Research and Publications - Legal & Policies

RESEARCH ETHICS POLICY

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

1. Introduction

StratVision Forum (SVF) is committed to promoting responsible, credible and evidence-based research. SVF undertakes and supports research in areas including strategic affairs, international relations, public policy, governance, defence and security, digital diplomacy, emerging technologies, sustainable development and civic development. Research conducted under, supported by, or published through SVF should meet appropriate standards of honesty, integrity, academic responsibility and respect for individuals and communities. This Research Ethics Policy establishes the principles that researchers, authors, fellows, interns, volunteers, consultants and other persons involved in SVF research are expected to follow.

2. Scope of the Policy

This Policy applies to research activities conducted, commissioned, supported, funded or published by SVF.

It may apply to:

Research projects
Surveys
Interviews
Field studies
Case studies
Policy research
Academic research
Collaborative research
Research reports
Working papers
Policy briefs
Research-based articles
Research conducted by fellows and interns and
Other research activities associated with SVF.

Where a project is conducted jointly with another institution, additional ethical requirements of the collaborating institution may also apply.

3. Research Integrity

Researchers associated with SVF are expected to conduct their work honestly and responsibly. Research findings should reflect the evidence available to the researcher. Researchers must not knowingly manipulate evidence to produce a predetermined conclusion. Where evidence is uncertain, incomplete or contradictory, researchers should acknowledge those limitations.

4. Originality

Researchers must ensure that their work is original or that the sources and contributions used in the work are properly acknowledged. Using another person's ideas, arguments, words, data, research findings or creative work without appropriate acknowledgement may constitute academic misconduct. Researchers should maintain proper records of the sources used during their research.

5. Plagiarism

SVF does not accept plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes presenting another person's work, ideas, arguments, language, data or findings as one's own without appropriate acknowledgement.

This includes:

Copying text without citation
Presenting another person's ideas as original
Reusing substantial material without appropriate acknowledgement
Submitting another person's work under one's own name; and
Inappropriate use of translated material without attribution.

Where plagiarism is identified, SVF may reject, withdraw or otherwise take appropriate action concerning the affected work.

6. Fabrication and Falsification

Researchers must not fabricate or falsify research information. Fabrication means creating data, evidence, interviews, sources or research results that did not actually exist. Falsification means deliberately altering, manipulating, omitting or misrepresenting research information in a way that creates a misleading result. Such conduct is considered serious research misconduct.

7. Accurate Representation of Evidence

Researchers should distinguish clearly between:

Verified facts
Research findings
Interpretations
Assumptions
Opinions; and
Predictions or assessments.

Where a conclusion is based on limited evidence, the limitations should be acknowledged. Researchers should not deliberately present speculation as established fact.

8. Research Participants

Where research involves individuals, researchers should treat participants with dignity and respect.

Participants should, where appropriate, be informed about:

Where digital personal data is collected, researchers must follow the SVF Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy and applicable requirements under the DPDP Act and Rules. Before collection, the research team should provide an appropriate participant notice explaining the relevant personal data, purpose of processing, participation arrangements and applicable rights or withdrawal mechanisms.

The purpose of the research
Their expected involvement
How information may be used
Whether participation is voluntary; and
Any reasonably foreseeable risks associated with participation.

Researchers should avoid unnecessary collection of personal information.

9. Informed Participation

Where informed consent is required or appropriate, researchers should provide participants with sufficient information to make an informed decision about participation. Participation should not be obtained through deception, coercion or undue pressure. Where a particular research project requires additional consent procedures, the research team should establish those procedures before data collection begins.

10. Confidentiality

Where consent is the basis for processing personal data, the research team should ensure that consent is specific, informed, unambiguous and limited to data reasonably necessary for the stated purpose. A participant should be able to withdraw consent where consent is the applicable basis, subject to applicable law and legitimate research requirements.

Researchers may receive information that participants or institutions expect to remain confidential. Researchers should protect confidential information and should not disclose identifiable information beyond the authorised purpose. Where anonymity has been promised to a participant, researchers should take reasonable steps to prevent identification.

11. Vulnerable Participants

Research involving vulnerable individuals or communities requires additional care. Researchers should consider the participant's age, circumstances, ability to provide informed consent and potential risks associated with participation. Where appropriate, additional safeguards or permissions should be established before research begins.

12. Research Data

Researchers should maintain research data responsibly.

