Publications Ethics

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

CITRAKARA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. The journal follows internationally recognised principles of responsible scholarly publishing and expects all authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher to uphold ethical standards throughout the publication process.

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to CITRAKARA and to all parties involved in the editorial and peer-review process.

CITRAKARA does not tolerate plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, inappropriate authorship, manipulation of the peer-review process, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of publication misconduct.

1. Principles of Publication Ethics

CITRAKARA is committed to:

  • maintaining academic integrity;
  • ensuring fairness and transparency in editorial decisions;
  • conducting appropriate peer review;
  • protecting the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;
  • preventing conflicts of interest;
  • protecting the rights of research participants;
  • maintaining the integrity of the published scholarly record; and
  • correcting or retracting articles when necessary.

Editorial decisions are based on the academic quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigour, and contribution of the manuscript, rather than the author's identity, institutional affiliation, nationality, gender, religion, political views, or other personal characteristics.

2. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts meet the ethical and academic standards of CITRAKARA. Authors must:

  • submit original work;
  • ensure that the manuscript has not been previously published;
  • not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to another journal;
  • accurately report research findings;
  • provide sufficient methodological information;
  • properly acknowledge all sources;
  • obtain permission for copyrighted materials where necessary;
  • disclose relevant conflicts of interest;
  • comply with applicable research ethics requirements;
  • ensure that all listed authors have made substantial contributions;
  • obtain approval from all authors before submission;
  • respond honestly to editorial and reviewer comments; and
  • cooperate with the editorial team if corrections, clarifications, or investigations are required after publication.

Authors must not manipulate data, images, citations, references, peer review, or other aspects of the publication process.

3. Originality and Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to CITRAKARA must be original. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

  • copying text without appropriate attribution;
  • presenting another person's ideas as one's own;
  • reproducing images or visual materials without appropriate acknowledgment;
  • inappropriate paraphrasing;
  • self-plagiarism;
  • duplicate publication; and
  • reuse of substantial portions of previously published work without appropriate disclosure.

CITRAKARA may use plagiarism or similarity-detection software during editorial screening. The editorial team may request clarification from authors when substantial similarity is identified.

Manuscripts containing serious plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct may be rejected. If plagiarism or related misconduct is discovered after publication, CITRAKARA may take appropriate corrective action, including publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction.

4. Fabrication and Falsification

Authors must not fabricate or falsify research data, findings, images, references, participant information, or other research materials.

Fabrication

Fabrication refers to making up data, observations, participants, research results, or other information that did not actually exist.

Falsification

Falsification refers to manipulating, changing, omitting, or selectively presenting research materials, data, images, or findings in a way that misrepresents the research.

If fabrication or falsification is suspected, CITRAKARA may conduct an editorial investigation and request clarification or supporting evidence from the authors or their affiliated institution.

5. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit or publish substantially the same manuscript in more than one journal. Authors must disclose any closely related manuscripts, previous publications, conference papers, reports, theses, or other outputs that substantially overlap with the submitted manuscript.

If a manuscript is derived from a previously presented conference paper, the submitted article must contain substantial development and clearly disclose the relationship to the previous work.

6. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should reflect substantial contributions to the research and manuscript. Authors should have contributed significantly to one or more of the following:

  • conception or design of the research;
  • data collection or analysis;
  • interpretation of findings;
  • development of the design/research methodology;
  • drafting or substantial revision of the manuscript; and
  • approval of the final version.

Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria should not be listed as authors. Honorary, guest, or gift authorship is not permitted. All authors are collectively responsible for ensuring the integrity of the work.

7. Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must be submitted to the editorial team with:

  • a clear explanation of the reason for the change;
  • written agreement from all authors; and
  • confirmation from the corresponding author.

Changes in authorship after publication will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and must follow an appropriate editorial investigation.

8. Conflict of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, professional, or other relationships that could influence the research or its interpretation. Potential conflicts may include:

  • financial relationships;
  • employment;
  • consultancy;
  • research funding;
  • personal relationships;
  • institutional interests;
  • intellectual property interests; or
  • other relationships that could affect objectivity.

Editors and reviewers must also disclose conflicts of interest. A person with a significant conflict of interest should not participate in the editorial evaluation of the manuscript.

9. Funding Disclosure

Authors should disclose all sources of financial or institutional support for the research. The funding statement should identify:

  • the funding organisation;
  • grant or project number, where applicable; and
  • the role of the funder in the research.

