Publication Ethics & Integrity.

◈ 1. Plagiarism, Fabrication & Redundant Publishing

Susruta Publishing House enforces an absolute zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, image falsification, and duplicate publication. Authors warrant that all submitted monographs, edited chapters, and reference treatises represent original scholarship that has not been published previously.

◈ 2. Authorship Criteria & Contributor Integrity

Authorship credit must reflect substantial intellectual contributions. In accordance with International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) benchmarks, every listed author must satisfy all four criteria:

1. Substantial contributions to the conception, design, clinical execution, or acquisition and interpretation of primary research data.
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.
3. Final approval of the version to be published.
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to accuracy or integrity are appropriately investigated.

◈ 3. Conflicts of Interest & Financial Disclosures

Transparency is paramount to maintaining reader and institutional trust. Authors must disclose all financial, personal, or professional affiliations that could be perceived as improperly influencing their scholarly evaluations or clinical findings.

Potential conflicts requiring disclosure include:

• Research grants, consultancies, honoraria, or stock ownership in pharmaceutical or Ayurvedic formulation manufacturers.
• Patents, royalties, or licensing agreements related to drugs, medical instruments, or parasurgical tools evaluated in the text.
• Institutional or personal relationships that create a competing interest in the outcome of the research.

A formal "Conflict of Interest Statement" must be placed immediately before the bibliography. If no competing interests exist, authors must explicitly state: "The authors declare no competing financial or non-financial interests."

◈ 4. Clinical Research Governance & Informed Consent

Monographs and chapters reporting clinical trials, retrospective patient observational data, or interventional therapies (e.g., Panchakarma, Kshara Sutra, or herbomineral formulations) must adhere strictly to the Declaration of Helsinki and ethical guidelines set forth by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) or local institutional review boards.

◈ 5. Peer Reviewer Ethical Responsibilities

External peer reviewers act as the guardians of scientific integrity. Reviewers appointed by Susruta Publishing House must abide by the following ethical standards:

• Confidentiality: Unpublished manuscripts are treated as strictly confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or utilize unpublished ideas or data.
• Declaration of Competing Interests: Reviewers must recuse themselves immediately if they have collaborating relationships, institutional conflicts, or commercial competition with the authors.
• Impartiality: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Constructive, substantiated critique should be provided without personal or ad hominem remarks.
• AI Ban: Reviewers are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts into generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) as doing so breaches author confidentiality and copyright.

◈ 6. Misconduct Investigations & Grievance Redressal

Susruta Publishing House takes all allegations of scientific misconduct seriously. When a credible complaint regarding plagiarism, authorship disputes, or data fabrication is submitted:

1. The Editor-in-Chief initiates a formal investigation adhering to COPE flowcharts.
2. The authors are presented with specific evidence and given 30 days to provide written explanations and verified primary laboratory or clinical records.
3. If misconduct is confirmed, corrective action is taken according to our Corrections & Retractions policy, which may include formal retractions, notice to the author's institution, or permanent barring from future submissions.