OPEN ACCESS LICENSE POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is a fully open access journal, committed to the unrestricted dissemination of scholarly research. All articles published in the journal are made freely and immediately available online without any subscription, registration, or access charges to readers or their institutions.
Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of articles, and to use them for any lawful purpose, without requiring prior permission from the publisher or the authors, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original work.
All content published in IJFIRH is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This license permits others to share, reproduce, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, provided that proper attribution is given to the authors and the journal. Any commercial use of the content requires prior permission from the authors.
By adopting this licensing model, the journal ensures a balance between open accessibility and the protection of authors’ intellectual property rights. The open access framework enhances the visibility, reach, and impact of published research, while supporting ethical and responsible reuse of scholarly work.
IJFIRH supports the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative and is committed to promoting the free exchange of scientific knowledge. The journal believes that open access publishing facilitates greater collaboration, transparency, and advancement in homoeopathy and interdisciplinary research.
Through its open access policy, IJFIRH aims to provide an inclusive and accessible platform for researchers, practitioners, and academicians worldwide, thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge and evidence-based practice in homoeopathy.
“Our journal supports the principles of the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).”
PEER REVIEW POLICY (DOUBLE-BLIND REVIEW)
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure the quality, credibility, and scientific integrity of all published articles. In this system, both the authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process, thereby maintaining impartiality, objectivity, and fairness in the assessment of scholarly work.
All submitted manuscripts undergo an initial editorial screening to evaluate their relevance to the journal’s scope, originality, ethical compliance, adherence to author guidelines, and basic methodological soundness. Manuscripts that do not meet these minimum requirements may be rejected at this stage without being sent for peer review. This preliminary evaluation ensures that only suitable and academically sound submissions proceed to the next stage.
Manuscripts that successfully pass the initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers who possess expertise in the relevant subject area. Reviewers critically evaluate the manuscript based on scientific validity, methodological rigor, clarity and organization, ethical standards, relevance to homoeopathy and integrative medicine, and the overall contribution to existing knowledge. The double-blind system is strictly maintained by removing all identifying information from the manuscript prior to review.
Reviewers are expected to provide constructive, unbiased, and confidential feedback within the stipulated timeframe. They must maintain strict confidentiality regarding the manuscript content and disclose any potential conflicts of interest before accepting the review assignment. Their role is essential in improving the quality of the manuscript and ensuring the integrity of the publication process.
Based on the recommendations of the reviewers, the editorial board may decide to accept the manuscript, request minor or major revisions, or reject the submission. Authors are provided with detailed feedback and are expected to revise their manuscripts accordingly. Revised manuscripts may undergo additional rounds of peer review if required to ensure that all concerns have been adequately addressed.
The final decision regarding publication rests with the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, who consider both the reviewers’ comments and the overall merit of the manuscript. The entire peer review process is conducted in accordance with established ethical standards in scholarly publishing, including the principles recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics. The journal remains committed to ensuring transparency, confidentiality, and academic integrity throughout the review process.
PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MISCONDUCT POLICY (COPE-ALIGNED)
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in scholarly publishing. All stakeholders—authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers—are expected to adhere to principles of integrity, transparency, and responsible academic conduct. Ethical publishing is fundamental to maintaining the trust of the scientific community and ensuring that the knowledge disseminated through this journal is reliable, original, and meaningful.
Authors submitting manuscripts are responsible for ensuring that their work is original, accurate, and free from fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, or inappropriate data manipulation. All sources must be properly acknowledged, and permissions must be obtained for copyrighted material when necessary. Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contribution, and any conflicts of interest that may influence the interpretation of findings must be clearly disclosed. Duplicate submission, redundant publication, or salami slicing of data is considered unethical and will not be tolerated.
Editors carry the responsibility of making fair and unbiased decisions regarding manuscript acceptance, guided solely by academic merit, relevance, and scientific quality. Confidentiality of submissions is maintained throughout the editorial process, and editors refrain from using unpublished data for personal research. Potential conflicts of interest must be declared, and editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts when necessary.
