Vastu Research Journal: Journal of Management and Applied Science is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against any publication malpractice. This statement is based on the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability in scholarly publishing.

1. Ethical Guidelines for Authors

Authors must ensure that:

• Their work is original and has not been published elsewhere.
• All sources are properly cited and acknowledged.
• Plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
• Data presented are accurate and not fabricated or manipulated.
• All co-authors have significantly contributed to the research.
• The manuscript is not under consideration by another journal simultaneously.
• Any conflicts of interest are clearly disclosed.

2. Ethical Guidelines for Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• Making publication decisions based on the manuscript’s academic merit.
• Ensuring a fair, unbiased, and confidential review process.
• Evaluating manuscripts without discrimination based on authors’ background.
• Avoiding conflicts of interest in editorial decisions.
• Taking appropriate action in cases of ethical misconduct.

3. Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers

Reviewers should:

• Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback.
• Maintain confidentiality of the manuscript.
• Identify relevant published work not cited by the authors.
• Avoid reviewing manuscripts where conflicts of interest exist.
• Report any suspected ethical issues (e.g., plagiarism, data falsification).

4. Publication Misconduct

Any form of unethical behavior is strictly prohibited, including:

• Plagiarism
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Improper authorship attribution

If misconduct is identified, the journal will take appropriate actions, including rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, and notification to relevant institutions.

5. Peer Review Process

VRJ applies a double-blind peer review process, where both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to ensure an objective and fair evaluation.

6. Copyright and Access

All articles published in VRJ are open access, allowing users to read, download, copy, and distribute the content, provided proper citation is given to the original authors.