Publication Ethics

The Journal for German and Scandinavian Studies is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and integrity. Our policies are guided by the principles and best practices recommended by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/). We expect all parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher—to adhere to these ethical guidelines.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that their submitted work is entirely original and that all sources used are properly acknowledged. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable. This includes self-plagiarism (re-using substantial parts of one’s own published work without proper attribution).

Accuracy and Data Integrity: Authors should present an accurate account of the research performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. Fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting data is a serious breach of ethics.

Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project should be acknowledged.

Conflict of Interest: Authors must disclose any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not submit the same manuscript to more than one Journal concurrently. Submitting an article that has been published elsewhere, or is under review for publication elsewhere, is unethical and unacceptable. Manuscripts that have already been published or are forthcoming (“in press”) elsewhere are not accepted for publication in the Journal for German and Scandinavian Studies.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works: When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the Journal editors and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Editors’ Responsibilities

Fair Play and Objectivity: Editors evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality: Editors and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Editors will recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the papers.

Publication Decisions: Editors are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the Journal should be published. The decision is based on the manuscript’s importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the Journal’s scope, as well as the validity of the study and its adherence to ethical guidelines.

Ensuring Peer Review: Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair and anonymous peer-review process. They should select reviewers who have sufficient expertise and no conflicts of interest.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author, may also assist the author in improving the paper.

Promptness: Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and decline the invitation.

Confidentiality: Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity: Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgement of Sources: Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions associated with the paper.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

Protecting Intellectual Property: The publisher (St. Kliment Ohridski University Press) is committed to protecting intellectual property and copyright.

Preserving Records: The publisher is committed to ensuring that good practice is maintained to the best of its abilities, and that systems for editorial workflow, peer review, and publication are maintained.

Handling Ethical Complaints: The publisher, in collaboration with the editors, will take appropriate measures in cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism. This may include the prompt publication of an erratum, clarification, or, in the most severe cases, the retraction of the affected work.

Procedures for Dealing with Unethical Behaviour

The Journal for German and Scandinavian Studies will take allegations of misconduct seriously. The editor, in conjunction with the editorial board and the publisher, will investigate suspected cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, or other forms of unethical publishing behavior. In line with COPE guidelines, this may involve contacting the authors’ institutions or other relevant bodies. Any confirmed instances of unethical behavior will result in appropriate action, which may include the retraction of the published article and notification to relevant institutions.