Reviewers play an essential role in maintaining academic quality by providing objective, constructive, and timely evaluations. The double-blind system is respected to preserve impartiality. Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and avoid any form of personal criticism or conflict. If a reviewer identifies ethical issues, such as plagiarism, data fabrication, or undisclosed conflicts of interest, these concerns should be promptly communicated to the editorial team.
The journal follows COPE guidelines when addressing allegations of misconduct. Suspected unethical practices, whether identified before or after publication, are investigated with seriousness and discretion. When misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions may include rejection, retraction, correction, or notification to relevant institutions or authorities. The journal ensures that honest errors are distinguished from intentional malpractice and encourages transparency through correction notices when genuine mistakes occur.
IJFIRH fosters an environment of accountability and academic honesty, aiming to support researchers in disseminating reliable and ethically produced knowledge to the global homoeopathic and integrative medicine community.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is committed to protecting authors’ rights while ensuring the wide dissemination and accessibility of scholarly work. The journal follows an open-access publishing model that enables unrestricted access to published research for the global academic and clinical community.
Authors retain full copyright of their published articles. By submitting a manuscript to IJFIRH, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, archive, and display the work in both print and digital formats. This arrangement ensures that the article is widely accessible while allowing authors to maintain complete ownership of their intellectual property.
All articles published in IJFIRH are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This license permits readers to access, download, share, and reproduce the work for academic, educational, and other non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the authors and the journal. Any commercial use, extensive modification, or republication in other platforms requires prior permission from the authors.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to reuse, distribute, and archive their published work in institutional repositories, personal websites, academic networks, or other platforms, provided that the original publication in IJFIRH is clearly cited as the version of record. This practice enhances the visibility, accessibility, and impact of the research while supporting transparency and scholarly communication.
As part of the publication process, all authors are required to submit a duly completed and signed Copyright Transfer and Author Declaration Form, which is available on the journal website. Submission of this form is mandatory prior to final acceptance and publication of the manuscript.
All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be original, must not be under consideration elsewhere, and must comply with established ethical standards in scholarly publishing. The journal does not claim ownership of the content but ensures its ethical dissemination in accordance with recognized academic publishing practices.
IJFIRH remains committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and ethical publishing environment that balances the protection of authors’ rights with the global accessibility of scientific knowledge in homoeopathy and interdisciplinary research.
PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. All personal information collected during manuscript submission, peer review, and publication is handled with strict confidentiality and used solely for legitimate scholarly and administrative purposes.
Personal data provided by authors—such as names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID identifiers—is used exclusively for communication, editorial processing, and publication metadata. The journal does not share personal information with third parties without explicit consent, except where required by law, ethical obligations, or indexing requirements.
The journal follows a double-blind peer review system, ensuring that the identities of both authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout the evaluation process. Reviewer reports are treated as confidential documents and are not disclosed beyond the editorial process. Editors and editorial staff are required to maintain strict confidentiality and must not use unpublished material for personal, academic, or financial advantage.
The journal website may collect limited technical information, such as browser type, access times, and pages visited, for the sole purpose of improving website performance and user experience. Cookies may be used to enhance functionality; however, users may choose to disable cookies without affecting access to published content.
IJFIRH does not store sensitive financial information on its servers. Any payment-related transactions, where applicable, are processed through secure third-party platforms that comply with standard data protection practices.
The journal adheres to recognized ethical standards in scholarly publishing, including principles recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics, and periodically reviews its data protection practices to ensure alignment with evolving privacy norms.
By engaging with the journal, users acknowledge and consent to the responsible use of their information within the scope of scholarly communication, editorial processes, and academic publishing integrity.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is committed to maintaining transparency, integrity, and objectivity in scholarly publishing. All authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation, interpretation, or presentation of research.
A conflict of interest may arise when an individual has financial, personal, professional, or institutional affiliations that could bias their work. This includes, but is not limited to, financial relationships (such as funding, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, or paid expert testimony), personal relationships, academic competition, or intellectual beliefs that may affect impartial judgment.
Authors must clearly disclose any relevant conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. If no conflict exists, authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” All sources of funding and financial support must also be acknowledged in the manuscript.
Reviewers are expected to decline review assignments if they have any conflict of interest related to the manuscript. They must not use unpublished information obtained during the review process for personal advantage and must maintain strict confidentiality.
