Focus and Scope

Informatics Studies (IS), promoted by the Centre for Informatics Research and Development (CIRD), India is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal dedicated to advancing the theory and application of Information Science. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary research across diverse domains, including but not limited to: 

• Health & Biomedical Informatics 
• Environmental & Agricultural Informatics 
• Cultural & Heritage Informatics 
• Social & Behavioral Informatics 
• Educational & e-Learning Informatics 
• Business & Management Informatics 
• Technical & Computational Informatics (including quantum computing and blockchain) 
• Legal, Ethical & Governance Informatics 
• Linguistic & Communication Informatics 
• AI-driven Information Systems 
• Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) & Digital Accessibility 
• Library & Information Science 
• Digital Repositories, Knowledge Management, and Digital Libraries & Archives 
• Knowledge Organization & Ontologies 
• Open Access and Repository Interoperability 
• Multilinguality and Resource Discovery 
• Digital Health Technologies and Immersive Technologies (e.g., AR/VR)

Manuscripts exploring innovative or interdisciplinary topics not listed above are also encouraged, provided they align with the journal’s mission to advance Informatics.

Section Policies

Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

IS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing by ensuring that all manuscripts undergo a rigorous and ethical peer review process prior to acceptance. No manuscript will be accepted or published, in print or online, without prior peer review.

Upon submission, all manuscripts are first evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief or designated editors. Manuscripts may be rejected at this stage if they are outside the journal’s scope, lack originality, have major scientific flaws, or contain poor grammar and language issues. Editorial screening is followed by a single blind peer-review process of manuscripts by minimum two independent referees who are conversant in the pertinent subject area.

Authors are welcome to suggest potential reviewers for their manuscript. These individuals must not have any affiliation with the authors or their institutions. The journal reserves the right to accept or decline suggested reviewers.

Reviewers provide constructive and objective feedback on the manuscript in line with the journal’s Review Guidelines and a recommendation: 'accept as is', 'accept with minor revisions', 'accept after major revisions', or 'reject'.

The editor evaluates the recommendation and notifies the author of the manuscript's status. The concerned editor will consider all reviewer comments before making the final decision, which may also involve consultation with the Editorial Board. Authors will be informed of the editorial decision along with reviewer comments to help improve their manuscript. Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and final checks before publication

Editors of Informatics Studies shall follow a clearly defined review process. The journal ensures that the peer review process remains transparent, fair, and ethical. Reviewer comments are handled confidentially, and all decisions are made with full consideration of the reviewers’ expertise and recommendations.

Publication Frequency

Quarterly

Author Self-Archiving

This journal permits and encourages authors to post items submitted to the journal on personal websites or institutional repositories after publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit, if applicable, its publication in this journal.

Delayed Open Access

The contents of this journal will be available in an open access format 12 month(s) after an issue is published.

IS is committed to making high-quality scholarly content accessible to the widest possible audience while sustaining the operational costs of peer review, editing, and publication. To balance accessibility with sustainability, the journal follows a Delayed Open Access Model.

All newly published articles are initially available only through subscription. After One year from the date of completion of the publication a volume, the contents will be available in an open-access format under the journal’s standard licensing terms. The print version of the journal will only be made available to subscribers. 

This Delayed Open Access Policy ensures that all published content eventually becomes freely available, supporting the principles of knowledge dissemination and academic collaboration while maintaining journal sustainability.

Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement of the Journal

Standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the publication process of IS are given below and must be read, agreed upon, and upheld by authors, editors, and reviewers. These standards ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity throughout the publication process.

Decision on Publication: The editors of the Journal are responsible for determining which submitted manuscripts are suitable for publication. In making these decisions, editors may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and are bound by applicable legal requirements concerning issues that shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Editors may consult with other editors or reviewers in making this decision. To uphold the highest standards of integrity and avoid conflicts of interest, editors do not participate in decisions on papers under the following circumstances:

* Manuscripts they have authored.

* Manuscripts authored by their family members or close colleagues.

* Manuscripts related to products, services or research in which they have a financial or personal interest.

Such submissions will follow the journal's standard procedures, and peer review will be conducted independently of the editor involved or their research group.

Fair play: Editors evaluate all manuscripts solely on the basis of their academic merit, including originality, clarity, significance, and relevance to the journal’s scope. Decisions are made without discrimination based on the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or political philosophy. The journal is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable scholarly environment, and all editorial decisions reflect this commitment to fairness and impartiality.

