Copyright Policy
JIRMI is committed to open access, author rights, and transparent intellectual property practices across all disciplines — law, medicine, sciences, engineering, arts, and beyond. This page explains what rights you retain, what you grant us, and how your work is protected.
All articles published in JIRMI are released under this licence — free to share and adapt worldwide with attribution.
Our Copyright Philosophy
JIRMI believes that knowledge belongs to its creators and to the world — not to publishers. Our copyright policy is built on three principles: authors own their work, the public can access it freely, and the terms are clear and unambiguous.
JIRMI — the Journal of Interdisciplinary Research & Multidisciplinary Inquiry — is an open-access publication that accepts original scholarship across all disciplines: law, medicine, the natural sciences, engineering and technology, social sciences, business and management, arts and humanities, education, and every field in between. This Copyright Policy applies uniformly to all manuscripts published in JIRMI, regardless of subject area, author category, or institutional affiliation.
The policy is effective from January 2026 and applies to all articles accepted and published from this date onwards. It may be revised periodically — authors will be notified of material changes, and the version in force at the time of acceptance governs the terms of publication.
Core position: Authors retain full copyright in their work at all times. JIRMI does not claim ownership over any article published in the journal. Publication in JIRMI does not transfer copyright — it grants JIRMI a licence to publish and distribute.
The Licence You Grant to JIRMI
By submitting and agreeing to publish your manuscript in JIRMI, you grant the journal a specific, limited, non-exclusive licence. This section describes exactly what that licence covers — and what it does not.
Upon acceptance of your manuscript and payment of the Article Processing Fee, you grant JIRMI a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual licence to:
- Publish the article in its current and future issues in print and/or digital format
- Host the article permanently on JIRMI.IN and its mirror/backup servers
- Register the article's DOI via CrossRef and submit metadata to indexing services
- Distribute the article to readers, researchers, and academic databases as open access under the CC BY 4.0 licence
- Create derivative formats (e.g. mobile-optimised versions, accessibility-compliant versions) for distribution
- Include the article in print collections or special issues of JIRMI, with attribution
This licence does not transfer ownership. JIRMI is not the copyright holder. We cannot grant third parties permissions that exceed those in the CC BY 4.0 licence without the author's explicit written consent. Authors retain the right to pursue infringement claims independently.
Warranty by the Author
By submitting, you warrant that:
- Original workThe manuscript is your original creation. It has not been published elsewhere, in whole or in substantial part, in any language or format.
- No prior assignmentYou have not previously assigned copyright or granted an exclusive licence in the work to any third party (including another journal, publisher, or employer) that would prevent publication in JIRMI.
- Third-party clearanceWhere the manuscript includes third-party material (figures, data, images, tables, quotations), you have obtained the necessary permissions and these are documented.
- No defamation or infringementThe manuscript does not contain material that is defamatory, unlawful, or that infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party.
- Co-author consentAll co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and consented to its submission and publication on these terms.
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 Explained
All articles published in JIRMI are made available to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. This section explains exactly what this means for readers, researchers, and institutions who wish to use published work.
Copy and redistribute the article in any medium or format — print, digital, broadcast, or otherwise.
Remix, transform, translate, or build upon the article — including for commercial purposes.
Use the work commercially — in books, reports, educational material, or any commercial product.
Include the article in course materials, AI training datasets, institutional learning platforms, and research databases.
Reproduce in institutional repositories, policy briefs, government reports, and inter-agency documents.
The licence is perpetual. There is no embargo period — the article is open access from the day it is published.
The only condition — Attribution (BY): Anyone who uses this work must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. They may not suggest that the author endorses them or their use. The credit must include the author name(s), the article title, the journal name (JIRMI), the volume/issue/year, and the DOI.
Why CC BY 4.0? We chose CC BY 4.0 because it maximises the reach and impact of your research. Unlike more restrictive licences, CC BY 4.0 allows your work to be translated, adapted, and cited in textbooks, policy documents, and AI systems worldwide — with your name always attached. It is the standard adopted by major open-access journals and funders including Wellcome Trust, Gates Foundation, NIH, and many Indian government research initiatives.
Self-Archiving & Preprint Policy
JIRMI operates a fully permissive self-archiving policy. We do not restrict where you share your work before, during, or after publication. The following table summarises what is permitted at each stage.
