Terms and Conditions

1. Scope and Binding Agreement

International Journal of Intellectual Disability (the "Journal"), published by AkiNik Publications (the "Publisher"), accepts submissions relevant to intellectual and developmental disabilities, cognitive disability, autism spectrum disorder, mental health, dementias, behavioural sciences, psychology, special education, rehabilitation and allied disciplines, as detailed in the scope section on the Journal's homepage. By submitting a manuscript, authors enter into a legally binding agreement and confirm they have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions in their entirety.

2. Manuscript Review and Decision Authority

Review Process: All manuscripts are screened for plagiarism and then undergo a double-blind peer review process, in which both authors and reviewers remain anonymous. Each submission is first assessed by an editor and, if it meets the Journal's editorial policies and minimum quality level, is sent to two reviewers. A manuscript number is communicated to the corresponding author within one week of submission. While the Journal strives to notify authors of the decision within 15–25 working days, this is an estimate and not a guarantee.
Fast Track Publication: Authors who opt for the Journal's fast track publication service may have their article published within 1 week of manuscript submission. This timeline is also an estimate, and fast track manuscripts are subject to the same double-blind peer review and editorial standards.
Editorial Finality: The decision of the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board regarding acceptance or rejection is final and not subject to appeal. Where revisions are requested, acceptance is conditional on the authors addressing them satisfactorily.
Submission Exclusivity: Authors are strictly prohibited from submitting the manuscript to other journals while it is under review here. Only original work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere may be submitted.

3. Non-Withdrawal and Cancellation Policy

To protect the Journal's resources and editorial efforts:

Irrevocability: Once a manuscript is accepted for publication, it cannot be withdrawn or canceled. The Publisher can withdraw it at their discretion.
Commitment: By submitting, authors guarantee their intent to publish. Any request to withdraw post-acceptance will be denied, and the Journal reserves the right to proceed with publication or take disciplinary action.

4. Copyright and Intellectual Property Transfer

Grant of Rights: Upon acceptance, copyright belongs to the Publisher and authors grant the Publisher an exclusive license to publish, distribute, and archive the work, as set out in the Copyright Agreement and Authorship Responsibility form. The author may not republish the work elsewhere without express written permission from the Publisher.
Author Warranty: Authors warrant that the work is original, contains no defamatory material, and does not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property. Authors further warrant that any research involving human participants, in particular children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, dementia or other conditions affecting the capacity to consent, was conducted with the required Institutional Ethics Committee approval and informed consent (from the participant or, where the participant lacks capacity, from a parent or legal guardian), and that the privacy and confidentiality of participants and their families have been protected.
Indemnification: Authors agree to indemnify and hold the Publisher harmless against any legal claims, damages, or costs arising from a breach of these warranties.
Work Enhancement: The Publisher has full rights to enhance the quality of the manuscript without notifying the author(s).

5. Fees and Strict Refund Policy

Processing Fees: The Journal levies no submission charges. The publication fee, as stated on the Instructions to Author page, is payable after the manuscript has been accepted for publication. All fees must be paid in full before the manuscript enters the production stage.
No Refund Policy: Once a manuscript has been accepted for publication or has entered the editorial/production workflow, no refunds shall be issued.
Exceptional Refunds: In cases of duplicate or accidental overpayment, refunds will be processed within 7 working days, minus any administrative or bank transaction charges.

6. Plagiarism and Ethical Misconduct

Detection: All manuscripts are screened via advanced plagiarism software prior to peer review. Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, is strictly prohibited.
Sanctions: If plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data or images is discovered at any stage, the Journal reserves the right to:
1. Reject the manuscript immediately.
2. Issue a formal retraction (if already published), in accordance with the COPE retraction guidelines followed by the Journal.
3. Impose a permanent ban on all authors.
4. Notify the authors' respective institutions or governing boards.
Ethical Compliance: Authors must adhere to the Journal's Peer Review and Publication Policy. Any attempt to manipulate or bypass the double-blind peer review process, including attempts to identify or contact reviewers, is considered a serious ethical breach.
Software Limitation: Such software is not always 100% accurate and may miss detecting some parts of the manuscript or may generate false-positive reports. If the Publisher is notified of plagiarism in a published paper, the Publisher has the full right to withdraw it.

7. Delivery and Physical Products

Timeline: Printed copies of the Journal and publication certificates are dispatched by post to the address provided by the author within 20–60 working days depending on the destination and regional logistics. Any change of address must be notified to the Journal's office in advance.
Liability: The Publisher is not liable for losses, damages, or delays caused by third-party courier services or the Indian Postal Department. Items lost in transit will be redispatched at the Publisher's discretion.

8. Limitation of Liability (The "Hold Harmless" Clause)

The Publisher, its editors, and its affiliates shall not be held liable for:

Any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in published content.
Direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from the use of the Journal's website or published materials, including any reliance on diagnostic, therapeutic, care, rehabilitation or educational information contained therein. Published content does not constitute medical, psychological or educational advice.
Operational Delays: Delays in review, publication, communication, or delivery caused by regional factors, technical failures, or force majeure.

9. Communication and Corrections

Author Duty: Authors must provide a valid email address and monitor it (including spam folders). All official correspondence from the editorial office is sent by email. The Publisher is not responsible for missed deadlines due to communication failures on the author's end.
Post-Publication Corrections: The Journal is under no obligation to correct author-side errors after publication unless they significantly impact the scientific integrity of the work. Authors who discover a significant error in their published work must notify the editorial office immediately so that a correction or retraction can be issued as appropriate.

10. Modification of Terms

The Publisher reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice. The version of the Terms in effect at the time of submission shall govern the manuscript.

11. Dispute Resolution and Jurisdiction

All disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Rohini (Delhi), India. This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India.