Confidentiality: Editors and all editorial staff are required to maintain strict confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts. They must not disclose any information about a manuscript—its content, authorship, or status—to anyone other than the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial board members, or the publisher, as appropriate. This obligation extends beyond the review process and applies regardless of whether the manuscript is eventually published. All individuals involved in the editorial process are expected to handle submissions with discretion and professionalism.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not use any unpublished material, data, or ideas disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research or personal advantage without the explicit, written permission of the author(s). All parties involved in the editorial process are expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest—financial, professional, or personal—that could influence their impartiality or objectivity in handling the manuscript. Maintaining transparency in these matters is essential to uphold the integrity and trustworthiness of the publication process.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers of IS are expected to perform peer-reviewing of the submitted manuscripts in accordance with the following:

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communications with the author, may also assist the author in improving the quality, clarity, and rigor of their work before publication.

Promptness: Reviewers are expected to conduct their evaluations in a timely manner.  If a selected referee feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse themselves from the review process.

Confidentiality: All manuscripts received for review will be treated as strictly confidential documents. Reviewers are prohibited from sharing, discussing, or distributing the manuscript or its content with anyone outside the authorized editorial team, except with the explicit permission of the editor. This confidentiality obligation applies throughout the review process and beyond.

Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted impartially and objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate and unprofessional. Reviewers should provide clear, constructive feedback supported by well-reasoned arguments to help improve the quality of the work.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers are responsible for identifying any relevant published work that the authors have not cited. Any claim that an observation, derivation, or argument has been previously reported should be supported by appropriate references. Additionally, reviewers should alert the editor to any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and other published works of which they have personal knowledge, to help prevent potential cases of redundant publication or plagiarism.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Reviewers must treat all privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review process as confidential and must not use such information for personal gain or advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Duties of Authors

Those who submit their manuscripts to IS are expected to comply with the following policies of the journal.

Accuracy and Transparency in Reporting: Authors submitting original research must provide a clear, accurate, and honest account of their work, including an objective discussion of its significance and limitations. Data and results should be truthfully presented and supported by evidence. Manuscripts must contain sufficient detail and references to allow replication. Any fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation is strictly prohibited and undermines research integrity.

Data Access and Retention: Authors are required to provide raw data related to their manuscript upon editorial request, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data, if practicable. Additionally, authors should retain the original data for a reasonable period following publication to support validation and further research.

Authorship Integrity and Plagiarism Policy: Authors must ensure that their submissions are entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. All articles submitted will be checked for plagiarism using advanced detection tools such as Turnitin. The manuscript will be rejected immediately if plagiarism is detected during the review/editorial process. In cases where plagiarism is discovered after publication, the article will be formally retracted, and a public notice will be issued to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Withdrawal and Retraction Policy: Authors should not, in general, publish manuscripts reporting essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals concurrently is considered unethical publishing behaviour and is not acceptable under any circumstances. Such practices compromise the integrity of the scholarly record and may result in rejection or retraction of the manuscript. Authors are encouraged to disclose any related submissions or prior publications when submitting their work to ensure transparency and maintain ethical standards.

Acknowledgement of Sources: It is essential to consistently provide proper acknowledgment to the contributions of others. Authors must cite all relevant publications that have influenced the development and understanding of their research, ensuring transparency and academic integrity.

Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other significant conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. Additionally, all sources of financial support for the research project, including grants, funding bodies, sponsorships, or any other monetary contributions, must be fully disclosed. Authors should also declare any personal, professional, or institutional relationships that could be perceived as potential conflicts to maintain transparency throughout the publication process.

Preprint Policy

IS supports the early and open dissemination of scientific research to promote collaboration, transparency, and timely access to new findings. The journal, therefore, accepts submissions of original research manuscripts that have been previously posted as preprints on recognized, non-commercial preprint servers. Posting on a preprint server will not influence editorial assessment or peer-review decisions, and such manuscripts will be considered on the same terms as those not posted publicly.

The preprint must represent the author-prepared original version of the manuscript submitted to the journal, prior to any editorial input or revisions resulting from peer review. Informatics Studies does not support the posting of later versions, including the accepted manuscript or versions revised in response to peer-review comments. Preprint posting applies only to original research articles. For non-primary content such as review articles, editorials, or opinion pieces, preprint posting is not permitted.

