Submission

Universal Open Access

The journal adheres to the principles of Universal Open Access. In alignment with this approach, the content of publications is primarily influenced by the open nature of knowledge. The journal is freely accessible from any part of the world. Readers have the liberty to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of its articles for any lawful purpose. All articles, book reviews, and other published items are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. 

Article processing charge (APC)

• Article Processing Charge: 70 USD. 
  • There is no APC for the publication of Interviews, Artworks, Projects and Book Reviews
• This fee covers all publication costs: web hosting and administration, editorial and review activities, formatting, indexing, marketing and publicity, permanent archiving and preservation of contents, DOI registration, post-publication care etc. It will be charged only after an article is recommended for publication.
• The APC will be effective from January 1, 2023, onwards.
• Authors from countries designated “Lower-middle income economies”, including India, may apply for a 50% waiver in fees. Check the list>>
• Authors from countries designated “Low-Income Economies” can apply for a 100% waiver. Check the list>>
• An author from any country can apply for a full waiver after showing evidence of exceptional circumstances.
• The authors keep the copyrights of their articles.
• The published articles are immediately and permanently made free to access under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 License.

Submission Process

We accept only electronic submissions via e-mail as attached documents. Authors are requested to preserve one copy of the soft file and send the same file as attachment/s.  Send your submission to Riya Das Mahapatra, Submission Manager at chitrolekhajournal@gmail.com. For any query, send WhatsApp messages at +91 87689 28769 [Text-only message]. The authors need to send a declaration via e-mail that they have read the “Terms and Conditions” and will go by the same, and that the attached article is not being currently considered for publication by other publishing agencies.

Formatting

File Types:
We process the following doc (text) and image files:

• Text formats: MS Word.
• Image format: Jpeg.

We want authors to follow strictly the APA style (http://www.apastyle.org) while preparing the articles (Quick guidelines can be found here). Authors are requested to include the following in the format of their articles:

• Full Title with subtitle, if any.
• An abstract of the article of about 100-150 words.
• Heading, sub-headings, and illustrations should be well accommodated within the main body of the article.
• Word Limit: 3000-5000 words, inclusive of notes and references.
• Please do not use Footnotes. Include Notes after the end of the article and before the References. Referencing must follow APA style.
• Include a very short bio-note with ORCID ID from www.orcid.org and email id.
• Please download the following ARTICLE TEMPLATE FORMAT for preparing your article.
• The formatting needs to be done by the authors.

Best Practices for Authors:

• Send your submission with a proper cover letter clearly stating your submission to a particular volume and issue and agreement to the terms and conditions of the journal.
• Sign up with www.orcid.org and send your ORCID Id to us.
• Send mail from institutional email id.
• Include a link to your profile on your institutional website.
• In the Reference section, avoid including long URLs. Use DOI whenever available. Do not keep the links in the blue underlined state. Remove the underlined state and the colour.
• Declare funding if any.

Book Review

• Word limit: 1500-2000 words
• Format: APA

Where to Send
Send your submission to Riya Das Mahapatra, Submission Manager at chitrolekhajournal@gmail.com. For any query, send Whatsapp messages at +91 87689 28769. [Only text message]

Editorial Help
We help authors in preparing their articles. For this, an author needs to specify this in advance. Our editorial staff will contact the author and try to solve the problem.

Language
The journal is published in the English language and we accept both UK and US spellings. Authors should refrain from using racist and sexist terms.

Visual Images
We encourage the authors to incorporate visual images like diagrams, maps and pictures in their writings in innovative ways so that the reader gets some sort of multimedia experience. All kinds of visual images should be treated as ‘Figures’, and if possible, authors are requested to present the figures in the hyperlinked state.
Authors should note that they should get, before submission, permission from the concerned person or authority for reproducing the visual images. We will not remain responsible for any kind of copyright violation on the part of the authors.

Declarations by Author/s:

Author/s will have to sign “Declaration by Authors” and send us scanned copies of the same after acceptance of the article concerning:

• Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions
• Authenticity of the research work
• Claim of authorship
• Plagiarism
• Conflicts of Interests.

Peer Review:

The Process:

We rigorously follow a double-blind review process for all submitted works. Our commitment is to maintain the confidentiality of both the reviewers and the authors. Here are the key steps in our review process:

1. Initial Evaluation by Editors:
   • Submitted articles are first considered by our editors to assess their alignment with the journal’s standards and scope.
   • Articles failing to meet the primary standards will be promptly rejected, and authors will be notified of the decision.
2. Reviewer Selection:
   • If the editors find the submission satisfactory, they will select two or more reviewers for a detailed evaluation.
   • The identities of both the reviewers and the author remain undisclosed throughout this process.
3. Acknowledgement and Timely Response:
   • Authors receive acknowledgement of their submission within 3 days.
   • In case of no response, we recommend resending the email.

Review Time: We do not have a system for fast or rapid review, nor do we encourage it. The decision on a submitted article, along with reviewers’ comments, will be communicated to the author within 1 month. Authors should refrain from sending queries before this period is over. However, if no decision is reached after 1 month of submission, authors are free to naturally withdraw their submission and submit elsewhere.

Plagiarism Policy and Retraction Policy

1. Plagiarism Detection and Consequences:

• Plagiarism is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of scholarly work. We are committed to maintaining high standards of originality and ethical conduct.
• Before Publication:
  • If any submitted article is found to have been plagiarized, we take immediate action:
    • The author will be blacklisted, meaning they will be barred from submitting further articles to our journal.
    • The plagiarized article will be rejected.
• After Publication:
  • Even after an article has been published, if it is discovered to have been plagiarized or reported by any party as plagiarized, we follow these steps:
    1. Investigation:
       • We conduct a thorough investigation to verify the plagiarism claim.
       • The author is notified of the allegation.
    2. Retraction Process:
       • If plagiarism is confirmed, we issue a formal retraction notice.
       • The plagiarized article is removed from our journal.
       • The retraction notice clearly states the reason for removal and highlights the author’s misdeed.
    3. Publication Record Update:
       • The article’s metadata (such as DOI) is updated to indicate retraction.
       • The original article is replaced with the retraction notice.
    4. Author Accountability:
       • The author may face additional consequences, such as being barred from future submissions.
       • The academic community is informed about the retraction.
    5. Correction of the Scientific Record:
       • We take steps to correct the scientific record by acknowledging the error and ensuring that readers are aware of the retraction.

2. Author Responsibility:

• Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work.
• Proper citation and referencing are essential to avoid plagiarism.
• Authors should use plagiarism detection tools and self-check their submissions before sending them for review.

3. Reporting Suspected Plagiarism:

• We encourage readers, reviewers, and other stakeholders to report suspected cases of plagiarism.
• Reports can be submitted to the editorial team, who will investigate promptly.

4. Retraction Criteria:

• Articles may be retracted due to:
  • Plagiarism
  • Fabrication of data
  • Falsification of results
  • Ethical violations
  • Serious errors or inaccuracies
  • Legal issues

5. Transparency and Learning Opportunity:

• Retractions serve as a learning opportunity for authors, reviewers, and readers.
• We maintain transparency by clearly documenting retractions and reasons.