This Standard and Specification for LIS Links Newsletter is prepared by the Editorial Board of LIS Links Newsletter. They are applicable to the Authors, Reviewer, Advisors, Editors, Associate Editors, Assistant Editors, Manager, and Publisher of LIS Links Newsletter. This is Version 2026(1) and the Recent Version (if any) will be Available Online in Google Doc.
Contents
1. Journal Overview & Governance
1.1 About LIS Links Newsletter
LIS Links Newsletter, ISSN: 2454-3462, is a double-blind peer-reviewed open access e-journal (online only) in Library and Information Science. It is a premier platform dedicated to the creators, builders, and innovators within the Library and Information Science (LIS) community in India and beyond. LIS Links Newsletter publishes original, innovative, and quality technical and research papers on any areas of Library and Information Science and its peripheral areas like digital humanities, archival and museum studies, and such others. While traditional LIS literature often focuses on theoretical research, LIS Links Newsletter believes that the future of LIS profession is being built in the stacks, in the server rooms, and through the code written by librarians themselves. Therefore, its mission is to document the Articles of Practice—the real-world stories of how professionals are transforming their libraries through hands-on development.
The journal is published annually. Once an article passes peer review and is formatted, the article(s) are published online immediately. Complete issues are released on or before the last day of December each year.
LIS Links Newsletter was launched in 2015. It was re-launch with a strategic restructuring to improve editorial standards and transition to a more rigorous peer-review model in 2020. Since then, the journal has maintained a strict yearly schedule without interruption.
The journal is published annually. Once an article passes peer review and is formatted, the article(s) are published online immediately. Complete issues are released on or before the last day of December each year.
LIS Links Newsletter was launched in 2015. It was re-launch with a strategic restructuring to improve editorial standards and transition to a more rigorous peer-review model in 2020. Since then, the journal has maintained a strict yearly schedule without interruption.
1.2 Publisher
LIS Links Newsletter is an official organ of the LIS Links Community which is India’s first and largest community of library and information science professionals with 31000+ members. Its parent body has been working actively since February 26, 2008. LIS Links Newsletter is owned and managed by LIS Links, however, published by Dr. Kankana Baishya on behalf of LIS Links.
1.3 Indexing and Abstracting Status
As of 2026, LIS Links Newsletter is indexed by Google Scholar and Internet Archive Way Back Machine. A copy of the journal is also distributed electronically, free of charge, to the email inboxes of the 30,000+ LIS Links members who readily agree to receive it.
1.4 Revenue Sources and Sustainability
LIS Links Newsletter is an independent non-profit scholarly initiative of LIS Links Community. Its operations are sustained through the financial support for administrative costs, technical infrastructure and hosting provided by its parent body, i.e., LIS Links Community.
Its Editorial Board holds full autonomy over the journal's editorial content and peer-review decisions, independent of the funding sources. Its editor, members of the editorial board, and reviewers support the journal by devoting their time and energy, which is voluntary in nature.
Its Editorial Board holds full autonomy over the journal's editorial content and peer-review decisions, independent of the funding sources. Its editor, members of the editorial board, and reviewers support the journal by devoting their time and energy, which is voluntary in nature.
1.5 Advertising Policy
LIS Links Newsletter is committed to maintaining a clean, distraction-free environment for scholarly research. Therefore, it does not accept any form of commercial advertisements. This also ensures the editorial process remains entirely free from commercial influence.
2. Access & Transparency
2.1 Open Access Statement
LIS Links Newsletter is a diamond open-access Journal, which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. In accordance with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access, users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
2.2 Access Policy
LIS Links Newsletter provides immediate, worldwide, barrier-free open access to the full text of all published articles without a subscription fee or pay-per-view fee for accessing any individual articles or full issues. Articles are available in PDF format via the LIS Links Newsletter Official Website.
2.3 No Article Processing Charges (No APC)
The LIS Links Newsletter is a non-commercial initiative, run on a voluntary basis by the LIS Links community without any processing fees. There are no submission fees, no Article Processing Charges (APCs), and no publication fees charged to authors. All editorial and publication costs are covered from the LIS Links platform, ensuring that authors can publish their research at no cost.
