
The Indian Studies Review (ISR), published by the Centre for Study of Politics and Governance, is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality and ethical practice in scholarly publishing. The journal adheres to widely accepted international norms for editorial conduct and research ethics, promoting transparency, integrity, and responsibility in all its activities.
Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their submissions and must ensure that their manuscripts comply with the journal’s prescribed standards and policies. Submissions that fail to meet these requirements may be returned for revision or rejected outright. Manuscripts accepted for publication are subject to professional copyediting and formatting to improve readability, consistency, and overall presentation.
Editorial Governance and Independence
The editorial direction and operational policies of Indian Studies Review are overseen by its Advisory Board, which operates autonomously in line with the regulations of the Centre for Study of Politics and Governance. Editors are selected based on scholarly expertise and experience, and all editorial decisions are made independently, free from influence by the publisher or any external entity. The editorial team exercises full discretion in content management, ensuring a fair, objective, and rigorous evaluation process.
Open Access Policy
Indian Studies Review follows a full Open Access publishing model, making all articles freely accessible to readers across the globe without subscription fees or access restrictions. Authors retain copyright over their work while granting the journal a non-exclusive right to publish. All published material is licensed, which permits sharing and adaptation for non-commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s).
Manuscript Submission and Review Process
Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the journal’s online submission system hosted on Open Journal Systems (OJS). Authors are required to submit a plagiarism similarity report generated using recognized software such as Turnitin, , Urkund, or DrillBit to demonstrate compliance with originality and academic integrity standards.
Each submission undergoes an initial editorial screening to assess conformity with formatting, ethical, and plagiarism guidelines. Only manuscripts that satisfy these preliminary requirements are forwarded for peer review.
Research articles and thematic essays are reviewed through a robust double-blind peer review process. After an initial suitability assessment by the Editor or Associate Editor, a minimum of three independent external reviewers are appointed. Throughout the process, the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential.
All communication between authors, editors, and reviewers is conducted exclusively through the OJS platform to ensure consistency, transparency, and proper documentation.
Management of Conflicts of Interest
Editors and reviewers are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the impartial evaluation of a manuscript. Members of the editorial team do not handle submissions authored by close associates, including colleagues, former or current students, recent collaborators, or family members. In cases where a conflict is identified, the manuscript is reassigned to another editor. Submissions from editorial board members are subjected to an independent and confidential review process overseen by an external editor.
Editorial Philosophy and Range of Contributions
Indian Studies Review promotes scholarly pluralism and welcomes submissions reflecting diverse theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, and empirical research traditions. The journal encourages interdisciplinary scholarship and values empirical studies that offer meaningful theoretical insights.
Review Timelines and Publication Schedule
While maintaining rigorous review standards, the journal strives for efficient manuscript processing.
Authors can typically expect an editorial decision within six to eight weeks from the date of submission.
The journal accepts submissions across a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to:
• Economics, Political Economy, Commerce, and Management
• Anthropology, Sociology, Social Work, History, and Archaeology
• Geography, Environmental Studies, Sustainable Development, and Area Studies
• Political Science, Public Policy, Law, and International Relations
• Language and Literature, Cultural Studies, Media and Communication, and Library Science
• Education, Health Studies, Psychology, Philosophy, Social Exclusion, and Gender Studies
• Other Interdisciplinary and Cross-disciplinary Fields
Indian Studies Review (ISR)
The Indian Studies Review (ISR), published by CSPG, is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards in academic publishing. The journal follows globally recognized guidelines to ensure the integrity, transparency, and credibility of scholarly work. Editorial decisions are based solely on the quality, originality, and relevance of submissions, free from any commercial, political, or ideological influences.
Authors submitting manuscripts to ISR affirm that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and is not under consideration by any other publication. Proper attribution of sources, through citations and acknowledgments, is required for any ideas, data, or content drawn from other works.
Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and acknowledge all sources of financial support for their research. They are also responsible for obtaining necessary permissions for copyrighted materials, including images and figures, used in their submissions.
All listed authors should have significantly contributed to the research and writing of the manuscript. Individuals with marginal contributions (such as proofreading or administrative support) should be acknowledged separately. The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final submission.
In cases where authors discover significant errors in their published work, they must promptly notify the journal’s editorial team to facilitate a correction or retraction.
All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure scholarly integrity and quality. Reviewers are expected to assess submissions impartially and provide constructive feedback. They must disclose any conflicts of interest that may compromise their objectivity and refrain from using any privileged information acquired during the review process for personal or professional advantage.
Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual content, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field, without bias related to the author’s identity, affiliation, or background. If they identify ethical concerns, including plagiarism or duplicate submission, they should promptly inform the editorial team.
Editors are responsible for ensuring that the journal maintains high ethical and academic standards. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit of submissions and their alignment with the journal’s scope. Editors uphold confidentiality throughout the review process and ensure that manuscripts are evaluated fairly and independently.
To prevent conflicts of interest, editors do not handle manuscripts submitted by their colleagues, students, or recent collaborators. Submissions from editorial board members undergo independent review to maintain transparency.
ISR upholds strict policies against research misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication. All submissions are subject to plagiarism checks using reputable detection software such as Turnitin, iThenticate, or similar tools.
If ethical violations are identified, the journal reserves the right to take corrective actions, including manuscript rejection, retraction of published articles, or notification of institutional authorities. Retractions and corrections follow established international guidelines.