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Publication ethics

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Serdica Mathematical Journal is committed to maintaining the highest level of integrity in the content published. The journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)  guidelines on publication ethics and complies with the established international standards.

Serdica Mathematical Journal is committed to taking all possible measures against any publication malpractices. The publisher and the editors are responsible for taking reasonable steps to identify and prevent the publication of papers in which research misconduct has occurred, including plagiarism, citation manipulation, and data falsification, among others. In the event that the publisher or the editors are notified of research misconduct relating to a paper published in this journal, the publisher or editor shall follow the COPE’s guidelines in handling the allegations.

The ethical issues apply to all participants in the publication process: authors, reviewers and editors.

 

Authors’ Duties:

  • Originality and Plagiarism: Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscripts are original works. If the authors have used someone else’s works, this must be appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in all forms is unacceptable.
  • Multiple or simultaneous publication: Only unpublished manuscripts should be submitted. The manuscripts must not have been previously published in any other journal nor submitted simultaneously to another journal in which it is still under consideration.
  • Data Access and Retention: Authors may be asked to provide the research data in connection with their paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data in compliance with the standard open data requirements. 
  • Acknowledgment of Sources: Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. The data sources used in the preparation of the manuscripts should be acknowledged and quoted correctly.
  • References Relevance: The research papers mentioned in “References” must be directly related to the contents of the manuscript.
  • Authorship of the Paper: Authorship should be limited to those who have made an essential contribution to the preparation of the paper.
  • Declaring conflict of interest: Authors must declare conflict of interest that can influence the results of the research.

 

Reviewers’ Duties:

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Reviewers’ precise work assist the editor in taking editorial decisions. Besides, reviewers’ comments can also assist the authors in improving the quality of the paper. Any information that may be a reason for the rejection of a manuscript must be communicated to the editor.
  • Promptness: Any selected referee who feels not qualified enough to review the manuscript or is unable to submit the review within the expected deadline should notify immediately the editor/s-in-chief and decline to participate in the review process.
  • Confidentiality: All information pertaining to the manuscripts should be kept confidential. The reviewers must comply with the principle of confidentiality and not share the review or information about the paper with a third party.
  • Objectivity standards: All manuscripts should be reviewed objectively based on the intellectual content of the paper regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship or political views of author(s). The reviewer’s observations should be formulated clearly with competence and supporting arguments.
  • Acknowledgment of sources. Reviewers must observe strictly citation and the use of data and sources. In case they identify considerable similarity between the reviewed manuscript and a paper already published, they are required to inform the editor/s-in-chief.
  • Declaring conflict of interest. Reviewers must stay away from reviewing when a conflict of interest arises based on professional, personal, financial or other commitments with the authors.

 

 

Editors’ Duties:

  • Fair Play: Manuscripts must be evaluated solely on the base of their intellectual merit regardless of the authors' gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship or political views.
  • Confidentiality: The editor 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: Any observed conflicts of interest concerning manuscripts will be brought into notice of the editor/s-in-chief as well of the author(s). Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in the editors' or reviewers’ own research without the express written consent of the author.
  • Plagiarism and copyright infringement: The Editorial Board follows the suitable policies concerning the plagiarism and copyright infringement.
  • Decision for publishing: The Editorial Board makes the decision for publishing as suggested by the editor/s-in-chief and based on the reviewers’ opinion.

 

Allegations of Misconduct

Any allegations of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, following the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. The Serdica Mathematical Journal is committed to providing a fair hearing to all parties, and, if these investigations confirm misconduct, the necessary corrective actions will be taken.