Research Policy

Authorship and Research Ethics Policy

Consilience Research Foundation (CRF)
Version 1.0 | Effective Date: 1st July 2025

1. Objective and Scope

The purpose of this policy is to establish a transparent, fair, and ethical framework for authorship, research collaboration, and academic publication under the Consilience Research Foundation (CRF). This policy applies to all individuals associated with CRF—including students, interns, mentors, fellows, faculty, and collaborators—engaged in research, publication, and knowledge dissemination activities under the foundation’s banner.

It seeks to promote integrity, originality, accountability, and mutual respect in academic practices and to prevent unethical practices such as ghost authorship, data manipulation, plagiarism, or misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).

2. Guidelines on Authorship

Authorship is not just about credit—it carries the weight of responsibility and accountability for the published work. CRF recognizes global norms on authorship such as those from ICMJE, COPE, and UGC CARE.

2.1 Student as First Author

·        When a student or intern independently conducts the research, prepares the manuscript, performs analysis, and coordinates with a mentor or guide, they will be granted first authorship.

·        Mentors may be listed as corresponding authors where they guide the student through the process.

2.2 Student as Co-Author

·        If a student contributes at least 80% of core tasks—such as data analysis, literature review, experimentation, and manuscript writing—they may be listed as co-authors.

·        Their contribution must be clearly identifiable and independently verifiable.

2.3 Mentor as First Author

·        In cases where the mentor conceptualizes the idea, frames the objectives, performs the critical technical write-up, and assigns the student to execute minor or routine tasks, the mentor will be listed as the first and corresponding author.

·        This applies especially to thesis guidance or institutional research projects initiated by the mentor.

2.4 Acknowledgement Only

·        Those who assist in formatting, proofreading, minor visuals, or basic administrative tasks may be acknowledged in the paper but shall not be credited as authors.

3. Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

CRF supports responsible and transparent integration of AI tools in research, while emphasizing that human intellect and validation are irreplaceable.

·        Use of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc., must be explicitly declared in the acknowledgments or methods section.

·        AI-generated content should not substitute for analytical thinking, interpretation, or core writing.

·        Researchers must review, verify, and take full responsibility for any content produced with AI assistance.

Example Disclosure:
“Generative AI tools were used to support the initial literature draft, reviewed and finalized under mentor supervision.”

4. Research Due Diligence

Every researcher affiliated with CRF must demonstrate:

·        Diligent record keeping of tasks, communications, and drafts.

·        Use of verifiable datasets, valid analysis methods, and reproducible findings.

·        Proper documentation of contribution percentages for authorship transparency.

·        Compliance with CRF's internal documentation templates for project tracking.

5. Plagiarism and Originality Standards

CRF enforces a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism in any form—textual, conceptual, visual, or code-based.

·        All manuscripts must be passed through Turnitin, Grammarly Plagiarism, or URKUND.

·        Acceptable similarity should be less than 15%, excluding citations and bibliography.

·        Plagiarized content will result in removal from authorship and further disciplinary review.

·        Self-plagiarism (reusing one’s own published work) must also be declared with proper citation.

6. Guidelines for Use of Secondary Data

·        Use of secondary or publicly available data must include detailed citation including:

o   Source

o   Access date

o   Usage license (e.g., CC BY-SA)

·        Datasets must be from credible repositories such as:
Kaggle, UCI, UNData, World Bank, ICSSR Data Archive, etc.

·        When using proprietary or sensitive datasets, explicit permission must be obtained and documented.

·        All limitations and biases related to secondary data must be acknowledged in the study.

7. Ethical Code and Software Attribution

·        All open-source code must be cited properly along with version and license details.

·        When adapting GitHub code or model weights, researchers must:

o   Clearly state what was reused.

o   Provide the link to the original repository.

o   Mention what was newly developed or modified.

8. Handling Misconduct, Conflicts, and Disputes

If any concern arises about:

·        Disputes in authorship order

·        Misrepresentation of data

·        Fabrication or falsification of results

·        Undeclared use of AI tools

·        Duplicate submission to multiple journals

It will be referred to the CRF Ethics Committee for formal investigation. Penalties may include:

·        Temporary or permanent suspension from authorship

·        Retraction of submitted or published work

·        Public apology or correction note

·        Notification to affiliated institutions (if applicable)

9. Consent and Approval for Publication

Before a paper is submitted for publication:

·        All listed authors must review and approve the final manuscript.

·        No person’s name shall be included or removed from authorship without written email consent.

·        CRF will maintain a formal Authorship Contribution Log for each publication.

10. Final Declaration by Researchers

All individuals submitting or contributing to research under CRF must:

·        Commit to ethical research conduct and authentic authorship.

·        Acknowledge co-creators, AI tools, datasets, software, and mentors.

·        Avoid any form of data or authorship misrepresentation.

·        Seek clarity when in doubt from mentors or the CRF Ethics Board.

🔖 Approved by:
Mentorship & Ethics Review Board
Consilience Research Foundation (CRF)
📩 Email: admin@consilienceresearch.in
🌐 Website: www.consilienceresearch.in/research-policy