Editorial Policy
Preamble
Discourse: Xaverian Research Journal is the official peer-reviewed academic journal of St. Xavier’s College for Women (Autonomous), Aluva. Published bi- annually in March and September, the journal is committed to fostering a culture of rigorous, ethical, and original scholarship. This editorial policy sets forth the standards, procedures, and obligations that govern all aspects of submission, review, publication, and post-publication conduct. All authors, reviewers, and editors associated with Discourse are expected to uphold these principles in letter and spirit.
1.Aims & Scope
2. Ethical Publishing Practices
2.1 Originality and Plagiarism
2.2 Research Ethics and Informed Consent
2.3 Fabrication and Misconduct
3. Authorship & Contributorship
3.1 Criteria for Authorship
3.2 Corresponding Author
Discourse welcomes original research contributions from faculty, research scholars, and advanced students across disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, commerce, and interdisciplinary fields. The journal encourages scholarly work that advances knowledge, addresses contemporary challenges, and reflects the values of academic integrity and intellectual excellence.
The journal does not publish work that has been previously published, simultaneously submitted
elsewhere, or that violates ethical standards of research.
2.1 Originality and Plagiarism
All manuscripts submitted to Discourse must be original works of the author(s). Submissions must
not reproduce, in substantial part, any previously published work by the same or other authors
without proper attribution. The following constitute violations of originality standards and are strictly prohibited:
• Verbatim or near-verbatim reproduction of text without quotation marks and citation
• Paraphrasing another’s work without due acknowledgement
• Presenting another researcher’s data, analysis, or conclusions as one’s own
• Duplicate or redundant publication of the same research in multiple outlets
2.2 Research Ethics and Informed Consent
Research involving human participants must comply with established ethical norms and applicable
institutional and national guidelines. Authors must confirm the following at the time of submission:
• Approval from a recognised Institutional Ethics Committee or Review Board, where applicable
For research conducted within St. Xavier’s College, authors must submit evidence of clearance
from the relevant institutional authority, where required.
2.3 Fabrication and Misconduct
Fabrication, falsification, or selective reporting of research data are considered grave breaches of
academic integrity. The editorial board reserves the right to investigate allegations of misconduct
at any stage — before or after publication — and to take appropriate action, including rejection,
retraction, or referral to the author’s institution.
3.1 Criteria for Authorship
Authorship of articles published in Discourse must be based on substantive intellectual
contribution. In accordance with internationally recognised standards, each author listed on a
manuscript must have:
• Made a significant contribution to the conception, design, or execution of the research, or
to the analysis and interpretation of data
• Drafted or critically revised the manuscript for intellectual content
• Approved the final version of the manuscript for submission
• Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work
3.2 Corresponding Author
One author must be designated as the corresponding author at the time of submission. The
corresponding author is responsible for all communication with the editorial office, for ensuring
that all co-authors are informed of the submission and its progress, and for obtaining confirmations
from all co-authors before submission. Changes to authorship after submission will not ordinarily
be permitted and must be approved in writing by all listed authors.
- Peer Review Process
4.1 Overview
Discourse operates a rigorous two-stage peer review process combining internal faculty evaluation with external scholarly assessment. The review process is designed to ensure academic quality, fairness, and constructive engagement with each submission. All manuscripts
undergo both stages of review before a final editorial decision is communicated to the author(s).
4.2 Stage One: Internal Review
Upon receipt of a submission, the manuscript is first assigned to members of the Internal Review Committee, comprising faculty from St. Xavier’s College for Women (Autonomous), Aluva, who hold expertise in the relevant discipline. The internal reviewers assess the manuscript for the following:
• Adherence to the journal’s scope, aims, and submission guidelines
• Originality of the research question and contribution
• Methodological soundness and rigour
• Clarity of argumentation and quality of writing
• Compliance with ethical standards
Following internal review, the editor-in-charge will communicate one of the following preliminary decisions to the author(s): acceptance for external review, request for revision prior to external review, or rejection. Manuscripts that do not meet the minimum threshold of scholarly quality or compliance with journal guidelines may be rejected at this stage without proceeding to external review.
4.3 Stage Two: External Review
Manuscripts that successfully pass the internal review stage are forwarded to the External Review Committee, comprising subject-matter experts from academic institutions other than St. Xavier’s College for Women (Autonomous), Aluva. External reviewers are selected on the basis of their disciplinary expertise and are required to declare the absence of any conflict of interest with the authors or the subject matter prior to undertaking the review.
External reviewers provide a detailed evaluation of the manuscript and recommend one of the
following outcomes:
• Accept as submitted
• Accept with minor revisions
• Accept with major revisions
• Reject
The editor-in-charge will consolidate the internal and external review reports before communicating a final decision to the author(s). In cases of divergent opinions between reviewers, the editor-in-charge may seek a third opinion or exercise editorial judgement.
4.4 Confidentiality
All manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or otherwise disclose the contents of a manuscript to any third party during or after the review process. Reviewers must not use unpublished information from a manuscript for their own
research without the explicit written consent of the author(s). Any breach of confidentiality will result in the reviewer’s removal from the review committee. Similarly, authors must not contact reviewers directly or attempt to identify the identity of reviewers. The editorial office will not disclose reviewer identities to authors.
4.5 Timelines
The editorial office endeavours to communicate preliminary decisions following internal review within four weeks of receipt of a complete and correctly formatted submission. Following external review, authors can expect a final decision within eight to twelve weeks. Authors are advised to
check submission guidelines carefully to avoid delays caused by formatting or documentation deficiencies.
Submission Guidelines
Manuscripts must be submitted electronically to the editorial office of Discourse. Authors are
required to submit the following at the time of submission:
| The complete manuscript in the prescribed format (Microsoft Word) should be mailed to discourse@stxaviersaluva.ac.in |
| A title page including author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), contact details, and ORCID identifier (if available) |
| A structured abstract of 150-250 words and 4-6 keywords |
| Ethics approval documentation, where applicable |
| A covering letter addressed to the Editor-in-Chief |
| Publication Fee: Rs. 1000 (Payment must be made through the mode specified by the editorial office with a proof of payment. The Fee may be revised periodically by the Editorial Board in response to changes in operational costs, printing and distribution expenses, or institutional requirements.) |
| Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the author(s) without review. Detailed formatting guidelines, including word limits, referencing style, and section structure, are available in the Author Guidelines published on the journal’s official platform. |
7. Amendments to this Policy
This editorial policy is reviewed annually by the Editorial Board. Amendments may be made in response to changes in publishing standards, institutional requirements, or emerging best practices. Authors, reviewers, and editors will be notified of material changes.
The current version
of the policy, along with its effective date, will be maintained on the journal’s official platform.