities of Peer Reviewers are governed by the NLSIR Peer Review Policy.

5. Miscellaneous

The Editorial Board shall determine violations of these guidelines, and its decision shall be final. The Journal may reject, retract, modify, or refuse future submissions where guidelines are violated.

The Editorial Board may amend this Statement at any time.

Where this Statement does not address a specific situation, decisions shall be guided by general principles and COPE best practices.

6. Further Information

The Journal’s official website is https://repository.nls.ac.in/nlsir/.

Queries, suggestions, or complaints may be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief at kedar.ammanji@nls.ac.in.