Editors and editorial board members must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. In such cases, the manuscript will be assigned to an alternative editor to ensure an unbiased review process.
All disclosed conflicts of interest will be evaluated by the editorial team and, where appropriate, will be published alongside the article to maintain transparency. Failure to disclose conflicts of interest may result in rejection of the manuscript, retraction of the published article, or other appropriate actions in accordance with established publishing ethics.
IJFIRH adheres to ethical standards in scholarly publishing, including principles recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics, to ensure fairness, accountability, and credibility in all aspects of publication.
DISCLAIMER AND LIABILITY POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy publishes scholarly work based on the understanding that the content reflects the research, interpretations, and conclusions of the individual authors. The journal, its editors, reviewers, and publisher do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the information presented in published articles. All opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the editorial board or the publisher.
While every effort is made to ensure the scientific rigor and ethical integrity of the articles through peer review and editorial oversight, the journal does not guarantee specific clinical outcomes or endorse any treatment protocols described within the publications. Readers are advised to interpret findings with professional judgment, considering the context of individual clinical settings, and to seek appropriate guidance when applying research insights to practice.
The journal does not accept liability for any loss, injury, or damages resulting from the use of information contained in published content, website materials, or external resources linked from the journal platform. Authors bear full responsibility for the originality, accuracy, ethical compliance, and legal validity of their submissions, including permissions for copyrighted materials, patient consent, and disclosure of conflicts of interest.
IJFIRH reserves the right to correct, amend, or retract published material in accordance with established ethical standards if significant errors or misconduct are identified. The journal also retains the authority to modify website content, policies, and publication processes as part of ongoing improvements to editorial quality and academic transparency.
RETRACTION, CORRECTION, AND WITHDRAWAL POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. The journal follows ethical practices in handling corrections, retractions, and withdrawals in line with guidelines recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics.
Corrections
If minor errors are identified in a published article (such as typographical or formatting issues), they will be corrected through an official notice (erratum or corrigendum). If the error affects the interpretation of the study but not its overall validity, a correction will be issued with clear explanation.
Retraction
An article may be retracted if there is evidence of serious issues such as plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate publication, or major errors that invalidate the findings. Retracted articles will remain accessible but will be clearly marked as “Retracted,” along with a notice explaining the reason.
Withdrawal
Authors may request withdrawal of their manuscript before acceptance by submitting a formal request with justification. Withdrawal after acceptance or publication is generally not permitted and will be considered only in exceptional cases.
The journal ensures that all such actions are handled fairly, transparently, and with due consideration of ethical standards, while preserving the reliability of the academic record.
ARCHIVING AND DIGITAL PRESERVATION POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and integrity of all published content. The journal recognizes the importance of maintaining a reliable scholarly record and adopts robust digital preservation practices to safeguard articles against data loss, technological obsolescence, or accidental removal.
IJFIRH utilizes the PKP Preservation Network for long-term digital preservation through its integration with Open Journal Systems. This ensures that all published content is securely archived and preserved in a distributed network, providing permanent access even in the event of system failure or data loss.
All published articles are assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref, ensuring persistent identification, reliable citation, and long-term retrievability across academic platforms and indexing services.
In addition to PKP PN preservation, all journal content is maintained in multiple secure digital environments, including the journal’s primary hosting server and backup systems, ensuring redundancy and uninterrupted accessibility. The journal provides complete issue-wise archives on its website, allowing free and continuous access to both current and previously published articles.
Metadata for each article is maintained in standardized formats to support discoverability through indexing databases, academic search engines, and institutional repositories. Authors are permitted and encouraged to self-archive their published work in institutional or subject-specific repositories, provided that proper citation to the published version of record is included.
The journal periodically reviews and updates its digital preservation strategies in alignment with international best practices in scholarly publishing. Through the integration of persistent identifiers, distributed archiving systems, and secure storage mechanisms, IJFIRH ensures the long-term visibility, accessibility, and academic value of its published literature.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy is committed to publishing original scholarly work and maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo strict plagiarism screening to ensure that the content is authentic, appropriately referenced, and free from any form of intellectual misconduct.