At the time of manuscript submission, authors are required to disclose the existence of a preprint. This includes specifying the name of the preprint server and providing the DOI or URL in the disclosure section of the submission.  Once the article is formally published in Informatics Studies, authors are required to update the preprint record with a proper citation and a direct link to the final published version, ensuring version control, accurate attribution, and transparency for readers.

Post Publication Policies

Article Correction Policy

IS is committed to maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of all published content. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to prepare and review manuscripts with the utmost care to minimize errors before publication. Any necessary corrections should ideally be addressed during the revision stage and before publication.

If errors or inaccuracies are identified in published articles, the journal will take appropriate and timely action to correct the scholarly record. If an error is identified after publication, authors or readers should notify the editorial office immediately by emailing editor@informaticsstudies.org, providing a clear description of the issue. Authors need to provide suggestions for rectifying the error/solving the issue. 

Corrections for Journal Errors: Errors introduced during the publishing process (e.g., author name misspellings, figure misplacements) will be rectified promptly and updated in the online and offline versions of the article before dispatching printed copies. If the error is detected after print distribution, an erratum will be issued in the next available issue.

Corrections for Author Errors: Authors are required to report any significant errors or omissions that could affect the validity, clarity, or interpretation of the work. At the editor’s discretion, substantial corrections will be issued as a corrigendum, which will be published on the journal website and included in the next printed issue.

All corrections (errata or corrigenda) will be linked to the original article online to maintain transparency. The original article will remain accessible with a clear note indicating the correction.

Article Retraction Policy

IS is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. An article may be considered for retraction in cases of scientific misconduct or serious errors. Scientific misconduct includes plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, fraudulent use of data, citation manipulation, false claims of authorship, and multiple or redundant submissions. Retraction may also be warranted when serious errors are identified that compromise the validity of the study's main findings or conclusions, thereby undermining the integrity of the scholarly record.

Before an article is retracted, a signed agreement from all concerned authors is normally required; however, the journal reserves the right to proceed with a retraction even without author consent if there is clear evidence of misconduct or serious error. If necessary, the journal may consult relevant institutions to investigate ethical breaches.

A formal Retraction Notice clearly stating the reasons for retraction and who initiated it (authors, editors, or institution) will be published on the journal website and linked to the original article.  The original article will remain accessible both online and in print but will be clearly marked as “Retracted”, including a visible watermark on the PDF. Retractions will also be listed on the table of contents of the respective issue for transparency.

Authorship and Contributorship Policy

IS considers authorship a matter of both responsibility and accountability for the published work. Only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to a manuscript should be listed as authors. All authors share collective responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the published content, with the corresponding author bearing the primary role in ensuring compliance with authorship policies.

Authorship Criteria: To qualify as an author, contributors must meet all of the following criteria:

• Significant involvement in the conception or design of the study, or in the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
• Participation in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
• Final approval of the version to be published.
• Accountability for their contributions as well as confidence in the integrity of the work done by co-authors.

Responsibilities of the Corresponding Author: The corresponding author is responsible for:

• Managing all communication with the journal during the submission, review, and publication process
• Obtaining consent from all authors before the initial submission and final approval before publication.
• Ensuring that all contributors who meet the authorship criteria are properly included.
• All necessary permissions are sought before reproducing material from a copyrighted work
• Ensuring adherence to all editorial and submission policies
• Declaring conflicts of interest on behalf of all authors
• Sharing and archiving of relevant data

Changes in Authorship: Authorship should ideally be determined at the project planning stage, not after submission. Addition of new authors during manuscript revision will be permitted only with a clear justification of their contribution. No changes to authorship will be allowed after acceptance of the manuscript.

If there is a request to add or remove an author after publication, the journal requires a written explanation along with a signed agreement from all listed authors, including the author being added or removed.

Acknowledgment of Non-Author Contributions: Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet full authorship criteria (e.g., technical support, administrative assistance, funding acquisition, language editing) must be acknowledged appropriately.

Number of Authors: Informatics Studies does not impose any limit on the number of authors for a manuscript, but the submitting author must ensure that appropriate credit is given to all who contributed significantly.

AI Tools as Authors: The journal has a strict policy prohibiting the listing of AI tools as authors. While AI tools may be used to assist in research or writing, only human contributors can take authorship responsibility.

