The Code of Ethics for publishing articles in the scientific journal Studia commercialia Bratislavensia
The Editorial Office of the “Studia commercialia Bratislavensia” accepts the responsibility and supervision over all stages of the publication process. The publication in the journal is to contribute to securing a rigorous scholarly level also by compliance with the standards of the Code of Ethics (worked out on the basis of available rules and recommendations of COPE and Elsevier Publishing House for publication ethics and the Editorial Board of the Journal) in the publishing of research papers, while all steps are to be even to prevent the breach of this Code. It is important to comply with on the standards of ethical behaviour in the publication of papers, and this fact holds for all stakeholders of the publication process (authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers).
Authors’ duties in accordance with the Code of Ethics
Standard for manuscripts, access to data and their safekeeping
Authors of articles are obliged to use objective arguments and objective results of scholarly/academic research. The database of scholarly research shall be precisely presented. Research papers must contain adequate details and references and must enable readers to objectively reproduce the work concerned.
Authors of articles may be required to provide source data which have been used in studies and articles for the purposes of editorial check, and as long as it is possible, they should retain these data for an adequately long period (5 years) after publishing their papers based on these source data.
Fraudulent and conscious wrong declarations constitute unethical behaviour and are considered unacceptable.
Originality and plagiarism
Authors should ascertain that they submit for publication original work, and if they have used other authors’ sources in their work they must cite them in an adequate way. Plagiarism in all of its forms represents an unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable. There are various forms of plagiarism, ranging from the presentation of someone else’s manuscript as one’s own, copying and paraphrasing of substantial parts of others´ works without citing them, up to appropriating other authors´ research results. These are unacceptable.
Multiple, redundant or parallel publishing
It is considered not acceptable for authors to submit for publication manuscripts describing in essence identical research to more than one academic journal. Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to several journals constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.
Citation of sources
It is necessary that authors quote publications which have significantly influenced the content their article.
A correct and complete citation of other people’s work must always be provided. Information acquired in a confidential way, must not be used without the explicit consent of written content authors’ of these documents or copyright holders’.
Copyright to articles
Authorship must be limited to those who have significantly contributed to a final concept, design, layout, analysis, writing or exposition of the applicant study, article or paper submitted. All those who have made a significant contribution to the preparation of an article should be indicated as its co-authors. If there are other persons who have participated in some essential aspects in the underwriting research, this should be recognized, and their names should be indicated in the article concerned. A corresponding (responsible) author is obliged to ensure that all co-authors were indicated in the paper, saw and approved the final version of the paper, and agreed with the submission for publication.
Major mistakes in published papers
If the author finds out that there is a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, they are obliged to inform the Journal’s Editor or its Publisher without delay, and cooperate with the Editor in withdrawing the article from the production process, or to publish the paper’s revision. Should the Editor or Publisher learn from a third party that the published paper contains substantial mistakes, it is the Author’s duty to immediately withdraw or adjust the paper in response to the Editor’s call, or to provide the Editorial Office with proofs of accuracy of the original paper.
Duties of Editors in accordance with the Code of Ethics
Decision on publishing
The Board of Editors of the scientific journal “ Studia commercialia Bratislavensia” decides on which of the articles submitted to the Journal’s Editorial office should be published, while this decision is made on the basis of Reviewers´ opinions and other background data from the Executive Editor. In the decision on the publication of the paper the Editor shall abide by the rules of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal. This way the Editor is subject to legal proceedings in the case of libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The Editor can consult other editors or reviewers in the process of decision making on the publication of the paper.
Fair play
The Editor evaluates manuscripts in terms of their content and quality, regardless race, sex, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, ethnic origin, nationality, or political views of their authors.
Confidentiality
Neither the Editor nor any member of the “ Studia commercialia Bratislavensia ” editorial team is allowed to enable access to any information about a manuscript submitted to anybody else but the Corresponding Author, reviewers, potential reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, and the Publisher.
Publishing and the conflict of interest
Unpublished materials listed and manuscripts submitted cannot be used in the Editor’s own research without an explicit written consent of the Author. Crucial information or ideas obtained in the course of the review process are considered to be confidential and cannot be used for obtaining a personal advantage. Editors and reviewers should refrain from evaluating articles, in which the conflict of interest might arise from competitive or other relationships, including mutual co-operation. The Editorial office requires Authors to inform even about a potential conflict of interests and to submit correction of the article, if the conflict of interest is disclosed after the article has been published.
Participation and cooperation in case of appeal
The Editor should take adequately vigorous steps in case of ethics complaint of the submitted or published manuscript. These measures will usually involve contacting the Author of the manuscript and due investigation of the complaint concerned or claims raised.
The measures also include further communication with bodies and research institutions concerned, and if the relevant of the complaint is confirmed, then also of the correction will be published, or the article, will be withdrawn. Each reported act of unethical behaviour in publishing must be investigated, even when found out a long time after the article was published.
Reviewers’ duties according to the Code of Ethics
Basis for the Editor’s decision
The Reviewers assist the Editor of the scientific journal of “ Studia commercialia Bratislavensia” in an editorial decision on publishing/rejection of a paper. The Reviewer’s comments help the Author to improve the paper. The review is an indivisible part of the formal scientific communication. The Editorial team of the scientific journal “ Studia commercialia Bratislavensia ” share an opinion that all Authors who wish to submit the outputs of their research for publication are obliged to contribute to the process of reviewing papers submitted to the journal.
Timeliness
Each proposed Reviewer who does not feel qualified to review some manuscript submitted for publication, or who knows that they will not be able to complete the review within the deadline specified should inform the Editorial team and excuse themselves from the reviewing process.
Maintaining on confidentiality
Each and every manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential material. The manuscript must neither be shown to anybody nor it may be discussed with anybody, unless the exception has been granted by the Editor of the “ Studia commercialia Bratislavensia ”.
Unbiased principles
The review should be performed without any bias. A personal criticism of the Author is inadmissible. Reviewers should express their opinions clearly, professionally and support their opinions with adequate arguments.
Citation of sources
Reviewers should identify the data and sources that have been incorrectly cited or not cited by the Author. Any statement that the data or concepts have already been published earlier, have to be adequately documented by the identification of sources. The Reviewer should advise the Editor in the case of principal similarity or overlap between the manuscript reviewed any other published study has observed.
Publishing and conflict of interests
Unpublished materials contained in the submitted manuscript must not be used in the Reviewer’s own research without the Author’s explicit written consent. Essential ideas and information acquired in the reviewing process are considered confidential and must not be used for gaining the Reviewer’s personal advantage. Reviewers should not evaluate articles in case then are in conflict of interest, resulting from professional or other relationships.
