Author Credit Policy

The SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) is committed to ensuring fair and transparent authorship credit for all contributors to the research and publication process. Following best practices and ethical standards, we request authors to provide detailed contributions for each manuscript submitted.

Author Contributions

All authors must describe their specific contributions to the research. This should be done using the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) system, which categorizes the following roles:
Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data Curation, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project Administration, and Funding Acquisition

Authorship Criteria

Authors are those individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study and the manuscript. Furthermore, the SMARCONS Journals – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) follows the principles of authorship as stated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ensuring that AI tools cannot be considered as authors of any manuscript. As per the COPE position on authorship and AI tools, only individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research are eligible for authorship. AI, while valuable in assisting with research, does not fulfil the criteria for authorship and is, therefore, not acceptable as an author.

To qualify as an author, individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Have made substantial contributions to the research design, methodology, or analysis.
• Be involved in writing the manuscript or revising it critically for intellectual content.
• Approve the final version of the manuscript to be published.
• Authors should only be listed if they meet these criteria. Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section.

Order of Authors

The order of authorship should reflect the significance of each individual’s contribution to the research. The first author is typically the person who has contributed most to the research and manuscript preparation.

The corresponding author is the primary contact for the manuscript during the submission, review, and publication process. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all co-authors agree with the final version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgement of Non-Authorship Contributions

Individuals who have provided non-authorship contributions (e.g., administrative support, technical assistance, funding) should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.

Ghost and Honorary Authorship

Ghost authorship (excluding individuals who have made significant contributions) and honorary authorship (including individuals who have not made substantial contributions) are strictly prohibited in SMARCONS Journals– Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS).

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for managing communication with the journal, responding to reviewer comments, submitting revisions, and ensuring that all co-authors approve the manuscript before submission and publication.
This policy is designed to uphold the integrity of the research process and ensure fair recognition for all contributions. Authors are encouraged to consult this policy and disclose their contributions clearly at the time of manuscript submission.
For any questions regarding authorship or contributions, authors can contact the editorial office at journals@smarcons.com

Resolving Authorship Disputes

In case of any authorship disputes, the journal will assist in resolving them according to the COPE guidelines. However, since authorship decisions should be finalized before the research begins and must be communicated at the time of submission, the journal cannot independently verify each author's level of contribution after submission. Therefore, it is essential that the Author Contribution Form, duly signed by all listed authors, is submitted along with the manuscript. For further details, please refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) website guidelines.
The following steps outline how the editorial office handles authorship-related concerns:

Step 1: Initial Complaint or Query

Any of the following may raise an authorship dispute:

• One or more authors listed on the manuscript
• An individual claiming authorship was wrongly included or excluded
• A third party (e.g., institutional representative)

Complaints should be submitted in writing to the editorial office at: journals@smarcons.com. The complaint must clearly state the nature of the authorship concern and provide any relevant supporting documents (e.g., communications, contribution statements).

Step 2: Acknowledgement and Temporary Hold

The Editor-in-Chief acknowledges receipt within five working days. If the manuscript is under review or consideration, the editorial process is paused until the dispute is resolved.

Step 3: Collection of Written Statements

Each named author (and anyone claiming authorship) is asked to submit a signed written statement describing:

• Their contribution to the manuscript (as mentioned in the attached Journal Specific Form).
• Their view on the authorship order and inclusion/exclusion of others
• These statements are reviewed by the EiC and/or Ethics Committee.

Step 4: Referral to Institution (If required)

• Suppose the authors cannot reach a consensus and the dispute involves alleged misconduct or bad faith (e.g., gift or ghost authorship). In that case, the matter is referred to the institution(s) affiliated with the authors for formal investigation.
• COPE guidelines emphasize that editors cannot adjudicate on individual contributions.
• Editors will pause all manuscript processing until the institution provides a conclusion.

Step 5: Outcome and Editorial Action

Based on the resolution:

• If the issue is resolved among authors and all parties agree, the manuscript is processed accordingly.
• If an institution finds and confirms misconduct, the journal may reject or retract the article and notify all relevant parties.
• If no agreement or institutional resolution is received, the journal may decline further consideration of the work.

Step 6: Communication and Documentation

All communications are documented confidentially. Final decisions are shared in writing with all concerned parties.

 Step 7: Mediation (Optional)

• If authors remain in conflict despite efforts, the journal may offer optional mediation via the journal’s Ombudsperson or refer to a neutral third-party academic mediator.
• If disputes remain unresolved, we may escalate the matter to the authors’ institutions or issue an expression of concern.

Authorship roles

While the author’s responsibilities may vary depending on the research project, SMARCONS – Journal of Excellence in Management Sciences (JEMS) expects submitting authors and corresponding authors to fulfil specific tasks.

To aid you in choosing who is best placed to submit as the corresponding author, we have created the table below. For any questions, please contact us or the journal Editorial Office for your submitted journal.

 

Task	Author Submitting	Corresponding Author
Ensuring the accuracy of all article content, including authors’ names, addresses, and affiliations.	X
Taking the lead on open access initiatives, including eligibility for OA vouchers.		X
Serving as the primary point of contact for all inquiries related to the published article.		X
Providing and managing the email address included in the published article.		X
Acting as the main communicator with the journal for all matters.	X
Managing the submission process and responding to peer reviews.	X
Receiving notifications and updates through the submission system.	X	X
Handling administrative tasks and ensuring deadlines are promptly met.	X
Ensuring prompt response to deadlines.	X
Addressing disclosures related to research ethics and permissions.	X
Responding to any queries throughout the publication process.	X