Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms and Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement between you (the "User," "Author," or "Visitor") and Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions, published by Dhvani Publication (the "Journal," "we," "us," or "our").

By using this website or submitting content to PIJCACE, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by:

• These Terms and Conditions
• Our Privacy Policy
• Our Submission Guidelines
• Our Publication Ethics Policy
• Our Plagiarism Policy
• Our AI Usage Policy
• Our Peer Review and Editorial Policy

2. Journal Scope and Mission

About PIJCACE

PIJCACE is a peer-reviewed, open-access, biannual academic journal dedicated to advancing scholarly discourse in creative arts, cultural expressions, and humanities. The journal particularly emphasizes South and East Asian perspectives while fostering critical dialogues that transcend geographical boundaries.

Publication Frequency

• Issue 1: January–June
• Issue 2: July–December

Quality Standards

All submissions undergo rigorous double-blind peer review to ensure scholarly quality, methodological soundness, and contribution to the field. We are committed to publishing original, high-quality research that meets international academic standards.

3. Author Responsibilities and Warranties

By submitting a manuscript to PIJCACE, authors warrant and represent that:

Originality

• The manuscript is entirely original work
• The manuscript has not been published elsewhere in any form
• The manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal or publication
• The manuscript does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights

Authorship

• All listed authors have made substantial contributions to the work
• All contributors who meet authorship criteria are listed as authors
• All authors have approved the final manuscript
• All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Permissions and Rights

• Authors have obtained necessary permissions for any third-party content, including images, figures, tables, or extended quotations
• Authors have documented all required permissions and can provide them upon request
• Authors have the right to grant the licenses specified in these terms

Ethical Compliance

• The research complies with all applicable ethical standards and regulations
• Human subjects research has received appropriate ethical approval
• Cultural protocols have been respected when working with traditional knowledge or cultural heritage
• Conflicts of interest have been disclosed

Accuracy

• All data and findings are accurately reported
• All citations and references are complete and accurate
• The manuscript contains no fabricated or falsified information

4. Submission and Peer Review Process

Submission Requirements

Authors must submit manuscripts through our official online submission portal. All submissions must:

• Use the official PIJCACE manuscript template
• Follow MLA 9th Edition citation style
• Include complete author information on a separate title page
• Be anonymized for double-blind peer review
• Meet word count requirements for the manuscript type

Peer Review Process

PIJCACE employs a rigorous double-blind peer review process. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to:

• Await the outcome of peer review (typically 12–14 weeks)
• Respond to reviewer comments within specified timeframes
• Make requested revisions in good faith
• Accept editorial decisions as final

Editorial Decisions

Possible editorial decisions include:

• Accept: Manuscript accepted for publication
• Minor Revisions: Manuscript requires minor changes
• Major Revisions: Manuscript requires substantial revision and re-review
• Reject: Manuscript not suitable for publication
• Desk Reject: Manuscript rejected without peer review (outside scope, formatting issues, ethical concerns)

5. Publication Ethics and Standards

PIJCACE adheres to the highest standards of publication ethics as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international best practices.

Ethical Obligations

Authors must:

• Report research honestly and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation
• Cite and reference all sources appropriately
• Disclose all conflicts of interest
• Obtain informed consent for human subjects research
• Follow ethical guidelines for animal research (if applicable)
• Respect cultural protocols and traditional knowledge

Prohibited Practices

The following practices are strictly prohibited:

• Plagiarism (including self-plagiarism)
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Duplicate submission or publication
• Gift authorship or ghost authorship
• Citation manipulation
• Salami slicing (dividing one study into multiple publications)
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest

Complaints and Appeals

Authors, reviewers, or readers who identify ethical concerns should report them to editor@poorvam.com. All complaints are investigated thoroughly and handled according to COPE guidelines.

6. Copyright and Licensing

Copyright Retention

Authors retain copyright of their published work. This means you maintain ownership of your intellectual property and can reuse your work for teaching, presentations, and future publications.