Every submission is checked using plagiarism detection tools as well as manual editorial assessment. Similarity is evaluated not only through overall percentage but also through the quality and context of matching text. Properly cited quotations, methodological descriptions, and standard terminology are assessed separately from instances where substantial unattributed material may suggest academic dishonesty. Manuscripts with excessive similarity, improper paraphrasing, or copied sections without citation are returned to authors for revision or may be rejected depending on the severity of the issue.
Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is entirely original and that all information derived from other sources is accurately acknowledged. Reuse of previously published content, including the authors’ own work, must be clearly cited and justified. Redundant publication, duplication of results, or submitting the same study to multiple journals simultaneously is considered unethical and may lead to blacklisting of the manuscript or future submissions.
If plagiarism is detected after publication, the journal initiates an investigation following established ethical guidelines. Confirmed cases may result in correction notices, retraction of the article, or communication with the authors' affiliated institutions. Genuine errors in citation are addressed with appropriate corrections, whereas intentional misconduct is treated with serious consequences.
The journal encourages authors to thoroughly review their manuscripts prior to submission, ensuring originality and adherence to ethical standards. Maintaining a culture of honesty and respect for intellectual property is essential to advancing credible research in homoeopathy and interdisciplinary sciences.
PUBLICATION FEE POLICY
The International Journal for Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Research in Homoeopathy (IJFIRH) operates as an open-access platform committed to the unrestricted dissemination of scholarly work. To support editorial processes, peer review management, digital hosting, DOI assignment, and long-term archiving, an Article Processing Charge (APC) is levied for accepted manuscripts. This fee helps sustain the operational requirements necessary to maintain high standards of academic publishing.
No fee is charged at the time of manuscript submission. The APC is applicable only after a manuscript has successfully completed the peer review process and has been formally accepted for publication. The publication fee is ₹1850 (Indian Rupees One Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty only) per article.
The journal ensures that all editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, scientific quality, and adherence to ethical standards, and are completely independent of the authors’ ability to pay. There is no influence of financial considerations on the peer review or editorial decision-making process.
IJFIRH maintains full transparency in its publication charges. No hidden fees, fast-track processing charges, or additional costs are imposed on authors beyond the stated APC. All accepted articles are published with open-access availability, ensuring maximum visibility, accessibility, and eligibility for indexing
This fee model supports the journal’s mission to provide an ethical, sustainable, and accessible academic publishing platform for researchers, practitioners, and scholars in homoeopathy and interdisciplinary fields.
Fee waivers may be considered in special cases.
MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION POLICY
Scope and Types of Submissions - IJFIRH welcomes original, high-quality manuscripts in homoeopathy and interdisciplinary health sciences, including research articles, reviews, case reports, short communications, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, editorials, and letters.
Submission Requirements and Process - All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online system using Open Journal Systems. Submissions must comply with the Author Guidelines and include all required documents such as the manuscript file, title page, cover letter, declarations (originality, conflicts of interest, funding), ethical approvals (where applicable), and the signed copyright form. Manuscripts must be original, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by all authors prior to submission.
Authorship and Responsibilities - Authorship is based on substantial intellectual contribution to the study. All authors must approve the final manuscript and take responsibility for the integrity of the work. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged.
Editorial Screening and Peer Review - All submissions undergo initial editorial screening followed by a double-blind peer review by independent experts. Editorial decisions are based on reviewer feedback and academic merit.
Ethical and Publishing Standards - Authors must comply with ethical requirements, including approval from relevant ethics committees and informed consent where applicable. The journal follows standards recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics and aligns with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.
Publication and Post-Submission Process - Accepted manuscripts undergo copyediting and proofing before publication. Articles are published as open access and assigned a DOI for permanent identification.
Withdrawal and Editorial Policies - Manuscripts may be withdrawn before acceptance with valid justification. Post-acceptance withdrawal is allowed only in exceptional circumstances. Duplicate or simultaneous submissions are considered unethical.
Compliance and Indexing Standards - IJFIRH adheres to internationally recognized publishing practices, like COPE Code of Conduct, ICMJE Recommendations and aligns with standards expected by indexing platforms, including Directory of Open Access Journals, PubMed, Scopus, etc.