If the research received no specific funding, authors may state:

“This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.”

10. Ethical Treatment of Research Participants

Research involving human participants must comply with applicable ethical standards. Where appropriate, authors should ensure:

  • informed consent;
  • protection of participant identity;
  • confidentiality;
  • responsible handling of personal data;
  • appropriate ethical approval; and
  • voluntary participation.

For research involving interviews, surveys, observations, or documentation of individuals, authors should ensure that participants understand how their information, photographs, recordings, or other materials will be used.

Particular care should be taken when research involves:

  • children;
  • vulnerable groups;
  • personal or sensitive information;
  • identifiable photographs;
  • cultural communities; or
  • indigenous or traditional knowledge.

11. Cultural Heritage and Traditional Knowledge

Because CITRAKARA publishes research related to visual culture, cultural heritage, and creative practices, authors are expected to demonstrate appropriate ethical consideration when working with cultural materials. Authors should:

  • acknowledge cultural sources appropriately;
  • respect community rights;
  • avoid misrepresentation;
  • avoid unauthorized appropriation of cultural expressions;
  • provide appropriate attribution;
  • obtain permission where necessary; and
  • recognize relevant community knowledge and contributions.

Research involving traditional cultural expressions should avoid treating cultural heritage solely as an aesthetic resource without appropriate cultural context. This principle is of particular relevance to research documenting living craft traditions and their associated communities of practice.

12. Image and Visual Material Ethics

Authors are responsible for ensuring the ethical and legal use of photographs, illustrations, artworks, design works, screenshots, archival materials, and other visual content. Visual materials must not be manipulated in a manner that misleadingly alters research findings.

Where images have been digitally processed, authors should disclose significant manipulation when it affects interpretation. Authors must obtain appropriate permission when publishing identifiable individuals or copyrighted visual materials where permission is required.

13. Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

CITRAKARA recognises the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in academic and creative practices. Authors may use AI-assisted tools for limited purposes such as:

  • language improvement;
  • grammar checking;
  • translation;
  • formatting;
  • preliminary organisation of ideas; and
  • other appropriate editorial assistance.

However:

  • generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors;
  • authors remain fully responsible for the content and integrity of their manuscripts; and
  • AI-generated content must not be presented as original human scholarship without appropriate disclosure.

Authors must independently verify: factual claims, citations, references, data, interpretations, quotations, visual materials, and other information generated or assisted by AI.

Where substantial use of generative AI has contributed to the preparation of a manuscript, authors should disclose the use of the tool and its purpose.

14. Peer Review Ethics

CITRAKARA uses a double-blind peer-review process. Reviewers are expected to:

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively;
  • provide constructive and evidence-based comments;
  • maintain confidentiality;
  • identify relevant published work that has not been cited where appropriate;
  • disclose conflicts of interest;
  • avoid using information obtained through peer review for personal advantage; and
  • complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

Reviewers must not:

  • disclose the contents of manuscripts;
  • contact authors directly regarding the manuscript;
  • use unpublished information for their own research;
  • recommend citations solely to increase their own citation counts; or
  • allow personal, institutional, ideological, or other biases to influence their evaluation.

15. Reviewer Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted for peer review are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not:

  • share manuscripts with others;
  • reproduce manuscript content;
  • discuss manuscripts publicly; or
  • use unpublished findings for personal or professional purposes.

If reviewers wish to consult another expert, they should obtain permission from the editor before doing so.

16. Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for:

  • ensuring a fair and transparent editorial process;
  • evaluating manuscripts based on academic merit;
  • selecting appropriate reviewers;
  • protecting the confidentiality of manuscripts;
  • managing conflicts of interest;
  • ensuring timely editorial decisions;
  • responding appropriately to ethical concerns; and
  • maintaining the integrity of the published record.

Editors must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for their own research or personal advantage. Editorial decisions should not be influenced by:

  • nationality;
  • gender;
  • religion;
  • political views;
  • institutional affiliation;
  • personal relationships; or
  • commercial interests.

17. Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions should be based on the academic quality and relevance of manuscripts. The publisher or other institutional authorities should not improperly interfere with editorial decisions. Editors should have appropriate independence in:

  • selecting reviewers;
  • evaluating manuscripts;
  • making editorial decisions; and
  • managing publication ethics issues.