2.4 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0)
The copyright of the published articles is retained by the respective author(s) and they are granting “LIS Links Newsletter” to publish their article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC-BY 4.0 International Licence). This permit allows for the sharing and adaptation of the material in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given.
Readers are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
Readers are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author.
2.5 Marketing Policy
LIS Links Newsletter engages in ethical and targeted outreach to the Library and Information Science community. LIS Links Newsletter’s primary outreach is conducted through its parent body i.e., official LIS Links community channels and social media and it only reaches out to its members who have readily agreed to receive the communication from the LIS Links community by becoming a part of it which they can even revoke at any moment of time through online means.
3. Editorial Process & Ethics
3.1 Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement
The LIS Links Newsletter is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
a) Duties of Editorial Body
i) Publication Decisions: The Chief Editor / Guest Editor is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the newsletter shall be published based on intellectual merit and relevance to the Library and Information Science field.
ii) Fair Play: Manuscripts are evaluated based on intellectual merit and without regard to the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
iii) Confidentiality: The editorial board must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher.
iv) Conflicts of Interest: Editorial board members will recuse themselves from manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions.
b) Duties of Reviewers
i) Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may assist the author in improving the paper.
ii) Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified or unable to provide a timely review should notify the manager and excuse themselves from the process.
iii) Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
iv) Disclosure: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
c) Duties of Authors
i) Reporting Standards: Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance.
ii) Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. Plagiarism in any form from passing off another’s paper to paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper without attribution is unacceptable.
iii) Multiple/Redundant Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
iv) Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
v) Ethical Oversight: Any research involving human participants must have been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. Evidence of informed consent must be available upon request.
vi) Disclosing Relationship: All authors must declare any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. If no conflict exists, the paper must include the statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
vii) Data Access: LIS Links Newsletter encourages authors to share their datasets or survey instruments in public repositories [like Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/) or Figshare (https://figshare.com/)]. If data cannot be shared, authors must provide a “Data Availability Statement” explaining why. Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review.
d) Dealing with Unethical Behavior
i) Identification of Misconduct: Misconduct and unethical behavior may be identified and brought to the attention of the editorial body at any time, by anyone through Email to newsletter@lislinks.com. Even if an author thinks their paper was unfairly rejected, they can also appeal a rejection by emailing at the above email address with a detailed rebuttal. The Manager will then seek a third independent opinion.
ii) Investigation: The Chief Editor/Guest Editor/Manager, in consultation with the Editorial Body, will conduct an initial investigation. Evidence will be gathered while avoiding spreading allegations beyond those who need to know.
iii) Sanctions: In cases of proven misconduct, the newsletter may apply sanctions including (but not limited to):
iii.i) A formal letter to the author detailing the misconduct.
iii.ii) Formal retraction or withdrawal of the publication from the newsletter.
iii.iii) Imposing a formal embargo on contributions from the individual for a defined period.
LIS Links Newsletter allows for “Letters to the Editor” regarding published works. Formal corrections (Errata) or retractions will be issued if errors are found that undermine the scientific integrity of the article.
a) Duties of Editorial Body
i) Publication Decisions: The Chief Editor / Guest Editor is responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the newsletter shall be published based on intellectual merit and relevance to the Library and Information Science field.
ii) Fair Play: Manuscripts are evaluated based on intellectual merit and without regard to the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy.
iii) Confidentiality: The editorial board must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, and the publisher.
iv) Conflicts of Interest: Editorial board members will recuse themselves from manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or institutions.
b) Duties of Reviewers
i) Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and may assist the author in improving the paper.
ii) Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified or unable to provide a timely review should notify the manager and excuse themselves from the process.
iii) Objectivity: Reviews must be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
iv) Disclosure: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.
c) Duties of Authors
i) Reporting Standards: Authors of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance.