License Grant to PIJCACE

Upon acceptance for publication, authors grant PIJCACE a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

• Publish and distribute the work in print and electronic formats
• Make the work available through databases and indexing services
• Promote and market the work through various channels
• Preserve the work in digital archives
• Create derivative works for accessibility purposes (e.g., audio versions, translations)

Creative Commons License

Proper Attribution

When reusing published content, proper attribution must include:

• Author names
• Article title
• Journal name (PIJCACE)
• Publication year and volume/issue
• DOI or URL
• CC BY 4.0 license notation

7. Open Access Policy

Commitment to Open Access

PIJCACE is fully committed to open access publishing. All published articles are freely available to readers worldwide immediately upon publication, with no subscription fees or paywalls.

Benefits of Open Access

• Maximum visibility and impact for your research
• Free access for researchers, students, and practitioners globally
• Increased citation potential
• Contribution to global knowledge dissemination
• Compliance with open access mandates from funding agencies

Archiving and Preservation

Published articles are permanently archived and preserved through:

• Our institutional repository
• Major academic databases and indexing services
• Digital preservation initiatives
• DOI assignment for permanent identification

8. Article Processing Charges

APC Structure

To support open access publication, PIJCACE charges Article Processing Charges (APCs) upon manuscript acceptance:

When Payment is Due

• No submission fees: Submission and peer review are free
• Payment upon acceptance: APCs are only charged after manuscript acceptance
• Payment deadline: Within 14 days of acceptance notification

What APC Covers

Article processing charges support:

• Peer review coordination and editorial management
• Professional copyediting and formatting
• DOI registration and metadata management
• Online publishing platform and hosting
• Indexing in major academic databases
• Long-term digital archiving and preservation
• Marketing and dissemination activities
• Technical support and maintenance

Waiver Policy

Refund Policy

APCs are non-refundable once paid, except in cases of duplicate payment or journal error. Refunds are not provided if an author withdraws a manuscript after acceptance.

9. Plagiarism and Originality

Zero Tolerance Policy

PIJCACE maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward plagiarism. All submitted manuscripts are screened using advanced plagiarism detection software.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes:

• Copying text from other sources without proper attribution
• Paraphrasing without proper citation
• Self-plagiarism (reusing your own previously published work)
• Mosaic plagiarism (piecing together text from multiple sources)
• Improper use of AI-generated content

Consequences

Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism will be:

• Immediately rejected
• Reported to author institutions
• Retracted if already published
• Subject to permanent author ban for serious violations

10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage

Disclosure Requirement

Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in manuscript preparation. Undisclosed AI use is considered a violation of publication ethics.

Acceptable AI Uses

AI tools may be used for:

• Grammar and language editing
• Translation assistance (with verification)
• Data analysis and visualization
• Literature search and reference formatting

Prohibited AI Uses

AI tools may not be used for:

• Generating substantial manuscript content
• Creating fake data or citations
• Producing creative works submitted as original
• Any use that replaces authentic human scholarship

11. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship Criteria

All listed authors must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• Substantial contributions to conception, design, data collection, or analysis
• Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content
• Final approval of the version to be published
• Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Prohibited Practices

• Gift authorship: Including individuals who do not meet authorship criteria
• Ghost authorship: Excluding individuals who meet authorship criteria
• Honorary authorship: Listing senior researchers without substantial contribution

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author must:

• Ensure all co-authors approve the submission
• Act as primary contact with the journal
• Coordinate revisions among co-authors
• Ensure accuracy of author information and contributions

12. Conflicts of Interest

Disclosure Requirement

All authors must disclose any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could be perceived as influencing the research or its presentation.

Types of Conflicts

• Financial: Funding sources, employment, consultancies, stock ownership
• Professional: Board memberships, advisory positions
• Personal: Close relationships with individuals or organizations discussed in the manuscript

No Conflicts Statement

If there are no conflicts of interest, authors must include a statement: "The authors declare no conflicts of interest."