18. Citation Manipulation

CITRAKARA does not permit inappropriate citation manipulation. Authors, editors, and reviewers must not pressure authors to cite:

  • irrelevant articles;
  • specific journals solely to increase journal metrics;
  • particular authors without academic justification; or
  • excessive numbers of self-citations.

Citations must be based on academic relevance and scholarly necessity.

19. Peer Review Manipulation

CITRAKARA does not tolerate manipulation of the peer-review process. Examples include:

  • submitting false reviewer identities;
  • providing fraudulent reviewer contact information;
  • attempting to influence reviewers;
  • interfering with reviewer reports;
  • identity manipulation; or
  • any other attempt to circumvent the independent peer-review process.

Suspected manipulation may result in manuscript rejection or further investigation.

20. Corrections

If an error is identified in a published article, CITRAKARA may publish a correction when the error does not invalidate the main findings of the article. Authors should promptly notify the editorial team if they discover a significant error in their published work.

Corrections should clearly identify:

  • the article;
  • the nature of the correction; and
  • the corrected information.

21. Retraction

CITRAKARA may retract a published article when there is substantial evidence of serious misconduct or unreliability. Reasons for retraction may include:

  • fabricated or falsified data;
  • substantial plagiarism;
  • duplicate publication;
  • serious ethical violations;
  • major undisclosed conflicts of interest;
  • manipulated peer review; or
  • fundamental errors that invalidate the main findings.

A retracted article will remain part of the scholarly record but will be clearly identified as RETRACTED. The retraction notice will provide the reason for the retraction.

22. Expression of Concern

When serious concerns about a published article arise but an investigation has not yet been completed, CITRAKARA may issue an Expression of Concern. An Expression of Concern may be used when:

  • allegations of misconduct are under investigation;
  • substantial data or documentation are unavailable;
  • the reliability of findings is uncertain; or
  • an institutional investigation is pending.

The Expression of Concern may remain in place until the matter is resolved.

23. Complaints and Appeals

Authors may submit complaints or appeals regarding editorial decisions. Complaints should be submitted to the editorial office with:

  • manuscript identification;
  • description of the issue;
  • relevant evidence; and
  • requested resolution.

The editorial team will review complaints fairly and objectively. An appeal should address specific concerns regarding the editorial decision and should not simply repeat arguments already considered during peer review.

24. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

When publication misconduct is suspected, CITRAKARA may:

  • conduct an initial editorial assessment;
  • request clarification or documentation from the authors;
  • consult reviewers or editorial board members where appropriate;
  • contact the author's affiliated institution when necessary;
  • conduct an editorial investigation;
  • issue a correction, Expression of Concern, or retraction where appropriate; and
  • maintain appropriate documentation of the investigation.

The editorial team will seek to protect all parties from premature or unfounded allegations.

25. Post-Publication Discussions

CITRAKARA welcomes responsible scholarly discussion of published research. Readers may contact the editorial team regarding:

  • factual errors;
  • methodological concerns;
  • ethical concerns;
  • interpretation issues; or
  • other matters affecting the integrity of published research.

Substantive concerns will be evaluated by the editorial team and, where necessary, referred to appropriate experts.

26. Data and Research Materials

Authors should retain relevant research data and supporting materials for a reasonable period after publication. Where ethically and legally appropriate, authors are encouraged to make supporting data, research instruments, datasets, code, or other research materials available through suitable repositories.

Data sharing must comply with:

  • participant confidentiality;
  • copyright;
  • intellectual property;
  • cultural rights; and
  • applicable laws and ethical requirements.

27. Publication Fees

Any publication fees, article processing charges, submission fees, or other applicable charges must be clearly stated on the CITRAKARA website. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by an author's ability or inability to pay publication fees. Where applicable, information regarding fee waivers or discounts should also be provided transparently.

28. Advertising and Commercial Interests

Advertising or commercial activities associated with the journal must not influence editorial decisions. Editorial content and advertising should remain clearly separated. Commercial relationships must not compromise the academic integrity or independence of CITRAKARA.

29. Ethical Commitment

CITRAKARA is committed to maintaining a trustworthy scholarly publishing environment. All authors, reviewers, editors, and other parties involved in the publication process are expected to contribute to originality, transparency, fairness, accountability, academic integrity, and responsible research and publication practices.

Any suspected violation of publication ethics will be addressed seriously and in accordance with appropriate scholarly publishing practices.