ii) Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that they have written entirely original works. Plagiarism in any form from passing off another’s paper to paraphrasing substantial parts of another’s paper without attribution is unacceptable.
iii) Multiple/Redundant Publication: Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior.
iv) Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
v) Ethical Oversight: Any research involving human participants must have been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. Evidence of informed consent must be available upon request.
vi) Disclosing Relationship: All authors must declare any financial or personal relationships that could influence their work. If no conflict exists, the paper must include the statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
vii) Data Access: LIS Links Newsletter encourages authors to share their datasets or survey instruments in public repositories [like Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/) or Figshare (https://figshare.com/)]. If data cannot be shared, authors must provide a “Data Availability Statement” explaining why. Authors may be asked to provide raw data for editorial review.
d) Dealing with Unethical Behavior
i) Identification of Misconduct: Misconduct and unethical behavior may be identified and brought to the attention of the editorial body at any time, by anyone through Email to newsletter@lislinks.com. Even if an author thinks their paper was unfairly rejected, they can also appeal a rejection by emailing at the above email address with a detailed rebuttal. The Manager will then seek a third independent opinion.
ii) Investigation: The Chief Editor/Guest Editor/Manager, in consultation with the Editorial Body, will conduct an initial investigation. Evidence will be gathered while avoiding spreading allegations beyond those who need to know.
iii) Sanctions: In cases of proven misconduct, the newsletter may apply sanctions including (but not limited to):
iii.i) A formal letter to the author detailing the misconduct.
iii.ii) Formal retraction or withdrawal of the publication from the newsletter.
iii.iii) Imposing a formal embargo on contributions from the individual for a defined period.
LIS Links Newsletter allows for “Letters to the Editor” regarding published works. Formal corrections (Errata) or retractions will be issued if errors are found that undermine the scientific integrity of the article.
3.2 Flow of the Article and Role of Editorial Body
The article at "LIS Links Newsletter" goes through the following steps:
a) Submission of the Article by Author(s): The authors need to submit their papers as a single MS Word document that includes text, tables, and figures in appropriate places through the LIS Links Newsletter Article Submission Link.
b) Similarity Check by the Manager: The article received will be checked to see whether it follows the basic formatting guidelines set and fits the scope of LIS Links Newsletter. If it follows the guidelines, it will be checked for similarity or plagiarism by utilising any standard software packages like Turnitin, Ouriginal, Urkund, Google Originality Check and DrillBit for initial passes. Only those papers that followed the guidelines set by the LIS Links Newsletter and similarity reported below 7% (in Google Originality Check), 9% (in DrillBit and Ouriginal), and 10% (in Turnitin) will be considered for review. The manager will also be responsible for communication among the authors, reviewers, advisors, associate editors, assistant editors, and publishers of the LIS Links Newsletter.
c) Double-Blind Peer Review Process: Two independent expert reviewers from the pool of LIS Links Database whose specialization aligns with the topic of the article and who are not the part of or affiliated with the LIS Links Newsletter editorial board will evaluate the originality, methodology, quality, accuracy, and relevance of the submitted manuscripts. They will be responsible for providing constructive feedback on the paper to help the author resolve weaknesses in the work and make a recommendation to the chief editor / guest editor about whether to accept, minor revision required, major revision required, or reject the article. The reviewers while accepting a manuscript for review must also declare that they do not have conflict of interest with the authors or the research. While doing all these they should respect the intellectual independence of the author.
d) Chief Editor / Guest Editor: The chief editor / guest editor of the LIS Links Newsletter will check the suitability or relevancy of the paper for the LIS Links Newsletter and its originality, accuracy, and quality of contribution to the subject on the basis of the feedback of the reviewer.
e) Assistant Editor: Once accepted, the assistant editor(s) of the LIS Links Newsletter will validate every individual citation and reference for accuracy and style.
f) Associate Editor: The associate editor(s) of the LIS Links Newsletter will be responsible for refining the article for content clarity and grammatical accuracy.
g) Formatting of the Article by the Publisher: The publisher will be responsible for making the necessary formatting changes to the article as per the LIS Links Newsletter style.
h) Time Lag for Publication: The average time from submission to first decision is 60 days though the duration may vary depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript.
