Comparative Study of Ethical Publication and Open access policies of Major research Funding agencies in India

Abstract

This study examines the ethical publication practices and open access policies of major research funding agencies in India, focusing exclusively on government sector agencies while excluding private entities. The analysis identifies the top funding bodies for the fiscal year 2023-2024, revealing that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Department of Science and Technology (DST) are the leading agencies by allocation. The findings indicate that only 13% of the agencies adopted open access policies, with a mere 6% mandating green open access. Additionally, 70% allowed the uploading of funded research to institutional repositories, while only a few agencies provide clear gold open access options. The study also explores ethical guidelines across these funding agencies. All agencies require acknowledgment of funding, and an emphasis on anti-plagiarism rules is noted among 80% of them. The results indicate a need for more uniform and robust ethical standards across funding agencies, particularly in comparison to international counterparts, to enhance research integrity and access to knowledge. This study offers information to scholars and organizations to raise the standard of research in India using open access and ethical standards.