Ethical Principles

Following the European Charter for Researches, the Journal strongly advocates scientific research work and respects:

• research freedom – scientists are obliged to focus their research on the welfare of society by spreading scientific knowledge, respecting the freedom of thought and expression, and recognizing the limitations and freedoms that arise as a result of the circumstances of scientific work,
• ethical principles – scientists are obliged to adhere to ethical procedures and principles in their scientific research work,
• professional responsibility – scientists should do everything possible to make research relevant, avoid repetition of previously conducted research, and avoid any plagiarism and infringement of intellectual property,
• professional attitude – scientists must be familiar with the strategic goals related to their research environment and obtain the necessary approvals before starting research,
• contractual and legal obligations – scientists must be familiar with the regulations governing working and/or training conditions,
• responsibility – scientists should be aware of their responsibility towards the whole society (including employers, financiers, and other public and private bodies),
• good practice in scientific work – scientists should apply safe work procedures and be familiar with the protection of data and their confidentiality,
• dissemination and use of results – scientists must ensure that the results of their research are disseminated and available for use,
• obligations to the public – scientists should make the public aware of their scientific activities, thereby improving the general understanding of science understandably.

 

The Journal's ethical principles are based on guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics - COPE and refer to the responsibility and ethical behavior of authors, reviewers, and editors. General rules of the Committee on Publication Ethics - COPE applies to all other issues that are not regulated by these principles.

 

Authors

Authorship

The author of a manuscript is considered to be a person who has contributed to its creation through scientific research and professional work. Manuscripts can also be written in co-authorship, which implies that each of the authors made a real and appropriate contribution to the creation of the manuscript and its publication.

It is against the ethical principles of scientific and research work to cite as (co)authors persons who did not contribute to the creation and publication of the manuscript, solely to increase the bibliometric indicators of their scientific and research work. Co-authorship, i.e. unjustified appropriation of authorship solely based on superiority, is against ethical principles.

Submitting an author's or co-author's manuscript implies the author's or co-author's agreement with the submitted version of the manuscript as final.

Methodological and technical compliance of the manuscript

Manuscripts that authors submit for publication should be written in accordance with the general and special methodology of the scientific field of manuscript. General methodological rules imply that the author has presented, among other things, the objective/s of the research, hypotheses and/or research questions, and the methods used. In addition, the manuscript should contain a title, abstract, introduction, the central part of the paper related to the presentation of the research results, conclusion, sources, list of references, and appendices.

Authors are obliged to format the manuscript according to the Instructions for Authors.

Originality of scientific research work and access to data

Authors submit original manuscripts, which implies new, original knowledge that they came through scientific research.

The author of the manuscript is obliged to keep all the data obtained based on scientific and research work during the review procedure, and it is advisable also after publication, if necessary make them available to the Editorial Board or reviewers.

Multiple publications

The author submits only an unpublished manuscript, which is not in the review process or published in another journal. It is not allowed to send manuscripts to two journals at the same time.

A manuscript accepted and categorized for publication, i.e. the result of a scientific research work, is published only in one journal. Exceptionally, after the first publication, the author can publish the same article in another journal, provided that obtains the consent of the Editors-in-Chief and provides information about the first publication of the article.

Precision of scientific research work and prevention of plagiarism

Precision implies adherence to all methodological and technical rules of writing a scientific paper in accordance with the Instructions for Authors. The author is obliged to provide accurate data, and the precision of the scientific research work enables verification of the stated data by other researchers. The precision of the scientific research work especially refers to the correct citation of the used sources, i.e., articles by other authors. The obligation to cite refers to the entire scientific research work, which includes citing the source of the scientific problem that prompted the author to do the scientific research work.

Citing other data, thoughts, and knowledge without indicating the source, i.e., the author, with the purpose of (intentionally or unintentionally) presenting it as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism represents the most serious violation of academic integrity, entails moral responsibility, and, depending on the degree of plagiarism, also criminal responsibility.

Received manuscripts are subject to verification by appropriate programs for checking originality. Determining plagiarism of the manuscript results in its rejection, which the author is informed about.