Research data should be:

Where research data contains personal data, the research team must apply data minimisation, purpose limitation, access controls, secure storage, appropriate retention and secure deletion. Identifiable information should be separated from research outputs wherever identification is not necessary.

Collected for a legitimate research purpose
Stored securely
Accessed only by authorised persons
Kept for an appropriate period; and
Disposed of securely when no longer required.

Where individual identification is unnecessary, researchers should consider using anonymised or aggregated information.

13. Sources and References

Researchers should use reliable and appropriate sources. Where information is obtained from books, academic publications, government documents, databases, interviews, websites, reports or other sources, the source should be appropriately acknowledged. Researchers should not knowingly cite sources that they have not consulted in a manner that creates a false impression of research.

14. Research with Human Participants

Research involving human participants should receive appropriate ethical consideration before the research begins.

Depending on the nature and scale of the project, this may include consideration of:

Potential risks
Participant consent
Confidentiality
Data protection
Anonymity
Researcher safety; and
Appropriate institutional permissions.

Where an external institution requires ethical approval, researchers should comply with that requirement.

15. Researcher Safety

Researchers conducting interviews, fieldwork or other activities outside normal office or academic environments should consider their own safety as well as the safety of participants. Research should not place researchers or participants at unnecessary risk.

16. Conflicts of Interest

Researchers should disclose interests that could reasonably affect the independence or credibility of their research. Conflicts of interest are addressed in greater detail in the SVF Conflict of Interest Policy.

17. Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

Researchers may use artificial intelligence tools where appropriate, provided that their use does not compromise research integrity.

Researchers remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of their work.

AI tools should not be used to fabricate sources, evidence, quotations, interviews, data or research findings.

Where required by SVF's applicable guidelines, significant use of AI in research or writing should be disclosed.

18. Research Misconduct

Research misconduct may include:

Plagiarism
Fabrication
Falsification
Deliberate misrepresentation
Unauthorised use of another person's research
Serious breach of confidentiality
Manipulation of research findings; or
Other serious violations of accepted research standards.

SVF may investigate credible concerns regarding research misconduct.

19. Reporting Ethical Concerns

Concerns regarding research ethics may be reported to:

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Email: publications@stratvisionforum.org.in

Reports should provide sufficient information to allow SVF to understand and assess the concern.

Where possible, SVF will handle such reports responsibly and with appropriate confidentiality.

20. Corrective Action

Where an ethical problem is identified, SVF may take appropriate action depending on its seriousness.

This may include:

Requesting correction
Requiring clarification
Rejecting a submission
Suspending a research activity
Correcting a published work
Removing a publication
Restricting participation in future activities; or
Taking other appropriate institutional action.

21. Policy Review

SVF may review and update this Policy as its research activities develop and as relevant professional, academic or legal standards change.

EDITORIAL POLICY

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

1. Introduction

StratVision Forum publishes research and analysis intended to contribute to informed discussion on strategic, political, security, economic, technological and social issues.

The purpose of this Editorial Policy is to explain how SVF approaches the selection, review, editing, publication and correction of material.

The Policy is intended to maintain the quality, credibility and independence of SVF publications.

2. Types of Material Published

Depending on its programmes and publication activities, SVF may publish:

Research papers
Policy briefs
Working papers
Reports
Articles
Commentaries
Opinion pieces
Interviews
Reviews
Event-based publications
Research summaries; and
Other relevant material.

Different types of publications may follow different review and editorial processes.

3. Editorial Independence

SVF seeks to maintain editorial independence in the selection and publication of material.

Editorial decisions should be based primarily on the quality, relevance, originality, evidence and suitability of the material.

Editorial decisions should not be improperly influenced by political, financial, personal or institutional interests.

4. Selection of Material

SVF may consider factors such as:

Relevance to SVF's areas of work
Quality of research or analysis
Originality
Evidence and sources
Clarity of argument
Relevance to policy or public discussion
Compliance with ethical standards; and
Suitability for the intended publication.

Submission of material does not guarantee publication.

5. Editorial Review

SVF may review submitted material before publication.

Depending on the nature of the work, review may involve:

Editorial assessment
Subject-matter review
Fact-checking
Research-quality assessment
Language and structural editing; or
Other appropriate forms of review.

Not every publication will necessarily undergo the same level of review.

6. Peer Review

Where SVF identifies a publication as peer-reviewed, the relevant review process will be applied according to the standards established for that publication.

