Open Access Policy

All research articles are made freely available online immediately upon publication. Readers may read, download, share and use an article in accordance with the licence displayed on its landing page and PDF. The journal does not impose subscription or paywall access on published research.

Peer-review Policy

Research submissions follow double-anonymous peer review. Author and reviewer identities are concealed from each other as far as reasonably possible.

1. Administrative checkCompleteness, scope and anonymisation.
2. Integrity screeningOriginality, ethics and potential competing interests.
3. Editorial assessmentAcademic relevance, minimum quality and suitability.
4. Independent reviewNormally at least two suitably qualified reviewers.
5. RevisionAuthor response and revised manuscript where required.
6. DecisionAccept, minor revision, major revision or reject.

The Editor-in-Chief or authorised Research Editor makes the final decision after considering the reports, revisions and ethical record. A review cycle normally takes 12–16 weeks, but this is an indicative period rather than a guaranteed deadline. Editors, board members and reviewers submitting their own work receive no preferential treatment; an independent editor manages the process.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice

Authors, reviewers and editors must act honestly, confidentially, fairly and without discrimination. Fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, undisclosed competing interests, peer-review manipulation and misrepresentation of authorship are prohibited. Credible concerns are examined impartially, with an opportunity for affected parties to respond. The journal may reject, correct, retract or otherwise amend the record according to the seriousness of the finding.

Authorship and Contributorship

Every listed author must have made a substantial intellectual contribution, approved the submitted and published versions, and accepted accountability for the work. Contributors who do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged with permission. The corresponding author must confirm the author list and disclose any change requested after submission. Guest, gift and ghost authorship are not permitted.

Plagiarism and Originality

Research manuscripts are screened for originality before external review and may be checked again later. Similarity reports are interpreted by editors in context; no percentage alone determines acceptance or rejection. Proper quotation, references, bibliographies and unavoidable disciplinary phrasing are distinguished from unattributed copying. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism that obscures prior publication, duplicate submission and unattributed translation may lead to rejection or retraction.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose financial, personal, professional or institutional relationships that could reasonably influence the work. Reviewers and editors must decline an assignment when a conflict could compromise—or appear to compromise—independent judgment. Funding sources and the funder’s role must be stated.

Copyright and Licensing

Research articles

Authors retain copyright and grant Patrika Aranyak the right of first publication. Accepted research articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0), allowing sharing and adaptation with appropriate attribution, a licence link and an indication of changes.

Creative works

The author retains underlying copyright while granting the journal exclusive first electronic publication rights for one year. After one year, exclusivity ends and the author may republish the work with acknowledgment of first publication in Patrika Aranyak. The journal retains a continuing non-exclusive right to preserve and display the originally published version in its archive.

Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission for third-party text, images, tables, data or other copyrighted material.

Author Charges and Waivers

The article processing charge becomes payable only after formal acceptance. It does not guarantee acceptance, accelerate review or influence any editorial decision. There are no undisclosed publication charges. Authors facing genuine financial difficulty may request a full or partial waiver before payment; waiver requests are considered separately from editorial assessment and are not disclosed to reviewers.

Corrections, Retractions and Withdrawals

Minor errors that do not affect interpretation may be corrected transparently. Material errors may require a separately identified corrigendum or erratum linked to the article. Serious concerns may lead to an expression of concern or retraction. The original record will ordinarily remain accessible and clearly marked. Removal is reserved for exceptional legal, privacy or safety circumstances. Withdrawal before publication requires a reasoned request and editorial approval. The Editor-in-Chief has final publication authority, consulting the Editorial Board and publisher where appropriate.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors may appeal a decision by writing to editor@patrikaa.com with the manuscript title, decision date and a concise evidence-based explanation. An appeal is not a new review round and disagreement alone is insufficient. Complaints about conduct, process or published content are acknowledged and assessed by an editor who is not directly implicated whenever practicable. The outcome and reasons are communicated in writing.

Research Involving People, Communities or Sensitive Material

Research involving human participants, identifiable personal information, vulnerable communities or culturally sensitive knowledge must follow applicable law and recognised disciplinary ethics. Authors must state whether institutional ethics approval and informed consent were required and obtained. Privacy, dignity, community rights and risks of harm must be addressed. Editors may request supporting documentation.

Data and Supporting Materials

Authors should preserve research materials supporting their claims and provide a data-availability statement when the article relies on datasets, archives, interviews, images or other evidence. Open sharing is encouraged when lawful and ethical, but personal, confidential, copyrighted or culturally restricted material must not be disclosed improperly. Any repository link or access restriction should be stated clearly.

Generative AI Policy

AI-generated or substantially AI-authored Research or Creative content will not be published. AI systems cannot be authors. Authors remain fully accountable for originality, accuracy, citations and intellectual contribution. Undisclosed generative production may result in rejection or retraction. Basic spelling, grammar and accessibility assistance is permitted only when it does not create substantive intellectual or creative content. Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts to public generative-AI systems.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

Published issues, article files and associated public metadata are maintained in the journal’s online archives, with controlled backups of published content. The journal intends to adopt an independent long-term preservation arrangement as its infrastructure develops. The journal does not presently claim participation in LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, Portico or another external preservation network.

Advertising, Sponsorship, Services and Donations

Editorial decisions are independent of advertising, sponsorship, paid services and donations. Any sponsored or promotional material will be clearly identified and kept distinct from editorial content. Using a journal service or making a donation does not provide priority review, favourable treatment or a publication advantage. The journal does not sell authorship or guaranteed publication.

Editorial Independence

The Editor-in-Chief and authorised editors control editorial decisions on academic and ethical grounds. The publisher supports the journal’s operations but does not require acceptance of particular manuscripts. Decisions are not based on an author’s nationality, institutional affiliation, seniority, political position, financial capacity or personal relationship with the journal.

Privacy and Personal Information

Names, email addresses, affiliations and other personal information supplied to the journal are used only for editorial, publication, integrity and record-keeping purposes. Reviewer identities are kept confidential under the review model, subject to legal or ethical obligations. Personal information is not sold or used for unrelated commercial marketing.