13. Data Availability and Transparency

Data Sharing

PIJCACE encourages authors to make research data publicly available when possible. Data availability statements should specify:

• Where data can be accessed
• Any restrictions on data sharing
• Contact information for data requests

Research Materials

Authors should be prepared to provide:

• Original data supporting published findings
• Research protocols and methodologies
• Analysis scripts or code
• Permissions for third-party materials

14. Corrections, Retractions, and Expressions of Concern

Corrections (Errata)

Minor errors that do not affect the work's conclusions may be corrected through a published correction notice. Authors should notify the editor immediately upon discovering errors.

Retractions

Articles may be retracted if:

• Serious errors invalidate the findings
• Research misconduct is confirmed
• Plagiarism or duplicate publication is discovered
• Ethical violations are identified

Expressions of Concern

The journal may issue expressions of concern when allegations are under investigation or when concerns arise about the integrity of published work.

15. User Conduct and Website Usage

Acceptable Use

Users of the PIJCACE website must:

• Use the website only for lawful purposes
• Respect intellectual property rights
• Maintain confidentiality of login credentials
• Provide accurate information when creating accounts

Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited:

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the website or systems
• Distributing malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Engaging in automated data collection (scraping) without permission
• Impersonating others or misrepresenting affiliation
• Interfering with website operation or other users' access
• Using the website for spam or unsolicited communications

Account Termination

PIJCACE reserves the right to suspend or terminate user accounts that violate these terms without prior notice.

16. Privacy and Data Protection

Data Collection

We collect only the minimum personal data necessary for journal operations, including:

• Name, email address, and institutional affiliation
• ORCID iD
• Manuscript files and submission data
• Payment information (processed securely through third-party providers)

Data Usage

Personal data is used solely for:

• Managing manuscript submission and peer review
• Communicating with authors, reviewers, and readers
• Processing article publication
• Generating usage statistics (anonymized)

Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share personal data with third parties, except:

• As required by law or legal process
• With service providers essential to journal operations (under strict confidentiality agreements)
• With indexing services and databases (publicly available publication data only)

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of data (subject to legal and contractual obligations)
• Withdraw consent for data processing
• Lodge complaints with data protection authorities

17. Intellectual Property Rights

Journal Content

All website content, including design, layout, logos, and text (excluding published articles), is owned by PIJCACE/Dhvani Publication and protected by copyright and trademark laws.

Third-Party Content

Users must not use journal branding, logos, or content for commercial purposes without prior written permission.

Respecting Others' Rights

Users must respect the intellectual property rights of authors, PIJCACE, and third parties. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of copyrighted content is prohibited.

18. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE WEBSITE AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement
• Warranties that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of content

19. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PIJCACE AND DHVANI PUBLICATION SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or use of our systems
• Errors or inaccuracies in content
• Third-party conduct or content

In no event shall our total liability exceed the amount paid by you (if any) for accessing our services.

20. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Jurisdiction

Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of PIJCACE shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Dispute Resolution

Before initiating legal proceedings, parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith negotiation. Unresolved disputes may be submitted to mediation before pursuing litigation.

21. Amendments to Terms

Right to Modify

PIJCACE reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to the website.

Notification of Changes

Significant changes will be communicated through:

• Website announcement
• Email notification to registered users
• Update notice on the terms page

Continued Use

Your continued use of the website or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

22. Contact Information

Questions or Concerns

For questions about these Terms and Conditions or any aspect of PIJCACE:

Reporting Issues

To report:

• Ethical concerns: editor@poorvam.com (Subject: "Ethics Concern")
• Plagiarism: editor@poorvam.com (Subject: "Plagiarism Report")
• AI misuse: editor@poorvam.com (Subject: "AI Policy Violation")
• Technical issues: editor@poorvam.com (Subject: "Technical Support")