Peer review may involve independent experts assessing the quality, methodology, originality or contribution of a submission.

The specific review model may vary according to the publication.

7. Editorial Changes

SVF may make reasonable editorial changes to accepted material for:

Grammar
Clarity
Structure
Consistency
Formatting
Accuracy of presentation; and
Readability.

Substantive changes affecting the author's argument or findings should normally be discussed with the author where appropriate.

8. Factual Accuracy

SVF seeks to publish material based on reliable evidence.

Authors may be asked to clarify sources, claims, statistics or other factual material where questions arise during the editorial process.

Where an error is identified after publication, SVF may issue an appropriate correction.

9. Corrections

If a published work contains a significant factual or editorial error, SVF may publish a correction or clarification.

The nature of the correction will depend on the seriousness of the error.

Minor typographical errors may be corrected without a formal correction notice where appropriate.

10. Retraction and Removal

In serious circumstances, SVF may withdraw or retract a publication.

This may occur where a publication is found to contain:

Serious plagiarism
Fabricated or falsified information
Serious ethical violations
Materially misleading information
Unauthorised use of protected material; or
Other serious problems that undermine the integrity of the publication.

Where appropriate, SVF may explain the reason for a retraction or removal.

11. Authors' Responsibility

Authors remain responsible for the substance of their submitted work.

Authors should ensure that their work is original, properly sourced and consistent with SVF's applicable research and publication standards.

Detailed submission requirements are provided in the SVF Author Guidelines.

12. Editorial Conflicts of Interest

Editors, reviewers and other persons involved in editorial decisions should disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Where a conflict could reasonably affect impartiality, the person concerned may be removed from the relevant editorial decision.

Further requirements are provided in the SVF Conflict of Interest Policy.

13. Confidentiality During Review

Material submitted for editorial consideration should be handled responsibly.

Where manuscripts, reviewer reports, correspondence or supporting files contain personal data, editors and reviewers must handle that information only for authorised editorial purposes and in accordance with the SVF Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy. Personal information should not be copied, downloaded or shared unnecessarily.

Editors and reviewers should not disclose unpublished submissions to unauthorised persons or use unpublished material for their own purposes.

14. Diversity of Perspectives

SVF seeks to encourage informed and constructive discussion.

The organisation may publish different or competing perspectives where they meet its standards for quality, relevance and responsible scholarship.

Publishing a particular perspective does not necessarily mean that SVF endorses every argument presented.

15. Editorial and Institutional Position

Individual publications should not automatically be interpreted as official SVF positions.

Where SVF adopts an official institutional position, it will be identified appropriately.

16. Complaints Regarding Publications

Questions or complaints regarding an SVF publication may be submitted to:

Editorial Office, StratVision Forum
Email: publications@stratvisionforum.org.in

A complaint should clearly identify the publication and explain the concern.

SVF will assess substantive complaints in a reasonable and proportionate manner.

17. Policy Review

SVF may periodically review this Editorial Policy to maintain appropriate standards as its publication activities develop.

AUTHOR GUIDELINES

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

1. About These Guidelines

StratVision Forum welcomes original research and informed analysis from researchers, academics, practitioners, professionals, students and other qualified contributors.

These Author Guidelines explain what contributors should consider before submitting material for publication through SVF.

Specific publications may have additional requirements.

2. Types of Submissions

Depending on the publication programme, SVF may accept:

Research papers
Policy briefs
Research articles
Book review
Strategic report
Interviews
Other research-based contributions.

Authors should select the format that best suits their work.

3. Relevance

Submissions should generally relate to subjects relevant to SVF's areas of work, including:

Strategic affairs
International relations
Defence and security
Public policy
Governance
Digital diplomacy
Cybersecurity
Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
Sustainable development
Civic development; and
Related interdisciplinary subjects.

SVF may consider work outside these areas where it has clear relevance to its objectives.

4. Originality

Submitted work should be original.

Authors should not submit material that:

Has been copied from another person
Contains substantial unattributed material
Has been knowingly fabricated
Has been falsified; or
Infringes another person's rights.

Authors should disclose if substantially similar material has already been published elsewhere.

5. Structure of a Submission

The structure will depend on the type of submission.

A research article will normally benefit from:

Title
Author name and affiliation
Abstract or summary, where appropriate
Introduction
Research question or objectives
Main analysis
Findings or discussion
Conclusion; and
References.

