20.1 Purpose
Rupkatha Books is committed to upholding the principles of academic freedom, editorial independence, research integrity, and responsible scholarly communication. Every publication undergoes editorial evaluation and, where appropriate, independent peer review. Nevertheless, scholarship is an evolving intellectual enterprise in which new evidence, differing interpretations, and continuing academic debate are essential to the advancement of knowledge.
This Disclaimer explains the respective responsibilities of authors, readers, and the publisher in relation to published content. It should be read together with all other publisher policies, particularly the Publication Ethics Policy, Editorial and Peer Review Policy, Corrections, Versioning and Retractions Policy, and Copyright and Licensing Policy.
20.2 Responsibility for Published Content
Authors retain sole responsibility for:
- the originality of their work;
- the accuracy of facts, data, citations, and references;
- interpretations, analyses, and conclusions;
- compliance with ethical and legal requirements;
- permissions for third-party material; and
- adherence to applicable copyright, privacy, and other legal obligations.
Publication by Rupkatha Books does not constitute endorsement of an author’s opinions, methodologies, interpretations, or conclusions.
20.3 Editorial Independence
Editorial decisions are based exclusively on:
- scholarly merit;
- originality;
- methodological rigour;
- ethical integrity; and
- relevance to the editorial mission of Rupkatha Books.
Acceptance for publication signifies only that a work satisfied the publisher’s editorial standards at the time of publication. It should not be interpreted as endorsement of an author’s political, philosophical, religious, ideological, institutional, or personal viewpoints.
Rupkatha Books serves as an independent platform for scholarly dialogue rather than an advocate of particular positions.
20.4 Academic Freedom and Scholarly Debate
Scholarly publishing encourages critical inquiry, intellectual diversity, evidence-based discussion, and respectful disagreement.
Publications may present:
- competing interpretations;
- controversial arguments;
- emerging theories;
- conflicting evidence;
- minority scholarly perspectives; and
- innovative or experimental methodologies.
Such diversity reflects the normal development of scholarship and should not be interpreted as representing the official views of Rupkatha Books, its Editorial Board, or its publishing partners.
20.5 Accuracy and Post-Publication Updates
Although every reasonable effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material, errors or new evidence may occasionally emerge after publication.
Where appropriate, Rupkatha Books may:
- correct metadata;
- publish errata or corrigenda;
- issue addenda;
- publish revised editions;
- issue Expressions of Concern; or
- retract publications in accordance with the Corrections, Versioning and Retractions Policy.
Readers are encouraged to notify the publisher of significant errors requiring editorial attention.
20.6 Third-Party Content
Publications may incorporate third-party material reproduced under licence, statutory exception, or with permission.
While reasonable efforts are made to ensure lawful and accurate use of such material, copyright holders who believe that content has been reproduced improperly are encouraged to contact the publisher so that the matter may be investigated promptly and appropriate action taken where necessary.
20.7 External Resources
Publications and the Rupkatha Books website may contain links to:
- repositories;
- libraries;
- research databases;
- scholarly organisations;
- external websites;
- multimedia resources; and
- other third-party services.
Rupkatha Books does not control or endorse the content, availability, security, accessibility, or privacy practices of external services. Users access such resources at their own discretion.
20.8 Professional Advice
Publications issued by Rupkatha Books are intended exclusively for scholarly, educational, and research purposes.
They should not be regarded as legal, medical, financial, engineering, psychological, or other forms of professional advice. Readers should seek appropriately qualified professional advice before acting upon information in contexts involving legal rights, health, safety, finance, or other specialised matters.
20.9 Digital Publishing
As a born-digital publisher, Rupkatha Books seeks to maintain reliable and continuous public access to its publications.
However, uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed owing to circumstances such as:
- scheduled maintenance;
- software upgrades;
- technical failures;
- cybersecurity incidents;
- internet disruptions; or
- events beyond the publisher’s reasonable control.
The publisher will make reasonable efforts to restore services as promptly as practicable.
20.10 Artificial Intelligence
Where authors disclose the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in accordance with the Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy, responsibility for all published content remains entirely with the human author(s).
Rupkatha Books does not independently warrant the factual accuracy, originality, or reliability of AI-assisted material incorporated into publications beyond the editorial evaluation conducted in accordance with its publishing policies.
20.11 Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Rupkatha Books shall not be liable for:
- errors or omissions in published materials;
- losses arising from reliance upon published information;
- temporary interruption of digital services;
- technical failures beyond the publisher’s reasonable control;
- inaccuracies contained in external resources; or
- indirect, incidental, or consequential losses associated with the use of its publications, website, or digital services.
Nothing in this Disclaimer excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable legislation.
20.12 Intellectual Property
All publications remain subject to the copyright, licensing, and reuse conditions specified within each publication.
Readers are responsible for complying with the applicable licence terms, including any Creative Commons licence or other rights statement governing the use, distribution, adaptation, or reproduction of Open Access publications.
20.13 Applicable Law
This Disclaimer shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws governing the jurisdiction in which Rupkatha Books and its publisher are established, subject to any overriding legal obligations applicable to international scholarly publishing and digital communication.