Acting according to the instructions of the reviewers and withdrawing the manuscript

The author is obliged to act according to the instructions of the reviewers regarding the reviewed manuscript. In case of disagreement with individual comments and instructions, it is necessary to argue the same.

The author can withdraw the manuscript at any time, up to publication, and inform the Editorial Board.

Conflict of interest

The author should take care that the manuscript does not present a conflict of interest that could affect the results of the research, such as the author's previous involvement in the work of national or international professional bodies or another form of competitive relationship. If there is a potential conflict of interest, the author is obliged to inform the Editorial Board when submitting the manuscript.

Funding of scientific research work and remuneration for publication

If the author does not independently bear the cost of the scientific research work, he/she is obliged to indicate the sources of financing the scientific research work (universities, scientific institutes, projects, etc.).

The author does not pay a fee for submitting the manuscript, as well as a fee in case the manuscript is accepted for publication. Likewise, no compensation is paid to the author for the published article.

Security of data collection

Scientific research work that includes the collection of data through research on people, such as conducting interviews, surveys, focus groups, or other forms of research, must be based on the highest standards of protection of the dignity of respondents and their rights. In general, if it is about research that is dangerous for people and the environment, it must comply with national and international regulations. If it is necessary to obtain special approval for the research, the author is obliged to state this fact, as well as the outcome of obtaining it, in the manuscript.

Special attention should be paid to vulnerable social groups, such as children, people with disabilities, and others, in this way of collecting data needed for scientific and research work. Such forms of research imply obtaining the necessary consent of the respondents and adequate data protection.

Adverse action represents a violation of the fundamental principles and ethics of scientific research work.

Errors in a manuscript or published article

The author is obliged to inform the Editorial Board and cooperate with the members of the Editorial Board in case of discovering a significant error in a published or yet unpublished work. In the case when a third party informs the Editorial Board about errors in the author's published or unpublished paper, the Editorial Board invites the author to submit proof of the correctness of the work if he does not do so himself, while in case of established irregularities, the work is corrected, revoked or withdrawn from print.

Rejection of manuscripts and the right to complaint

In case of rejection of the manuscript, where the decision must be explained, the author has the right to be informed about the reasons for the rejection, and the right to submit a written petition to the Editors-in-Chief is also guaranteed.

The Editors-in-Chief decide to reject a manuscript if:

• the reviewer determines that the manuscript did not meet the conditions for publication,
• the manuscript is not in accordance with the objectives of the Journal, is not in accordance with the Instructions for authors, and does not have a scientific or professional contribution,
• there is clear evidence that the results of scientific research work are unreliable, falsified, or fabricated,
• the manuscript represents plagiarism, which is determined by checking in appropriate programs for checking plagiarism and technical review of the manuscript,
• there is no permission to republish the paper,
• the manuscript contains data for which there are no necessary permissions for their publication or
• there are any other reasons for rejection that are the result of an unethical and/or illegal procedure that would violate the principles of the Journal.

 

Reviewers

Professionalism in work through the help of the Editorial Board

By reviewing the manuscript, the reviewers, with their knowledge and expertise, help the Editorial Board in the final decision to publish or not to publish the paper and its categorization. Manuscript comments should be visible to authors without information about the reviewer, but the Editorial Board ensures that confidential comments are highlighted without being visible to the author.

It is the special duty of the reviewer to warn the Editorial Board if notices an irregularity in the manuscript, such as similarities of the manuscript with other, already published scientific articles or research, suspected plagiarism, or any other irregularity that violates the ethical rules of scientific research work and its publication.

Professionalism in work through further guidance of the author's scientific research work

With objective comments, the reviewers indicate the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript, guiding the authors in their improvement. The direction of the scientific research work of the author also refers to the indication of ethics (such as the need to mark the downloaded source and others). For any disagreement with the manuscript, reviewers must support it with appropriate arguments, referring to relevant and appropriate references. Reviewers' comments should not insult the author of the manuscript in any way.

