“Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics – India’s big step towards Research Integrity“.

This documentary focuses on the initiative taken by the UGC to stop dubious and sub-standard journals in the field of academic research publication. Like elsewhere around the world, the problem of research articles being published in poor-quality, second-rate journals has assumed worrying proportions in India over the last few years, posing a significant risk to the reputation and effectiveness of the research being carried out in the country. Publications in dubious, sub-standard journals not only compromise the long-term academic benefits of those pieces of research, but also dent the image of researchers and the institutions they represent. In order to address this issue, enhance the quality of research, and safeguard publication ethics, the UGC has taken a major step forward with the establishment of the “Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics” or CARE, which is tasked with the creation and upkeep of a definitive reference list of quality journals that are truly aligned with the higher goals of our education and research programmes. Made up of statutory councils, academies, government bodies and others such as the Association of India Universities, CARE is working hard to raise the level of ethics in research communication by raising awareness and nipping the problem of predatory journals in the bud. This documentary will create awareness among the researchers and academicians about the objectives and functioning of the “Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics” or CARE.