Journal Ethics Policy
World Digital Library: An International Journal
World Digital Libraries: An International Journal is a biennial, internationally peer-reviewed journal published by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) since 2008. The journal disseminates high-quality research articles that offer original theoretical frameworks and empirical case studies concerning the evolution, maintenance, and distribution of digital information, emphasizing the research and integration of knowledge at the intersection of resources and development. This policy details out ethical behaviour of all stakeholders involved in the process of publishing articles in this journal, which include author, editors and peer-reviewers. The World Digital Libraries: An International Journal (WDL) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing. This ethical policy is guided by the
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and aims to ensure a fair, transparent, and rigorous publication process.
1. Guiding Principles
- Adherence to COPE Core Practices for editors, authors, reviewers, and publishers.
- Compliance with international standards on authorship, conflicts of interest, peer review, plagiarism, and data integrity.
For more details, refer to COPE Guidelines.
2. Duties and Responsibilities
A. Authors
- Originality and Plagiarism: : Authors should ensure that they have written entirely original work, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, it should be appropriately cited or quoted. All manuscripts will undergo plagiarism checks using advanced detection tools. Authors of original research should
present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance.
Underlying data should be represented accurately in the article. An article should contain sufficient detail and references
to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are
unacceptable. All references should be real and discoverable. All references must be complete using the journal's reference
style and the authors should ensure completeness of a reference, such as, authors’ names, article title, journal name, year,
volume, issue, and pages, in case of a journal article. All fictitious references should be omitted.
- Data Integrity and Sharing: Authors should ensure data accuracy, share datasets when feasible, and follow open data principles.
- Multiple Publications: Authors must not publish the same research in multiple journals.
- Authorship Criteria: Authors must significantly contribute to the research. Changes in authorship post-submission must be justified.
- Corresponding Author: Responsible for all communication with the journal and ensuring co-authors approve the final version.
- Acknowledgment: Technical contributors or others must be acknowledged appropriately.
- Acknowledgment of Funding Sources: Must be included before references.
- Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All conflicts must be disclosed in the manuscript.
- Errors in Published Works: Authors must notify the editor and cooperate in corrections or retractions.
B. Editors
- Manuscript Acceptance: Based on peer review and merit, without editor influence over reviewers.
- Transparent Evaluation: Double-blind peer review based on intellectual merit only.
- Peer Review: Ensures fair and expert review selection.
- Confidentiality: Manuscript details must remain confidential.
- Disclosure: Unpublished materials must not be used without consent.
- Conflict of Interest: Editors must recuse themselves in case of conflicts.
- Journal Metrics: Editors must not manipulate metrics.
- Published Record Vigilance: Editors must address and correct any misconduct.
- Editorial Board: Consult with board members for journal development.
- Ethical Oversight: Follow COPE procedures for handling misconduct.
C. Reviewers
- Confidentiality: Manuscripts must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain.
- Contribution: Double-blind review helps editorial decision and article improvement.
- Ethical Awareness: Identify uncited or overlapping work and report to the editor.
- Promptness: Inform the editor if unable to review.
- Objective Assessment: Provide unbiased and constructive feedback.
- Reviewers must disclose any conflicts and decline review when necessary.
D. Publisher (TERI)
- Ethical Support: Support all parties in following COPE guidelines.
- Misconduct Handling: Address misconduct per COPE guidelines, issue corrections/retractions as needed.
- Digital Preservation: Maintain long-term access to articles via institutional repositories.
- Editorial Board: Support and involve board members in outreach, review, and improvement of the journal.
- Identifying New Topics: Assist in developing special issues and enhancing scope.
- Editorials and Book Reviews: Board members may contribute short pieces.
- Outreach: Promote the journal within networks.
- Peer Review Support: Help identify and act as reviewers when needed.
- Competing Interests: Must be disclosed by editorial board members.
- Open Access Licensing: Journal operates under CC BY-NC; recent two issues are restricted.
3. Handling Misconduct
Allegations of misconduct are handled per COPE flowcharts. Actions may include:
- Article correction
- Retraction with explanation
- Temporary submission bans
See COPE Flowcharts for detailed procedures.
4. Appeals and Complaints
Appeals and complaints are reviewed by an independent editorial or ethics committee within TERI.
5. Licensing Terms and AI-Generated Content
A. Licensing and Access Policy
- Hybrid Open Access with latest two issues restricted.
- Articles published under CC BY-NC 4.0 License:
- Allows remix, adaptation for non-commercial use with attribution.
- Commercial reuse needs permission.
B. AI-Generated Content Policy
- Disclosure required for AI use in writing, analysis, or translation.
- AI cannot be credited as an author.
- Authors are fully responsible for verifying AI-generated content.
- AI use should be described in the Methods or Acknowledgments section.
Example: "The authors used OpenAI's ChatGPT to assist in language editing. All content has been reviewed and verified by the authors."
References