UGC Standards Policy

1. Introduction

The International Journal for Business & Management Research Studies (IJBMRS) upholds the principles of academic integrity, peer-review excellence, and transparency in line with the UGC’s Suggestive Parameters for Peer-Reviewed Journals (February 2025).

IJBMRS is governed by the Division of Academic and Research Affairs (DARA) of the Nirmaya Foundation and operates under ethical oversight provided by the Council for Research Ethics and Review (CRER).

This policy defines IJBMRS’s commitment to maintaining scholarly standards aligned with UGC, COPE, and international best practices for responsible academic publishing.

2. Institutional Governance

DARA (Division of Academic and Research Affairs) serves as the academic and research governance body overseeing IJBMRS, ensuring compliance with UGC norms, research ethics, and quality parameters.

CRER (Council for Research Ethics and Review) provides independent oversight on:

• Peer-review integrity
  
  

• Plagiarism prevention
  
  

• Conflict of interest resolution
  
  

• AI-generated content and research ethics compliance
  
  

All editorial operations of IJBMRS are executed under the supervision of DARA and reviewed annually by CRER to ensure accountability and transparency.

3. Compliance with UGC 2025 Standards

3.1 Journal Preliminary Criteria

• Title & Identity: International Journal for Business & Management Research Studies (IJBMRS)
  
  

• ISSN: In process (to be updated upon allotment).
  
  

• Domain: https://ijbmrs.theabr.in — secure and certified.
  
  

• Periodicity: Biannual publication schedule (June & December).
  
  

• Continuity: All issues archived and accessible online through DARA and Zenodo.
  
  

• Review Transparency: Double-blind peer-review system with reviewer identity protection.
  
  

• Access Policy: Fully open-access journal, free for readers worldwide.
  
  

• Archiving: Permanent digital preservation through Zenodo and DARA repositories.
  
  

3.2 Editorial Board & Structure

• Board comprises qualified national and international academicians with subject expertise in business, management, and social sciences.
  
  

• Editorial composition ensures disciplinary diversity, gender equity, and institutional representation.
  
  

• Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent reviewers, with final decisions made by the Editor-in-Chief.
  
  

• The Editorial Board operates under DARA supervision and CRER ethical review.
  
  

3.3 Editorial & Review Policy

• IJBMRS defines a clear Aims & Scope, focusing on business innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable enterprise.
  
  

• Article Processing Charge (APC): Transparent and displayed on the journal’s website (if applicable).
  
  

• Timelines: Submission to decision — approximately 4–6 weeks; decision to publication — 2 weeks.
  
  

• Acceptance Rate: Maintained below 40% to preserve publication quality.
  
  

• Publication Frequency: Two issues annually, with continuous online publishing of accepted papers.
  
  

4. Research and Publication Ethics

4.1 Author Responsibilities

• Authors must ensure originality, accurate data reporting, and appropriate citation.
  
  

• Plagiarism, data fabrication, and duplicate submission are strictly prohibited.
  
  

• All contributors must meet authorship criteria and approve the final manuscript.
  
  

• Conflict of interest declarations are mandatory at submission.
  
  

4.2 Reviewer Responsibilities

• Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, objectivity, and impartiality.
  
  

• Reviews must focus on academic merit, not personal bias.
  
  

• Reviewers must disclose conflicts of interest and report suspected ethical issues to the editors.
  
  

4.3 Editorial Responsibilities

• Editors maintain independence from institutional or financial influence.
  
  

• All editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly quality and contribution.
  
  

• The Editor-in-Chief ensures adherence to COPE guidelines and DARA oversight.
  
  

5. AI and Automated Content Policy

• Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in writing, analysis, or data visualization.
  
  

• Undisclosed or unethical AI use will lead to rejection or retraction.
  
  

• AI-generated text or images must be verified and validated by authors for accuracy and originality.
  
  

6. Plagiarism & Similarity Check

• All submissions are screened using Turnitin or iThenticate-equivalent plagiarism software.
  
  

• Manuscripts exceeding 10–15% similarity (excluding references) will be returned for revision or rejected.
  
  

• Verified plagiarism may result in permanent blacklisting and CRER notification.
  
  

7. Research Ethics & Human Data

• Studies involving human participants, institutions, or sensitive data require ethics approval from a recognized institutional board or CRER clearance.
  
  

• Ethical approval and participant consent statements must be included in the manuscript where applicable.
  
  

8. Transparency & Archiving

• All articles are permanently archived and accessible under DARA repositories and Zenodo.
  
  

• Each article includes DOI assignment via Zenodo for citation integrity.
  
  

• IJBMRS ensures long-term preservation of metadata, author information, and publication history.
  
  

9. Misconduct Handling & Retractions

IJBMRS strictly follows COPE Retraction Guidelines. Confirmed ethical breaches — including plagiarism, falsified data, or duplicate publication — will trigger:

• Correction Notice (minor issues)
  
  

• Retraction Notice (confirmed misconduct)
  
  

• Withdrawal Notice (pre-publication violations)
  
  

All notices are permanently linked to the article and publicly accessible.

10. Oversight & Policy Review

This UGC Standards Policy is reviewed annually by the Council for Research Ethics and Review (CRER) under the supervision of DARA, Nirmaya Foundation.
Updates are made to align with the latest UGC, COPE, and international publication standards.

11. Compliance Framework

This policy aligns with:

• UGC Suggestive Parameters for Peer-Reviewed Journals (February 2025)
  
  

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
  
  

• DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
  
  

• OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association)
  
  

• WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)
  
  

• CRER (Council for Research Ethics and Review) Ethical Charter
  
  

12. Contact & Governance

For all UGC compliance or ethical matters:
crer@nirmayafoundation.in
ijbmrs@theabr.in