Opcije pristupačnosti Pristupačnost

Publication ethics and malpractice statement

Zbornik radova Veleučilišta u Šibeniku complies with the legal provisions of the Republic of Croatia regarding copyright and publishing rights, while also adhering to stated policies on open access, licensing, and archiving. Furthermore, it upholds generally accepted ethical and formal rules on academic writing. All parties involved in the act of publishing in the Zbornik radova Veleučilišta u Šibeniku, i.e., the author, the journal editor(s)/publisher, and the peer reviewers, need to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior. 
 
Our ethical statements are aligned with the COPE's Best Practice Guidelines for Journals. These guidelines have been established by the publisher to enhance the overall quality of the Journal.
 

Authors:

Originality, source citing and plagiarism: Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of the manuscript content submitted for consideration for publication in the Journal. If authors have incorporated ideas from works by other authors, they must appropriately cite and acknowledge the original sources. Authors should cite publications that have significantly influenced the defining of the nature of the research presented in the article. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is not acceptable.

Unnecessary or competitive submissions: The author should not submit manuscripts to be considered for publication in the Journal that describe the same research that has been already published in another journal. Also, the authors should not send their manuscripts to either any other journals, while they are under consideration for being published in this Journal.  Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is not acceptable. Papers presented at scientific conferences can be published in the Journal upon the agreement of the conference organizer and the author.

Publication standards: Authors publishing the outcomes of original research are expected to present accurate data and approach the research problem with objectivity, emphasizing the significance of their findings. It is essential that the data underpinning the research is provided accurately. The manuscript should include clear and comprehensive documentation of all sources used, facilitating other researchers in verifying the research findings and replicating the study. Deliberate or knowing misrepresentation of data is considered unethical behavior and and is unacceptable. Authors may be requested to submit raw data for editorial review, and should be willing to grant public access to such data if feasible. Moreover, authors should be prepared to retain the data for a reasonable period following publication.

Authorship: Authorship should be limited only to individuals who made substantial contributions to the conception, execution, and interpretation of the scientific research presented in the submitted manuscript. All individuals who have contributed significantly to the development of the research should be listed as co-authors. Other people who have contributed significantly in another way to conducting the research/research project, in certain significant parts of the research, should be named in the acknowledgement section. The corresponding author bears the responsibility of ensuring that all appropriate co-authors are included in the manuscript, and that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper before submission for publication.

Conflict of interest: The authors of the manuscript should point out any financial or other conflict of interest that might influence research results and their interpretation. The authors should name the source of financial support for the conducted studies, which submitted manuscripts are based upon.

Revealing significant errors: If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obligated to promptly inform the editor or publisher and collaborate with them to retract or correct the paper. Similarly, if the editor or publisher is informed by a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the responsibility of the authors to promptly retract or correct the paper, or provide evidence to the editor demonstrating the accuracy of the original paper.


Editor / Editorial Board

Responsibility: The Editor holds the responsibility of determining which submitted articles should be published in the Journal. In making the final decision on publication, the Editor-in-Chief may seek input from other editors and/or reviewers.

Fairness and confidentiality: The Editor evaluates manuscripts based on their intellectual content, irrespective of the race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors. Submissions authored by the Editor, publisher's employees, or members of the Editorial Board will be processed to ensure impartial reviews. The Editor and Editorial Board are committed to maintaining confidentiality and will not disclose information about submitted manuscripts to anyone other than corresponding authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and publishers.

Academic integrity: The Editorial Board is committed to upholding complete academic integrity and adhering to intellectual and ethical standards. In cases where necessary, the Editor is responsible for publishing corrections, clarifications, retractions, and apologies. The Editor and Editorial Board will thoroughly investigate any instances of suspicious or false research, as well as any other form of unacceptable behavior. Additionally, they will examine and address any unacceptable behavior exhibited by reviewers or editorial staff. Should there be any complaints regarding the ethics of submitted or already published articles, the Editor and Editorial Board will take the necessary measures to address them. It is imperative that the Editor and editorial staff maintain confidentiality, refraining from disclosing any information about submitted manuscripts to individuals other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as deemed appropriate.

Conflict of interest: Any material submitted with the manuscript that remains unpublished will not be utilized for the Editor's research purposes without the written agreement of the author. The Editor and Editorial Board pledge to maintain the confidentiality of ideas or any confidential information provided during the review process of submitted manuscripts. Furthermore, the Editor is committed to ensuring that commercial interests do not influence editorial decisions in any way. If the Editor is conflicted due to interests related to submitted manuscripts, they will recuse themselves and authorize other members of the Editorial Board to handle the examination and consideration of such manuscripts. In cases involving article retractions, suspicion of unethical publications, or the need for corrections to published articles, the Editor and Editorial Board will adhere to the guidelines established by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).


Reviewers:

Qualification and promptness: Any chosen reviewer who believes they are not qualified to review the received article or anticipates being unable to review the manuscript within the given period should promptly inform the editor. The editor will then arrange for substitute reviewers and exclude the individual from the reviewing process.

Objectivity: Reviewers are expected to provide entirely objective opinions that are clear and well-substantiated. Personal criticism of any kind is deemed inappropriate.

Citing sources: The reviewers have to determine relevant data sources that are not cited in the author's manuscript. Any statement in the manuscript that reflects a review, derivative, or argument published previously must be appropriately cited. Reviewers are also expected to promptly inform the Editor if they discover significant similarities or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and texts from any other published piece.

Confidentiality: Every manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers are prohibited from sharing and/or discussing the received manuscripts with others unless they have obtained consent from the Editor.

Conflict of interest: Reviewers must decline to review any manuscripts that are subject to a conflict of interest stemming from competitive, cooperative, or other relations with any author, company, or institution associated with the submitted manuscript.

 

ETHICAL COMPLAINTS AND RETRACTION POLICY

Every reported instance of unethical publishing behavior will be thoroughly assessed, and appropriate responsive actions will be taken, including contacting the authors, relevant institutions, and considering options such as publication of a correction, retraction, or other necessary measures.

In cases where significant errors are identified, the article will be promptly withdrawn from publication and replaced with a detailed note explaining the reasons for retraction.

In instances of plagiarism, the entire article will be expeditiously removed from the journal and replaced with a notice containing the authors' names and a description of the plagiarism.