Colour Publications Pvt Ltd is the publisher of the COLOURAGE, PAINTINDIA, POPULAR PLASTICS & PACKAGING (The Journal). The Publication’s Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement is based on the guidelines developed by other Peer Journals. It is the intent of The Journal to publish original research articles of the highest quality using fair and ethical procedures in screening and peer-reviewing submitted manuscripts.
Duties of the Editors
Review and Publication Decisions
The Journal Editor and Group Editor (GE) has the final decision as to whether a paper will be peer reviewed and published in the Journal. If the Editor and Group Editor determine that a paper is suitable for review, a single-blind peer review system will be used. The decision will involve input from the GE, volunteer reviewers, and when necessary, consultation with the Journal’s Editorial Advisory Board (EAB). The decision will be based on the content of the manuscript, the veracity of the reported results, and as a result of any possible concerns over copyright, libel, and/or plagiarism violations. The editors will strive to meet the needs of the readers and authors, while constantly working to improve the journal. When necessary, editors will be willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies.
Fair Play
The editors (Editor and GE) will perform their tasks in such a manner as to evaluate the papers submitted for publication without prejudice toward the authors due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. The editors will keep all information pertaining to a submitted manuscript confidential, and will maintain the integrity of the single-blind review process.
Appeals Process
If an author decides to appeal the decision to not publish their manuscript, the final decision to publish rests with the Editor. The Editor can work with the GE and reviewers involved with the review of the manuscript to determine if they wish to retract their original recommendation to reject the manuscript for publication. At his/her discretion, the Editor may call upon one or more members of the EAB for their comments and opinion.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
The editors will remain open minded and not allow personal, professional, or business interests to compromise their review of a manuscript. They are also not to use information from these manuscripts for personal research purposes without the expressed permission of the authors. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest relating to a particular manuscript should be made in writing to the Editor.
Confidentiality
The editors will maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript information provided by authors. They will not discuss or reveal specific manuscript information outside of the Editor, the GE chosen for the manuscript review, the reviewers chosen by the specific GE for the manuscript review, and the staff.
Corrections and Retraction
The online version of the paper may be corrected with a date of correction. If a significant error is determined after publication, or substantial portions are deemed invalid, the paper should be retracted with an explanation as to the reason for the retraction. Retraction may also be considered if the published article is found to contain confidential third-party information improperly included by an author. Decision to retract a paper is made by the Editor, after consultation with the GEs involved in the original review and subsequent notification of the Editor of any action to be taken.
Duties of the Author
Submission Requirements
When submitting a paper to the Journal, authors shall follow The Journal’s copyright form requirements by confirming that the manuscript is their original work, that is has not been published or is being considered for publication elsewhere, and that the work of others is properly cited. For images previously published, the author must provide permission to republish from the original source.
Originality
The submitted manuscript shall also not be similar to the publication of virtually the same work in the Journal or other journal. If this occurs, the paper may be rejected for publication; or if published, it may be retracted in the future. Any type of plagiarism is unacceptable, including claiming the work or words of others as the author’s own. References must be cited when mentioning the work or words of others.
Errors after Publication
If the authors become aware of an error or inaccuracy after the manuscript has been published, it is their responsibility to notify the editors so that a correction/retraction can be made.
Multiple Authors and Contributors
During manuscript submission, the submitting author must provide contact information for all co-authors. Authors listed in the manuscript must be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the work presented, and listed by rank of efforts. The corresponding author verifies that all authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript. Those who have assisted with the research/publication but are not considered as authors should be mentioned in an acknowledgement section. If an author’s name was included in a paper of a person who did not contribute to that particular paper, that person may request the Editor in writing to remove their name from the paper.
Source Citations
Authors must acknowledge sources of all data used and include in references and article text all citations to relevant prior work.
Scientific Fraud
Submitted manuscripts must contain only data, statistical analysis, and results that are believed to be accurate. Fraudulently or knowingly publishing inaccurate results is considered unethical. If this occurs, manuscripts may be rejected or retracted.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Authors should disclose any potential conflict of interest (financial or otherwise) that might influence the results or their interpretation in writing to the Editor. Authors should also ensure that no contractual relations or proprietary considerations exist that would affect the publication of a submitted manuscript.
Duties of Reviewers
Confidentiality
Reviewers must keep all unpublished manuscripts, and related materials, confidential. Manuscripts can only be shared with others with the permission of the editors and/or publication staff.
Objectivity
Reviewers must maintain their objectivity during the review process. Comments provided by the reviewers that are returned to the authors should be written clearly and concisely.
Review Deadlines
Reviewers are volunteers, and likely have other full-time employment commitments. Reviewers should complete their review within the specified time frame. If additional time is necessary, they should inform the GE of a delay. Reviewers may decline to review a manuscript for any reason. Reviewers who receive a manuscript they do not feel qualified to review must notify the GE.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
Reviewers who believe they have a conflict in interest in reading a manuscript must refuse to complete the review. The conflict of interest can be of a competitive, financial, or collaborative nature, from a personal, company, or institutional point of view. Two examples of conflict of interest are reviewing manuscripts containing research related to the reviewer’s work, and reviewing manuscripts submitted by the same organization as a reviewer. Reviewers cannot use the information in the manuscript they review for personal gain, as this would be a conflict of interest. Any interaction or relationship between author and reviewer that could be construed as a conflict of interest should be disclosed in writing to the EIC along with a refusal to review.
Originality
If a submitted paper is very similar to another paper the reviewer has previously read, either as a reviewer or in print, it is the responsibility of the reviewer to notify the GE, who in turn will notify the Editor. The Editor will investigate and will make a final decision on manuscript publication.
Source Citations
If the reviewer believes a citation has been overlooked, the citation information should be included in the information that will be provided to the author.
Comments to Authors
Reviewers will be providing information to the authors and publication staff that they believe will improve the manuscript they have reviewed. It is their responsibility to provide clear, concise, and constructive comments for the betterment of the manuscript. If there is a recommendation to not publish the manuscript, the reviewer should provide information to substantiate the recommendation. Reviewers may be asked to read the revised manuscript if there are concerns that the paper has not been adequately revised to address the concerns they raised.
Disclaimer
The Journal, the editors (Editor and GE), the Editorial Advisory Board, the Publications Committee, and the staff are not responsible for the content (opinions, views, data, and interpretation), of the manuscripts published by Colour Publications Pvt. Ltd. The content of the manuscript is the sole responsibility of the authors.