Article Withdrawal Policy

IS strongly discourages the withdrawal of articles and permits it only in exceptional cases with compelling and unavoidable reasons. Authors wishing to request a withdrawal before publication (date which is first of the first month of the concerned quarter of the year i.e January, April, June and September) must submit a formal letter, signed by all listed authors, clearly explaining the reason for the withdrawal. The request will be reviewed by the editorial office, and authors should note that the article will not be considered withdrawn until they receive an official confirmation from the journal.

Diversity and Inclusion

All submissions to IS are evaluated solely on their scholarly merit. Editorial decisions are made without bias or discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, race, nationality, geographic location, or institutional affiliation. Academic quality, originality, and relevance to the journal’s scope remain the only criteria for consideration.

Advertising Policy

IS maintains a strict no-advertising policy to uphold the integrity, objectivity, and independence of its scientific content. The journal is entirely advertisement-free and does not display or accept any form of external advertising on its website or within its publications. This policy ensures that editorial decisions remain unbiased and are not influenced by commercial interests, thereby preserving the credibility and trustworthiness of the journal’s scholarly work.

Policy on Use of AI-Based Tools

The current policies of IS have been established in response to advancements in generative AI* and AI-assisted technologies, intended for use by authors. These policies aim to provide transparency and guidance for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. Informatics Studies will continue to monitor AI-related research and developments and will revise or update its policies as needed.

For Authors - The Use of AI-based Tools and Technologies in Scientific Writing

This policy addresses the writing process and does not cover the use of AI tools for data analysis or drawing conclusions as part of research activities.

The journal does not currently accept articles solely written by AI tools. Usage of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies by authors in writing research papers, should be confined to enhancing the readability and language of the paper. These tools must be used under human supervision, with authors carefully evaluating and editing the AI-generated output. This is crucial because AI can produce content that appears credible but may be inaccurate, incomplete, or biased. Authors remain solely responsible and accountable for all content in the paper, including that generated or edited using AI technologies.

Authors must disclose the use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in their work, and any published paper will include a statement acknowledging this usage. Transparency in disclosing AI usage fosters trust among authors, readers, reviewers, and editors and complies with the terms of use set by the developers of these technologies.

AI-Based Systems and Tools Are Not Authors: AI or AI-assisted tools should not be credited as authors or co-authors, nor can they be cited as authors. Authorship is restricted to humans who conduct research, perform writing tasks, or bear responsibility for the work. All (co-)authors are accountable for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the content and must approve the final version of the paper before submission. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is original, meets the criteria for authorship, does not violate third-party rights, and adheres to the ethics and publishing guidelines provided on the Informatics Studies journal site and in the Author Guidelines. Authorship also requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission.

The Use of AI-based Tools in Figures, Images and Artwork in Research Papers: The use of generative AI or AI-based tools to manipulate or modify images in research papers is not permitted. Specifically, actions such as improving, obscuring, moving, removing, or adding specific features to an image are prohibited. However, basic adjustments, such as changing brightness, contrast, or color balance - provided these do not alter or remove any aspect of the original image and do not interfere with the interpretation - are allowed. Authors are encouraged to use forensic tools or similar software to identify and address potential image irregularities before including images in their papers.

Exceptions: AI-based tools may be used if they are an integral part of the research design, methodology, or subject of study. For example, using AI-based imaging technologies to generate or interpret embedded research data, such as in biomedical imaging, is permissible. However, such usage must meet the following criteria:

Transparency: Authors must explicitly disclose the use of AI-based tools in the methodology section of the paper. This includes detailing how the tools were used in image creation or editing.

Documentation: A list of the AI tools used, including the manufacturer and any relevant details, must be provided.

Compliance: Authors must adhere to the usage policies of the AI tools and ensure their application does not infringe on the rights of others.

Rights Clearance: Authors are responsible for obtaining all necessary rights for materials used in the study.

By following the above guidelines, authors can ensure ethical practices and maintain the integrity of their research.

For Reviewers -The Use of AI-Based Technologies in Peer Review

Confidentiality and Ethical Standards: Reviewers must not upload any part of a manuscript provided for review to AI-based systems or tools. This includes both the manuscript itself and the peer review report. Doing so would violate confidentiality, infringe on the authors' rights, and breach data privacy regulations.

Human-Driven Peer Review: The peer review process at IS is regarded as a cornerstone of research integrity and must be conducted solely by human reviewers. Critical thinking, nuanced judgment, and original assessment are essential elements of peer review, which lie beyond the capabilities of AI systems. AI-based solutions are not permitted in the review process due to their potential to produce incorrect, incomplete, or biased evaluations. Reviewers bear full responsibility and accountability for the content and conclusions of their review reports.

