Ethics and Malpractice

Ethical Standards

Palash: A Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Service Management upholds the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing, ensuring integrity, transparency, and accountability among authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher.

Authorship and Contributorship

  • Authors must have significantly contributed intellectually to the research and manuscript.

  • Final approval and accountability for all aspects of the work are required from all authors.

  • Acknowledgement for contributors who do not meet authorship criteria is appropriate.

Peer Review Process

  • All submissions undergo double-blind peer review, where authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other.

  • An initial editorial assessment checks for scope, quality, and adherence to guidelines before peer review.

  • Manuscripts passing initial checks are reviewed by at least two independent expert reviewers who evaluate originality, methodology, clarity, significance, and ethical compliance.

  • Reviewers provide constructive, unbiased feedback, declaring any conflicts of interest.

  • Editors oversee a fair and timely peer review and make final publication decisions based on reviewers’ reports and editorial judgment.

  • Authors receive decision letters including reviewer comments and may be required to provide revisions.

  • The journal has a transparent process for handling appeals and disputes regarding editorial decisions.

Handling Complaints and Appeals

  • Authors and readers can raise concerns about editorial processes or ethical issues.

  • Complaints are addressed promptly, confidentially, and fairly by the editorial team.

Research Misconduct and Malpractice

  • The journal strictly prohibits plagiarism, data fabrication/falsification, redundant publication, citation manipulation, and other unethical practices.

  • All manuscripts are screened using plagiarism detection software before review.

  • Confirmed misconduct leads to correction, retraction, or banning authors from future submissions, following COPE guidelines.

Conflicts of Interest

  • All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose relevant financial or personal conflicts of interest.

  • These are managed to avoid bias in the publication process.

Data Transparency and Ethical Oversight

  • Authors are encouraged to share supporting data to enhance reproducibility and integrity.

  • Ethical approval and informed consent must be documented for research involving humans or animals.

Intellectual Property

  • Authors must ensure submissions do not infringe on third-party copyrights and must obtain necessary permissions.

Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections

  • The journal welcomes post-publication discussion and corrections.

  • Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be issued promptly to maintain the scholarly record’s accuracy.

Retraction Policy

  • Articles may be retracted if they contain major errors, fraudulent data, ethical breaches, or plagiarism.

  • Retractions will be clearly identified and linked to the original article.

  • Authors, editors, or readers can notify the journal of issues warranting investigation and possible retraction.

  • The journal follows COPE’s Retraction Guidelines to ensure transparent, ethical handling.

Publication Fee Policy

  • Palash charges no fees for submission, processing, or publication, promoting equitable access to publishing.