A policy brief may use a shorter structure focused on the policy problem, evidence, findings and recommendations.

6. Evidence and Sources

Authors should support important factual claims with appropriate sources.

Sources may include:

Academic publications
Government documents
Official statistics
International organisation reports
Primary documents
Credible institutional reports
Interviews; and
Other reliable sources.

Authors should avoid relying heavily on unverifiable or anonymous online material where stronger sources are available.

7. Citations and References

Authors should use a consistent citation and referencing style.

The required citation style may vary according to the publication.

Authors should ensure that references are accurate and that cited sources actually support the claims being made.

8. Tables, Figures and Images

Authors are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary permission to use copyrighted images, photographs, figures, tables or other third-party material.

Sources should be acknowledged appropriately.

Where an image or figure has specific licensing conditions, those conditions must be followed.

9. Author Information

Authors should provide accurate information about:

Full name
Institutional affiliation
Professional or academic designation
Email address; and
Short biography where requested.

Authors should not falsely claim an institutional affiliation.

10. Multiple Authors

Where a submission has more than one author, all listed authors should have made a meaningful contribution to the work.

All authors should agree to the submission.

The corresponding author should ensure that communication with SVF is managed appropriately.

11. Artificial Intelligence

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools where appropriate, but they remain responsible for the content submitted.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate:

Sources
Citations
Data
Interviews
Quotations
Research findings; or
Other evidence.

Where required by the relevant SVF publication, authors should disclose significant use of AI in preparing the submission.

12. Confidentiality and Personal Information

Authors should not unnecessarily disclose private or confidential personal information in their submissions.

Authors should not submit personal data concerning third parties unless the submission has an appropriate lawful basis and applicable ethical and legal requirements have been considered. Where identifiable research participants are discussed, authors should use anonymisation or pseudonymisation where appropriate and avoid unnecessary identifying details.

Where identifiable information about individuals is used in research, authors should ensure that appropriate ethical and legal requirements have been considered.

13. Conflicts of Interest

Authors should disclose any relevant conflict of interest that could reasonably affect the interpretation or credibility of their work.

Further guidance is provided in the SVF Conflict of Interest Policy.

14. Submission Process

Authors should submit their work through the submission method specified by SVF.

The submission should include all information requested by the relevant publication.

SVF may request revisions before publication.

15. Editorial Review

Submissions may be assessed for:

Relevance
Originality
Research quality
Evidence
Clarity
Ethical compliance; and
Suitability for publication.

Acceptance is not guaranteed.

16. Revisions

Authors may be asked to revise their work.

When revisions are requested, authors should address the editorial comments and return the revised manuscript within the requested timeframe where one is provided.

17. Author Responsibility

By submitting material, authors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge:

The work is original
Sources have been appropriately acknowledged
The information is presented honestly
Necessary permissions have been obtained
Relevant conflicts have been disclosed; and
The submission does not knowingly violate another person's rights.

18. Publication and Licensing

Authors whose work is accepted for publication may be required to enter into a separate Publication & Licensing Agreement with SVF.

That agreement governs the specific rights granted to SVF and the rights retained by the author.

19. Questions

Questions concerning submissions may be sent to:

Editorial Office, StratVision Forum
Email: publications@stratvisionforum.org.in

PUBLICATION & LICENSING AGREEMENT

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Agreement Date: [DD Month YYYY]

This Publication & Licensing Agreement ("Agreement") is between:

StratVision Forum (SVF)
and

Author: [Full Name]
Affiliation: [Institution/Organisation]
Email: [Email Address]

concerning the work identified below:

Title of Work: [Title]
Type of Publication: [Research Paper / Policy Brief / Article / Report / Other]

1. Purpose of the Agreement

This Agreement establishes the rights and permissions relating to the publication of the above work by StratVision Forum.

It is intended to provide clarity regarding the rights retained by the author and the rights granted to SVF for publishing and distributing the work.

2. Author's Ownership

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the author retains ownership of the copyright in the work.

Entering into this Agreement does not automatically transfer all copyright ownership to SVF.

Where the work has multiple authors, the authors are responsible for ensuring that all contributors agree to the terms of this Agreement.

3. Rights Granted to SVF

By accepting this Agreement, the author grants SVF the non-exclusive rights reasonably necessary to:

Publish the work
Reproduce the work
Make the work available on the SVF website
Include the work in SVF digital publications
Distribute the work through SVF's research and communication channels
Archive the work
Make the work available for educational and research access; and
Promote the publication by referring to its title, author and contents.