Use of AI in Paper Writing: Authors are permitted to use AI-based technologies solely to enhance the language and readability of their manuscripts. Any such usage must be disclosed by authors clearly, in accordance with the instructions provided on the Informatics Studies website and in the Guide for Authors. Reviewers can find this disclosure just before the references section of the paper and reviewers have to notify editors of any concerned policy violation by authors.

For Editors - The Use of AI-Based Technologies in the Editorial Process

Confidentiality Requirements: Manuscripts submitted to IS must be treated as confidential documents. Editors are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts, in whole or in part, to any external AI-based systems or tools outside the journal's internal systems. This prohibition extends to all communications, notifications, and decisions related to the manuscript, which must remain confidential. Editors must also avoid using external AI tools to improve the language or style of such communications.

Human-Driven Editorial Responsibility: Editorial evaluation of scientific papers requires critical thinking and nuanced judgment that only human editors can provide. AI-based solutions are not permitted for manuscript evaluation or decision-making, as these systems lack the capacity for original assessment and may produce incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions. Editors bear sole responsibility and accountability for the editorial process, including the final decision on whether to accept or reject a paper.

AI Use by Authors and Disclosure: Authors are allowed to use AI-based technologies solely to enhance the language and readability of their manuscripts, provided this usage is disclosed in line with the instructions on the IS website and the Author Guidelines. Editors can verify this acknowledgment in the manuscript, typically located just before the references section.

Reporting AI Policy Violations: If an editor identifies a violation of the journal's AI policies by an author or reviewer, it must be reported to the publisher for further action.

Internal Use of AI by Informatics Studies: IS employs AI-based tools within the journal system for tasks such as screening manuscripts, plagiarism detection, and identifying reviewers. These tools are used in compliance with strict confidentiality and data privacy standards to protect the rights of authors, reviewers, and editors.

This policy ensures that the editorial process upholds the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and confidentiality while safeguarding the ethical use of AI technologies.

General Approach of IS on AI-Based Systems and Tools

AI–based Tools for Grammar, Spelling, and Reference Management: This policy does not restrict the use of AI-based tools for spelling or grammar checks or reference management software such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero. These tools are not considered part of the policy, which applies specifically to AI-based systems like large language models used to generate scientific content.

AI-Based Tools for Processing Research Data: AI tools used for formal research design or methods are permitted. However, their use must be clearly acknowledged in the methodology section of the paper.

Acknowledgment of AI-Based Technologies: Any use of AI-based tools in the preparation of a manuscript must be acknowledged under a dedicated section titled AI-Based Systems and Tools Used, placed above the references.

AI-Based Tools for Editing Images: The journal prohibits the use of AI-based tools to enhance, obscure, move, remove, or introduce specific elements within an image. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are permissible, provided they do not add or conceal information. AI-based systems may be used to create or alter images if these processes are integral to the research design or methods. In such cases, the tools, their manufacturers, and other relevant details must be disclosed with clarity.

Copyright for Work Involving AI-Based Tools: AI-based tools are not recognized as legal authors by IS ‘s policy. Authors using these tools in the writing process must disclose their use at the end of the manuscript, in the section preceding the references. The publishing agreement process remains unchanged, with authors transferring copyright to IS, retaining copyright or selecting a Creative Commons Attribution License for open-access content under specific conditions.

Plagiarism Policy

All submitted manuscripts are required to be the authors’ original work and free from plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines when dealing with suspected plagiarism in both submitted (Suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript) and published (Suspected plagiarism in a published manuscript) manuscripts.

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin before the peer review process begins. The similarity report is carefully assessed to distinguish between legitimate similarity (e.g., references, methodology descriptions) and unethical copying. Manuscripts with significant unattributed text copying will be rejected without review. Authors may revise the paper to remove plagiarized content and submit it as a new submission. 

IS focuses on the integrity of the work and the originality of the content, rather than a strict numerical limit. Authors are urged to perform a similarity check and revise the manuscript to avoid any unintentional plagiarism present in the paper. If suspected plagiarism is identified during the submission or review stage, the editor will notify the authors and request clarification or revision. Failure to provide a satisfactory explanation or correction will result in manuscript rejection. If plagiarism is detected after publication, a thorough investigation will be conducted following COPE guidelines. If plagiarism is confirmed, the published article will be formally retracted as per journal policy, with a clear notice explaining the reason for retraction.