Further, please note that LIS Links Newsletter does not guarantee the acceptance of any manuscript. The final decision rests solely on the merit of the work and the recommendations of the peer reviewers.
i) Role of the Advisors: The advisors of the LIS Links Newsletter will oversee the publication and ethical aspects of the journal and suggest all necessary changes and modifications to the manager so that the journal stands out and excels in the subject of library and information science.
a) Submission of the Article by Author(s): The authors need to submit their papers as a single MS Word document that includes text, tables, and figures in appropriate places through the LIS Links Newsletter Article Submission Link.
b) Similarity Check by the Manager: The article received will be checked to see whether it follows the basic formatting guidelines set and fits the scope of LIS Links Newsletter. If it follows the guidelines, it will be checked for similarity or plagiarism by utilising any standard software packages like Turnitin, Ouriginal, Urkund, Google Originality Check and DrillBit for initial passes. Only those papers that followed the guidelines set by the LIS Links Newsletter and similarity reported below 7% (in Google Originality Check), 9% (in DrillBit and Ouriginal), and 10% (in Turnitin) will be considered for review. The manager will also be responsible for communication among the authors, reviewers, advisors, associate editors, assistant editors, and publishers of the LIS Links Newsletter.
c) Double-Blind Peer Review Process: Two independent expert reviewers from the pool of LIS Links Database whose specialization aligns with the topic of the article and who are not the part of or affiliated with the LIS Links Newsletter editorial board will evaluate the originality, methodology, quality, accuracy, and relevance of the submitted manuscripts. They will be responsible for providing constructive feedback on the paper to help the author resolve weaknesses in the work and make a recommendation to the chief editor / guest editor about whether to accept, minor revision required, major revision required, or reject the article. The reviewers while accepting a manuscript for review must also declare that they do not have conflict of interest with the authors or the research. While doing all these they should respect the intellectual independence of the author.
d) Chief Editor / Guest Editor: The chief editor / guest editor of the LIS Links Newsletter will check the suitability or relevancy of the paper for the LIS Links Newsletter and its originality, accuracy, and quality of contribution to the subject on the basis of the feedback of the reviewer.
e) Assistant Editor: Once accepted, the assistant editor(s) of the LIS Links Newsletter will validate every individual citation and reference for accuracy and style.
f) Associate Editor: The associate editor(s) of the LIS Links Newsletter will be responsible for refining the article for content clarity and grammatical accuracy.
g) Formatting of the Article by the Publisher: The publisher will be responsible for making the necessary formatting changes to the article as per the LIS Links Newsletter style.
h) Time Lag for Publication: The average time from submission to first decision is 60 days though the duration may vary depending on reviewer availability and the complexity of the manuscript.
Further, please note that LIS Links Newsletter does not guarantee the acceptance of any manuscript. The final decision rests solely on the merit of the work and the recommendations of the peer reviewers.
i) Role of the Advisors: The advisors of the LIS Links Newsletter will oversee the publication and ethical aspects of the journal and suggest all necessary changes and modifications to the manager so that the journal stands out and excels in the subject of library and information science.
3.3 Plagiarism Policy
All manuscripts submitted to LIS Links Newsletter undergo a rigorous screening for originality. LIS Links Newsletter utilizes Turnitin, Ouriginal, Urkund, Google Originality Check and DrillBit to generate a similarity report for every submission before it is sent for peer review. Only those papers that followed the guidelines set by the LIS Links Newsletter and similarity reported below 7% (in Google Originality Check), 9% (in DrillBit and Ouriginal), and 10% (in Turnitin) will be considered for review.