4. Digital Publication

The author authorises SVF to publish the work electronically through platforms operated or controlled by SVF.

This may include the SVF website, digital publication repositories, newsletters and official communication channels.

5. Print and Offline Distribution

Where SVF produces printed copies or offline versions of a publication, the author authorises SVF to reproduce and distribute the work for legitimate institutional, educational, research or non-commercial purposes.

6. Editing

SVF may make reasonable editorial and formatting changes to the accepted work.

Such changes may include corrections to grammar, formatting, structure, spelling, references and presentation.

Substantive changes affecting the author's argument or findings should normally be discussed with the author.

7. Author's Representations

The author confirms that:

The work is original or the necessary permissions have been obtained
The author has the authority to enter into this Agreement
Material belonging to other persons has been appropriately acknowledged
Required permissions for third-party material have been obtained
The work does not knowingly contain fabricated or falsified information; and
The work does not knowingly infringe the rights of another person.

8. Third-Party Material

The author is responsible for identifying third-party material contained in the submission where permission is required.

The author should provide evidence of permission when requested by SVF.

9. Author Attribution

SVF will normally identify the author or authors when publishing the work.

The author's name and institutional affiliation may be included with the publication were provided for publication purposes.

10. Author's Right to Share the Work

Unless a separate agreement provides otherwise, the author may refer to and share the published SVF version by linking to the official SVF publication.

The author should not present a substantially altered version as the official SVF publication.

Any separate publication or republication arrangement should be discussed with SVF where necessary.

11. Translation and Adaptation

Translation, adaptation or substantial modification of the published work may require additional permission depending on the rights involved.

SVF may permit such use subject to appropriate conditions.

12. Retraction or Withdrawal

SVF may withdraw or retract a publication where serious concerns arise concerning:

Plagiarism
Fabrication
Falsification
Serious ethical misconduct
Significant legal concerns; or
Other circumstances that materially affect the integrity of the publication.

Where appropriate, SVF may publish a notice explaining the withdrawal or retraction.

13. Author's Responsibility After Publication

Authors should notify SVF if they become aware of a serious factual, ethical or legal problem with their published work.

SVF may assess the concern and determine whether a correction, clarification or other action is necessary.

14. No Guarantee of Permanent Publication

Acceptance of this Agreement does not guarantee that a work will remain permanently available in its original form.

SVF may archive, update, correct, replace or withdraw material where reasonably necessary and appropriate.

15. Institutional Independence

SVF seeks to maintain institutional independence in its research, publications, editorial decisions and other activities. Funding, partnerships, affiliations or external support should not improperly determine research findings, editorial judgements or publication decisions. SVF may disclose relevant institutional relationships where appropriate to maintain transparency and public confidence.

16. Personal Data and Privacy

Personal information provided by the author under this Agreement will be used for administering the publication relationship, communicating with the author, attribution, publication management, record-keeping, legal compliance and other purposes described in the SVF Privacy Policy. Where the author's name, affiliation, biography, photograph or other identifiable information is intended for public publication, SVF will handle such information in accordance with the applicable publication process and privacy requirements.

17. Data Protection and Third-Party Information

The author is responsible for considering the privacy and data-protection implications of personal information contained in the submitted work, including information relating to research participants and other third parties. The author should ensure that necessary permissions, notices, consent or other lawful basis have been obtained where required. SVF may request removal, anonymisation or clarification of personal information where reasonably necessary for ethical, legal or data-protection reasons.

Publication by SVF does not necessarily mean that SVF endorses every opinion, interpretation or recommendation expressed in the work.

The author's views remain attributable to the author unless the publication is expressly identified as an official SVF institutional statement.

18. Applicable Law

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws applicable in India.

19. Agreement

By signing or electronically accepting this Agreement, the author confirms that they have read and understood its terms and agree to the rights and responsibilities described above.

For StratVision Forum (SVF)

Name: ___
Designation: __
Signature: ___
Date: ___________

Author

Name: __
Signature: __
Date: ________________________

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

StratVision Forum (SVF)

Last Updated: 21/09/2026

1. Introduction

StratVision Forum is committed to maintaining independence, fairness and credibility in its research, publications, programmes and institutional activities.

People associated with SVF may have professional, academic, financial, personal or institutional interests that could affect, or appear to affect, their judgement.