| Version | Permitted? | Where & When | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preprint (pre-submission draft) | ✓ Yes | SSRN, arXiv, bioRxiv, SSRN, OSF, personal website — any time before or during review | Disclose preprint in submission notes |
| Submitted manuscript (under review) | ✓ Yes | Personal website, departmental page, institutional repository | May not be posted to other journals or peer-review platforms |
| Accepted manuscript (post-review, pre-formatted) | ✓ Yes | Institutional repository, personal website, SSRN, Academia.edu, ResearchGate | Add note: "Accepted for publication in JIRMI, [Year], DOI: [xxx]" |
| Published version (JIRMI formatted PDF) | ✓ Yes | Anywhere — personal site, repository, social media, ResearchGate | Cite JIRMI as original publisher with DOI link |
| Republication in another journal | Conditional | With prior written consent from JIRMI and full disclosure to new publisher | Must acknowledge first publication in JIRMI |
| Inclusion in a book or anthology | ✓ Yes | As a chapter in your own book or an edited volume | Acknowledge first publication in JIRMI with DOI |
| Translation into another language | ✓ Yes | Non-commercial and commercial translations both permitted under CC BY 4.0 | Credit original: "Originally published in JIRMI, [DOI]" |
| Inclusion in PhD / MPhil thesis | ✓ Yes | As a chapter or appendix in your thesis, in any institutional repository | Acknowledge publication in JIRMI in thesis |
Recommended attribution format: [Author(s)]. "[Article Title]." Journal of Interdisciplinary Research & Multidisciplinary Inquiry (JIRMI), Vol. X, Issue X, [Year]. DOI: [doi link]. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Using Third-Party Material in Your Manuscript
If your manuscript includes material created by others — figures, images, tables, data, substantial quotations, or code — you are responsible for obtaining and documenting permissions before submission. This applies across all disciplines.
The CC BY 4.0 licence covers the original content of your manuscript. It does not and cannot cover third-party material embedded within your article that is governed by separate copyright. Authors must ensure that any such material is either:
- In the public domain (and this is confirmed)
- Licensed under a compatible open licence (e.g. CC BY, CC0)
- Reproduced with the written permission of the copyright holder
- Reproduced under a recognised fair dealing / fair use exception applicable in the relevant jurisdiction
Third-Party Content by Discipline — Common Scenarios
Author liability: The author bears sole responsibility for obtaining third-party permissions. JIRMI will not be liable for any copyright infringement arising from third-party material included in a published article. Post-publication discovery of unpermitted third-party material may result in retraction.
Policy on AI-Assisted & AI-Generated Content
The use of AI tools in academic research and writing is a rapidly evolving area. JIRMI's policy reflects current best practices across all disciplines and will be updated as standards develop.
- Grammar and language editing (Grammarly, Hemingway, etc.)
- Literature search assistance and summarisation for research purposes
- Data analysis and visualisation tools
- Translation assistance (with human review)
- Code generation for computational research (must be disclosed)
- Image processing and scientific visualisation
- Listing an AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.) as an author or co-author — AI systems cannot hold authorship
- Submitting AI-generated text as your own original analysis without disclosure
- Using AI to fabricate or hallucinate citations, data, or research findings
- Generating AI-fabricated clinical case studies, legal judgments, or experimental results
Disclosure requirement: If AI tools were used in any aspect of the research or writing process (beyond basic spell-check), this must be disclosed in the manuscript's Acknowledgements section before submission. The disclosure must name the tool(s) used and describe the nature of the assistance. Failure to disclose known AI use is treated as a breach of academic integrity and may result in retraction. This requirement applies to all disciplines without exception.
Corrections, Retractions & Expressions of Concern
JIRMI follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern. These procedures apply to all published articles across all disciplines.
Error, misconduct, or concern reported by author, reviewer, reader, or institution
Editor-in-Chief investigates, may seek independent expert review or contact institution
Correction notice, Expression of Concern, or Retraction Notice issued
Published notice linked to original article; metadata updated in CrossRef and DOI system
- CorrectionIssued when a genuine error in a published article does not affect the validity of the findings or conclusions. The original article remains; a correction notice is published and linked.
- Expression of ConcernIssued when JIRMI has received credible information suggesting research misconduct, but investigations are pending or inconclusive. The article remains accessible pending resolution.
- RetractionIssued when the findings are unreliable due to error or fabrication; plagiarism or duplicate publication is confirmed; the research was conducted without proper ethical approval; or the author lacked the right to publish the work. A retraction notice is published, the article is visibly marked as retracted, but the text remains accessible for the historical record.
To report a concern: Write to editor@jirmi.in with the subject line "Publication Concern — [Article DOI]". All reports are treated confidentially and investigated in accordance with COPE guidelines.
This Policy Applies to All Disciplines
JIRMI's Copyright Policy is discipline-neutral. Every article we publish — whether a legal analysis, a clinical trial review, a machine learning paper, or a literary criticism — is governed by the same terms. The licence is CC BY 4.0. The author retains copyright. The conditions are identical.
Questions & Permissions Requests
For questions about this policy, permission requests beyond those covered by CC BY 4.0, or to report a copyright concern, please contact us directly. We respond within 3 business days.
Copyright & Permissions
For permissions requests, licensing enquiries, or copyright disputes regarding published articles.
editor@jirmi.in →Publication Integrity
To report plagiarism, fabrication, duplicate publication, or other integrity concerns about a specific article.
editor@jirmi.in →Governing law: This Copyright Policy is governed by the laws of India. Any disputes relating to copyright in articles published in JIRMI shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, without prejudice to an author's right to bring claims in their own jurisdiction where applicable.