Author Responsibility (Regarding Plagiarism)

1. Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work.
2. Proper citations and acknowledgments must be provided for all sources, including the author’s previously published work (to avoid self-plagiarism).
3. Authors must confirm, during submission, that the manuscript is plagiarism-free and unpublished elsewhere.

Competing Interests

The journal believes that disclosure of competing interests is a critical aspect of transparency. All authors are required to disclose any financial or other interests related to the submitted work that could affect the author’s objectivity and influence the content of the article under the Declaration of Interests section in the manuscript.

If reviewers have any competing interests that may affect their judgment, they should be brought to the editor's attention and decline to review manuscripts. Reviewers must not use information acquired in the peer review of a manuscript for personal gain, for example, to advance their own research without attributing credit properly.

Editors are required to report any competing or conflicting interests that could affect their editorial judgement as soon as they arise. Editorial staff are prohibited from using any data obtained through editorial work for personal gain.

Data Availability and Sharing Policy

IS is committed to promoting transparency, reproducibility, and accessibility of research findings. To support this and enable verification of published results, the journal encourages authors to make all data, materials, and protocols that support their research findings available and accessible wherever possible.

Author Responsibility (Regarding Data)

1. Authors must include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscript, indicating whether data supporting the findings are publicly available, available upon request, or subject to restrictions. If data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or commercial restrictions, authors must clearly explain the reasons in their Data Availability Statement.
2. Authors are encouraged to deposit data in relevant repositories and provide a direct link to the dataset in the Data Availability Statement.
3. Authors are responsible for ensuring that shared data is accurate, well-documented, and accessible.
4. Authors must ensure data sharing complies with ethical approvals, informed consent agreements, and applicable data protection regulations of international standard like GDPR.
5. Any sensitive personal or patient data must be appropriately anonymized before sharing.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policy

IS respects the intellectual property rights of authors, reviewers, and publishers and ensures that all published content adheres to applicable copyright, licensing, and ethical standards. This policy outlines how intellectual property is managed within the journal, covering authorship rights, copyright transfer, licensing, reuse, and third-party materials.

Ownership: Authors retain full intellectual property rights to their original work unless otherwise stated. Upon acceptance of a manuscript, authors are required to grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the article. The journal acknowledges all authors as the original creators of their scholarly work. First publication rights to the original work accepted for publication are granted to IS, but copyright for all work published in the journal is retained by the author(s) unless otherwise specified and mutually agreed upon.

Licensing and Reuse: All works published in Informatics Studies will be distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY), unless otherwise noted. The articles will also be published in subject specifice edited volumes to be published by the journal and its parent organization. Authors, readers, and third parties may reuse published articles in accordance with the chosen license terms. Any reuse must include proper attribution to the original publication in Informatics Studies.

 Third-Party Material and Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any third-party material, including images, tables, figures, or text excerpts. Any material reproduced from other sources must include a clear citation and acknowledgment of the original copyright holder. The journal will not be held liable for copyright infringements caused by submitted manuscripts.

Preprints and Prior Publication: Authors may deposit preprint versions of their manuscript on recognized repositories before submission (as per the journal’s Preprint Policy). However, authors must confirm that the submission does not infringe on any third-party IP rights or violate prior publishing agreements.

Plagiarism and IP Violations: Manuscripts found to violate intellectual property rights through plagiarism, unauthorized use of copyrighted materials, or misappropriation of data will be rejected. If such violations are discovered after publication, the article may be retracted in line with the journal’s Plagiarism and Retraction Policies.

Data, Code, and Materials: Authors are encouraged to make supporting data, software, and materials openly available under appropriate licenses, while respecting ethical and legal restrictions. Any proprietary software or data used must be properly acknowledged in the manuscript.

Author Warranties: By submitting a manuscript, authors warrant that:

1. The work is original and does not infringe on any copyright, trademark, patent, or other IP rights.
2. All necessary permissions for copyrighted content have been obtained.
3. There are no existing legal disputes over the intellectual property contained in the manuscript.

Dispute Resolution: Any disputes related to intellectual property rights in a published article will be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines and, if necessary, in consultation with relevant legal or institutional bodies.

Compliance with Legal and Ethical Standards: The journal complies with all applicable international copyright laws and treaties. Authors are encouraged to consult their institutions or funding agencies for any specific IP requirements before submission.

Informatics Studies |  ISSN: 2583-8954 (Online), 2320-530X (Print)