When referring to additional sources in order to improve the quality of the manuscript, the reviewer should refrain from recommending the inclusion of his papers to increase the bibliometric indicators of his scientific research work.

Respecting the linguistic diversity, above all the publication of papers in English, which is not the native language of some authors, reviewers should form feedback in such a way that it is clear and comprehensible to the authors of the manuscript.

Confidentiality

The review procedure is strictly confidential, and reviewers are prohibited:

• using the information obtained through the review process for one's own or another's benefit or
• with the information obtained through the review procedure, put another person in an unfavorable or discrediting position.

To ensure the anonymity of the double-blind review, the reviewer must not reveal his identity or any other indication of the reviewer in any way in the review.

The confidentiality of the review procedure also implies a ban on showing the content of the manuscript to other persons.

Conflict of interest

In case of suspected conflict of interest, reviewers are obliged to inform the Editorial Board. These can be financial, personal, intellectual, professional, political, or other conflicts of interest that would make the review procedure non-objective. If the reviewer suspects the identity of the author, the reviewer is obliged to inform the Editorial Board about it. In case of conflict of interest, the Editorial Board assigns the manuscript for review to another reviewer. Upon notification to the Editorial Board of a potential conflict of interest and pending a decision, the reviewer should refrain from any form of further analysis or reading of the manuscript.

Promptness and timeliness in the review procedure

The reviewers are obliged to complete the review procedure within the given period. If the reviewer is unable to perform the review obligation within the given time limit or the circumstances change in the meantime, the Editorial Board, which submits the manuscript for review to another reviewer, should be informed about this.

The reviewer is free to request additional information from the Editorial Board or the author of the paper through the Editorial Board. Deliberately delaying the review procedure by postponing reviews or requesting unnecessary information from the Editorial Board or authors is prohibited.

 

Editors-in-Chief

General duties of Editors-in-Chief

The general duties of the Editors-in-Chief are, among other things, seek the opinion of members of the Editorial Board, authors, readers and reviewers on improving the Journal, support initiatives to reduce academic dishonesty and bad behaviour, support initiatives to educate researchers on the ethics of publishing scientific articles, monitor the impact of the Journal's policies on the behaviour of authors and reviewers and, if necessary, revise policies to encourage responsible behaviour of researchers, cooperate with members of the Editorial Board, authors, publishers and reviewers.

Decision on manuscript acceptance and objectivity in handling

The Editorial Board decides on the publication of manuscripts based on the proposal of the Editors-in-Chief. Editors-in-Chief can consult with other members of the Editorial Board at any time. The basic criteria for the decision to publish a manuscript should be based on the manuscript's scientific contribution and its compatibility with the Journal's field of activity.

Conflict of interest

If there is a conflict of interest between the Editor-in-Chief and the author of the manuscript on any basis, the Editor-in-Chief is exempted from processing the received manuscript, and the processing is transferred to another Editor-in-Chief.

Confidentiality

The Editors-in-Chief are obliged to ensure the confidentiality of the double-blind review procedure in such a way that information about the author of the manuscript is not available to the reviewer and to prevent their misuse. Any disclosure of information about the author of the manuscript to the reviewer results in the appointment of another reviewer.

Editors-in-Chief (also applicable to members of the Editorial Board) may not disclose information about received manuscripts to third parties. Information about the manuscript is available only to the Editors-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, the reviewers to whom the manuscript is assigned, and the author.

It is forbidden to use information that the Editors-in-Chief or the Editorial Board learned by receiving or processing the manuscript for their benefit. The results of a manuscript may not be used without the written consent of the author.

Copyright protection

Editors-in-Chief ensure the highest standards of copyright protection, which includes checking submitted manuscripts in appropriate plagiarism detection programs, and technical review of manuscripts before submitting them to the peer review procedure. In the case of an established copyright infringement, the Editors-in-Chief decide to withdraw the manuscript from further proceedings, and in the case of an already published paper and established irregularities, takes appropriate actions to protect the copyright (such as removing the published material from the web pages, etc.).

Availability

Editors-in-Chief ensure open, free access to articles and are responsible for the permanent storage of articles in repositories.