Having an outside interest does not automatically mean that a person has acted improperly.

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that relevant interests are identified, disclosed and managed appropriately.

2. Who This Policy Applies To

This Policy applies, as relevant to their role, to:

Office-bearers
Employees
Researchers
Editors
Authors
Reviewers
Fellows
Interns
Consultants
Advisors
Volunteers; and
Other individuals involved in SVF research, publication or decision-making activities.

3. What Is a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest may arise when a person's personal, professional, financial or institutional interests could reasonably affect their ability to make an independent decision for SVF.

A conflict may be:

Actual

A situation where an individual outside interest directly affects their SVF responsibility.

Potential

A situation where an outside interest could affect their future responsibilities.

Perceived

A situation where a reasonable person could believe that the individual's independence has been affected, even if the person believes that they have acted objectively.

SVF recognises that perceived conflicts can also affect public confidence.

4. Examples of Conflicts

Possible conflicts may include:

Financial interests in an organisation discussed in research
Employment or consultancy relationships
Close personal relationships with an author or researcher
Academic or professional competition
Institutional interests
Funding relationships
Previous or ongoing involvement with an organisation being assessed
Membership of an organisation directly connected to the subject of research; or
Other relationships that could reasonably affect impartiality.

The existence of an affiliation or professional relationship does not automatically constitute misconduct.

The important consideration is whether the interest could reasonably affect the relevant decision or create a reasonable perception of bias.

5. Disclosure

Individuals covered by this Policy should disclose relevant conflicts as soon as they become aware of them.

Depending on the circumstances, disclosure may be made to:

The relevant research supervisor
Editorial authority
Programme coordinator
SVF management; or
Another person designated by SVF.

Authors should disclose relevant conflicts when submitting research or other material for publication.

6. Research Conflicts

Researchers should disclose interests that could reasonably influence their research design, interpretation, findings or recommendations.

Where appropriate, relevant disclosures may be included in the published work.

7. Editorial Conflicts

Editors and persons involved in publication decisions should disclose conflicts involving:

Authors
Reviewers
Research subjects
Institutions
Funding sources; or
Other relevant interests.

A person with a significant conflict may be excluded from the relevant editorial decision.

8. Reviewer Conflicts

Reviewers should inform the editorial team if they have a relationship or interest that could affect their ability to provide an independent assessment.

Examples include:

Close collaboration with the author
Direct professional competition
Personal disputes
Financial interests; or
Other circumstances that could reasonably affect impartiality.

9. Managing a Conflict

A disclosed conflict does not necessarily require removal from an activity.

Depending on the situation, SVF may:

Record the disclosure
Require additional disclosure
Assign another researcher or reviewer
Remove the person from a particular decision
Introduce independent review
Require additional transparency in a publication; or
Take another reasonable step to protect independence.

10. Funding and Sponsorship

Where research or a publication receives external financial or institutional support, the relevant relationship should be disclosed where appropriate.

Funding should not improperly determine the research findings or editorial decision.

SVF seeks to maintain a distinction between legitimate funding support and editorial or research interference.

11. Personal Relationships

A close personal relationship may create a conflict where it could affect a decision concerning an author, researcher, applicant, employee, fellow or other participant.

Where such a situation arises, the individual should disclose it and, where appropriate, withdraw from the relevant decision.

12. Institutional Affiliations

Academic, professional, government, civil-society, corporate or other affiliations may be relevant to a conflict assessment.

Affiliation alone does not establish a conflict.

The relevant question is whether the affiliation could reasonably affect independence in the particular activity.

13. Failure to Disclose

Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may be treated seriously, particularly where the undisclosed interest could have materially affected a research or editorial decision.

SVF may review the circumstances and take proportionate corrective action.

14. Confidentiality

Conflict-of-interest disclosures may contain personal information and should be shared only with persons who need it for assessment or management. Such information should be handled in accordance with the SVF Privacy Policy and Data Protection Policy, including applicable security, access and retention requirements.

Conflict disclosures should be handled responsibly.

Information about an individual's disclosed interests should be shared only with persons who need it for appropriate assessment or management, subject to applicable requirements.

15. Questions and Disclosures

Conflict-of-interest disclosures or questions may be directed to:

StratVision Forum (SVF)
Email: publications@stratvisionforum.org.in

16. Review of the Policy

SVF may periodically review this Policy to ensure that it remains appropriate for its research, publication and institutional activities.