Ethical Guidelines

1. Purpose of These Guidelines

The Avishkaran Journal of Young Researchers (AJYR) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to fostering a responsible research culture among high-school students.

Given that most contributors—and many research participants—are minors, AJYR applies enhanced ethical safeguards to protect student authors, research participants, and the integrity of the scientific record.

2. Core Ethical Principles

  • Honesty and transparency in research reporting
  • Respect for human and animal subjects
  • Protection of minors and vulnerable populations
  • Academic integrity and originality
  • Fairness and accountability in editorial decisions
  • Confidentiality and data protection

3. Research Integrity and Data Reliability

Authors must ensure that:

  • Research is conducted using scientifically sound and ethically approved methods
  • Raw data are accurate, complete, and retained for verification
  • Statistical analyses are not manipulated to misrepresent outcomes
  • Negative or inconclusive results are not intentionally concealed
  • Images, graphs, and figures are not altered in misleading ways

4. Authorship and Contribution Ethics

AJYR recognizes authorship as a declaration of responsibility.

  • Only individuals who made substantial intellectual contributions may be listed as authors
  • Supervising teachers, mentors, or parents must be acknowledged but not listed as authors unless they made genuine scholarly contributions
  • Ghost authorship, honorary authorship, and purchased authorship are strictly prohibited
  • All authors must approve the final manuscript prior to submission

5. Plagiarism, Redundant Publication & Academic Misconduct

AJYR strictly prohibits:

  • Plagiarism (direct, mosaic, or paraphrased without citation)
  • Exceeding similarity thresholds (e.g., >20%)
  • Self-plagiarism and redundant publication
  • Duplicate submission to multiple journals
  • Contract cheating, ghostwriting, or purchased research
  • Misuse of AI tools for content generation

All submissions undergo plagiarism screening and ethical evaluation.

6. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI tools may only be used for:

  • Grammar correction
  • Language editing
  • Reference formatting

AI tools must not be used to:

  • Generate research content
  • Create data or images
  • Interpret results
  • Write scientific conclusions

7. Ethics of Human Subject Research

All research involving human participants must ensure:

  • Voluntary participation
  • Informed consent
  • The right to withdraw without penalty
  • Protection of privacy and confidentiality
  • Prior approval from school or institutional authorities
  • Parental or guardian consent when participants are minors

8. Ethics of Animal Research

Animal studies must:

  • Follow recognized animal welfare guidelines
  • Minimize pain, suffering, and distress
  • Obtain ethical approval prior to experimentation
  • Clearly justify the use of animals

9. Data Protection, Privacy & Confidentiality

AJYR protects personal data through:

  • Limited and purpose-specific data collection
  • Secure data storage
  • Confidential handling of records
  • Anonymization of sensitive information
  • Compliance with child-data protection standards

10. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, academic, or personal relationships that could influence objectivity. Failure to disclose conflicts constitutes ethical misconduct.

11. Editorial and Peer-Review Ethics

  • Peer review is confidential and unbiased
  • Editors avoid conflicts of interest
  • Manuscripts are judged solely on academic merit
  • Ethical concerns are investigated thoroughly and transparently

12. Handling Ethical Violations

In cases of ethical misconduct, AJYR may:

  • Reject submitted manuscripts
  • Retract published articles
  • Inform relevant institutions and guardians
  • Impose temporary or permanent submission bans
  • Publish formal corrections or retractions