Policies on Ethics, Conflict of Interest, and Informed Consent

Synergy: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies upholds the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized ethical guidelines to ensure credible and reliable scholarly publications.

Our policies are guided by:

1. Responsibilities of Authors

  • Originality & Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are entirely original. All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software such as iThenticate plagiarism detection software provided by Crossref. Manuscripts containing significant plagiarism or unethical overlap will be rejected.
  • Multiple Submission: Do not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals.
  • Authorship: Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All authors must approve the final manuscript before submission. More on Authorship & Ethical Responsibilities
  • Data Integrity: Authors must present accurate data and avoid fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation of data. Authors may be requested to provide raw data during the editorial review process.
  • Conflict of Interest: Disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts.
  • AI Tool Use: Disclose AI use for language or drafting support; AI cannot be listed as an author. More on AI Policy and Guidelines
  • Data Availability: Author(s) are encouraged to provide a data availability statement indicating where the data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed. When possible, datasets should be made publicly available in appropriate repositories to support research transparency and reproducibility.

2. Ethical Considerations in Research

  • Human Participants:& Research involving human participants must comply with internationally recognized ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki.

    Authors must provide:

    • Name of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee
    • Ethics approval number (if applicable)
    • Confirmation that informed consent was obtained from participants

    For research involving minors, consent from a parent or legal guardian must be obtained.

  • Privacy & Confidentiality: Authors must protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants. Identifiable information such as names, photographs, or personal details must not be published without explicit written consent from the participant.
  • Research with Students/Educational Institutions: Studies involving students, teachers, classrooms, or educational institutions must ensure voluntary participation, protection from harm, and respect for confidentiality of educational records. Researchers must take special care to avoid coercion and ensure that participation does not affect academic evaluation or institutional relationships.
  • Clinical Trials: SIJMDS is a multidisciplinary journal and does not primarily publish clinical trial research. However, if a manuscript reports a clinical trial in health or medical sciences, the study must be registered in a recognized clinical trial registry prior to participant enrollment.

3. Responsibilities of Editors

  • Fair & Impartial Decisions: Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit, including originality, methodological rigor, clarity, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope.
  • Confidentiality: Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not disclose information about manuscripts to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and publisher as appropriate.
  • Conflict of Interest: Recuse if conflicts exist. COPE Guidance
  • Ethical Oversight: Editors take reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers involving research misconduct such as plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data fabrication.

For More Details on Editorial Guidelines

4. Responsibilities of Reviewers

  • Confidentiality: Do not share or discuss manuscripts without authorization.
  • Objectivity: Provide constructive, evidence-based feedback.
  • Conflict of Interest: Decline review if impartiality may be affected.
  • Timeliness: Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe.

For More Details on Reviewer Guidelines

5. Peer Review Process

SIJMDS follows a double-blind peer review process. Each manuscript is reviewed by at least two independent experts. Final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief based on reviewer recommendations and editorial assessment.

For more, see Peer Review Policy.

6. Misconduct & Post-Publication Updates

  • Allegations of Misconduct: Investigated according to COPE procedures; institutions may be contacted.
  • Corrections/Retractions: Errata, Retractions, Expressions of Concern, or Editorial Notes issued transparently. COPE Retraction Guidelines, or also visit the related clause in journal retraction policy

7. Editorial Independence & Appeals

  • Independence: Editorial decisions are made independently of the publisher, sponsors, or commercial interests. The Editor-in-Chief has full authority over editorial content and publication decisions.
  • Appeals: Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions by submitting a formal written request to the editorial office explaining the grounds for the appeal. Complaints related to editorial processes, peer review, or publication ethics will be handled in accordance with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics.
  • Publisher Responsibilities: The publisher supports the journal in maintaining ethical publishing standards and works with editors to address any cases of publication misconduct when they arise.