3.4 AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) Policy
LIS Links Newsletter recognizes the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in assisting research but maintains strict ethical standards to protect the integrity of scholarly work.
a) Authorship and Accountability: AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar LLMs) cannot be listed as an author or co-author on any manuscript. Authorship implies legal and ethical accountability for the work, which AI cannot fulfill. The human authors remain entirely responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content.
b) Disclosure Requirements: Authors must be transparent about the use of AI. If AI tools were used in the writing of the manuscript, data analysis, or image generation, this must be disclosed in the "Declaration of AI Use" section at the end of the manuscript, before the references.
i) What to disclose: Specify the tool used, the version, and the extent of its application e.g., ChatGPT-4 was used to assist in the linguistic refinement of the literature review section.
c) Human Oversight and Validation: While AI can enhance efficiency, human judgment is indispensable. Authors must manually validate all AI-generated conclusions, verify every citation, and address any inherent biases in the AI-generated text.
d) Ethical Standards and Plagiarism: Content generated by AI without proper disclosure may be treated as a form of misconduct or AI-generated plagiarism. LIS Links Newsletter utilizes software to screen for AI-generated patterns and ensure the work represents original human intellect.
a) Authorship and Accountability: AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or similar LLMs) cannot be listed as an author or co-author on any manuscript. Authorship implies legal and ethical accountability for the work, which AI cannot fulfill. The human authors remain entirely responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content.
b) Disclosure Requirements: Authors must be transparent about the use of AI. If AI tools were used in the writing of the manuscript, data analysis, or image generation, this must be disclosed in the "Declaration of AI Use" section at the end of the manuscript, before the references.
i) What to disclose: Specify the tool used, the version, and the extent of its application e.g., ChatGPT-4 was used to assist in the linguistic refinement of the literature review section.
c) Human Oversight and Validation: While AI can enhance efficiency, human judgment is indispensable. Authors must manually validate all AI-generated conclusions, verify every citation, and address any inherent biases in the AI-generated text.
d) Ethical Standards and Plagiarism: Content generated by AI without proper disclosure may be treated as a form of misconduct or AI-generated plagiarism. LIS Links Newsletter utilizes software to screen for AI-generated patterns and ensure the work represents original human intellect.
3.5 Digital Archiving & Preservation Policy
LIS Links Newsletter recognizes the importance of the long-term preservation of scholarly research. To ensure that all published content remains accessible in the event the newsletter is no longer published, it has implemented the following strategies:
a) Internet Archive (Wayback Machine): All issues are regularly crawled and indexed for permanent public access by Internet Archive (Wayback Machine).
b) Self-Archiving Policy: Authors are encouraged to deposit the Published Version of their articles in institutional repositories, Academic.edu, ResearchGate or subject-specific archives to ensure decentralized redundancy.
c) Arxiv: To ensure the long-term preservation of scholarly content, the newsletter will try to utilise Arxiv to create permanent archives of published issues.
a) Internet Archive (Wayback Machine): All issues are regularly crawled and indexed for permanent public access by Internet Archive (Wayback Machine).
b) Self-Archiving Policy: Authors are encouraged to deposit the Published Version of their articles in institutional repositories, Academic.edu, ResearchGate or subject-specific archives to ensure decentralized redundancy.
c) Arxiv: To ensure the long-term preservation of scholarly content, the newsletter will try to utilise Arxiv to create permanent archives of published issues.
3.6 Privacy and Data Protection Statement
The names, email addresses, and personal data entered in the LIS Links Newsletter website will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal. These purposes include:
a) Editorial Workflow: Communication between editors, reviewers, and authors.
b) Publication: Displaying author affiliations and contact details (as provided) on published articles.
c) Notification: Informing users about new issues or relevant LIS community updates.
LIS Links Newsletter will not make personal data available for any other purpose or to any third party. We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure and handled in accordance with international data protection standards.
a) Editorial Workflow: Communication between editors, reviewers, and authors.
b) Publication: Displaying author affiliations and contact details (as provided) on published articles.
c) Notification: Informing users about new issues or relevant LIS community updates.
LIS Links Newsletter will not make personal data available for any other purpose or to any third party. We are committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure and handled in accordance with international data protection standards.
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