PUBLISHING ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE PREVENTION POLICY OF
UNIVERSITY PRESS “ST. KLIMENT OHRIDSKI”
The publishing ethics and malpractice prevention policy of
the Press adheres to the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics
(COPE – an international organization established to promote ethical practices
and maintain high standards in scholarly publishing) and aims to introduce good
practices and standards of ethical conduct for the main participants in the
publishing process – authors, reviewers, editors, and the publishing house.
1.
Responsibilities
of Authors. Manuscripts submitted to the Press
must be original scholarly works, reflect current requirements for academic
advancement, and correspond to the main goals and objectives of the Press –
namely, to provide and support the educational, scientific, and
cultural-information activities of Sofia University through the necessary
printed publications and to promote the scientific achievements of the academic
community.
Presentation of the Research. The author is expected to bear responsibility for the data
and information presented in the manuscript text, as well as for the
significance of the research. The author must submit an original manuscript for
first publication to the Press.
Authors must strictly comply with authorship criteria. All authors/co-authors
listed in the submitted text must have made a substantial contribution to the
research and approved all statements therein. In order to be considered an
author of an original work, a person must have contributed in one of the
following ways: designed the study, conducted the research or experiments,
participated in the analysis of the data and other documents, or led the
project as principal investigator.
By submitting the completed manuscript to the Press, the author declares that
the same manuscript has not been submitted for consideration to another
publisher.
Authorship of the Publication. Only persons who have made a significant contribution to
the conception and implementation of the scientific research or who
participated in preparing the final version of the text and submitting it for
publication should be included as authors. The consent of all co-authors is
required for any use or adaptation of the work.
Originality, Plagiarism, and Citation. Misappropriation of another person’s scientific
achievements, infringement of copyright, copying, paraphrasing parts of another
publication, or presenting results and ideas from other studies as one’s own
are considered plagiarism and are not permitted. Authors must guarantee that
they have created and submitted entirely original manuscripts and that they
have adequately cited all sources used in the research, as well as publications
by other authors that have significantly influenced their research work. The
use of another person’s works or parts thereof without accurate and proper
citation of the source is unacceptable.
Citation Manipulation.
Manuscripts found to contain citations included solely for the purpose of
increasing the citation count of a particular author’s publication will not be
accepted for publication. Self-citation, whereby the author refers to their own
previously published works within a newly submitted manuscript, must not exceed
20% of the total number of cited sources therein. Such citations must be
relevant rather than formal; they must not replace key external sources and
should demonstrate development of the research rather than repetition. The
publishing editor may request a written justification from the authors if the
percentage of self-citation is higher.
The Press may conduct checks for excessive self-citation in order to prevent
manipulation or deliberate emphasis on particular content. All cases of
inappropriate self-citation will be reviewed promptly and transparently in
accordance with established ethical publishing standards.
Cooperation in the Editing and Publishing Preparation
Process. Authors are obliged to respond
promptly to editors’ inquiries regarding the manuscript, as well as to provide
clarifications concerning the text or existing copyrights. Authors must respond
promptly to comments from publishing editors and prepress staff, and must
revise and resubmit their manuscript after taking into account the remarks
provided, or submit a reasoned written explanation as to why these remarks have
not been considered. Authors are notified of the decision to publish or reject
the manuscript immediately after its consideration by the Publishing Council.
Conflict of Interest and Transparency of Financial Support. Authors must disclose any possible professional,
financial, or personal interests involving other parties, or any other conflict
of interest that could be interpreted as influencing the publication,
reproduction, or dissemination of the work. Manuscripts with undeclared
conflicts of interest that are later discovered may be rejected.
Errors in Publication and Corrections. If authors discover significant errors or inaccuracies in
their own text, they are obliged to immediately notify the editors or the Press
and cooperate with them to correct the errors or, if necessary, withdraw the
manuscript. If a third party reports that a published text contains a
significant error or inaccuracy, authors are obliged to immediately correct or
withdraw the manuscript or provide the Press/editors with evidence supporting
the accuracy of the text.
2.
Responsibilities
of Reviewers. Constructive Evaluation and Confidentiality
The assessment of each reviewer must be made without bias or
personal interest. Reviewers should evaluate the positive aspects of the
reviewed texts, indicate the negative aspects, and point out the necessary
improvements, while at the same time not disclosing information regarding the
forthcoming publication (the manuscript). The reviewer must explain and support
their assessment clearly enough for both the authors and the Press to
understand its validity. The reviewer must ensure that any observation or
argument previously reported is accompanied by appropriate citation and must
immediately alert the Press/editor upon becoming aware of duplicate
publication. Reviewers must not use offensive language when commenting on the
manuscript or related texts.
Disclosure of Conflict of Interest. As far as possible, reviewers should minimize conflicts of
interest. Any invited reviewer who is in a conflict of interest due to
competitive relationships or relationships with any of the authors,
organizations, or institutions connected with the manuscript must immediately
declare this to the faculty or the Press in order to allow the selection of
another reviewer. In such a case, the reviewer must notify the relevant faculty
or the Press, describing the conflict of interest.
Confidentiality.
All manuscripts received for review are confidential documents and must be
treated as such. They must not be shown to or discussed with other persons who
are not authorized by the Editor-in-Chief of the Press. This rule also applies
to reviewers who decline an invitation to review a manuscript.
Timeliness.
Any invited reviewer who feels unqualified to review a manuscript must
immediately notify the Press and decline the invitation in order to allow the
selection of another reviewer. Any invited reviewer agrees to review a
manuscript only if they are confident that they can return the review within
the proposed or mutually agreed deadline and must immediately inform the Press
if an extension is needed.
Assistance in Publication Decisions. The review assists the Press in making editorial decisions
and, through communication between editors and authors, may help authors
improve the quality of their manuscripts.
Objectivity.
Reviews must be conducted objectively, and conclusions must be formulated
clearly and supported by arguments so that authors may use them to improve the
manuscript. Personal criticism of authors is unacceptable.
Fairness Toward Sources and Ethical Violations. Reviewers should identify and notify the editors of texts
used but not cited by the authors, as well as any substantial similarity or
overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other manuscript
known to them. Reviewers must immediately notify the Press if they encounter
irregularities, have concerns regarding ethical aspects of the work, know of
simultaneous submission of the manuscript to another publisher, or suspect
misconduct during the research, writing, or submission of the manuscript.
Unpublished material described in a reviewed manuscript must
not be used for reviewers’ own research purposes without the explicit writеn
consent of the authors. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer
review must remain confidential and must not be used for reviewers’ personal
purposes. This also applies to reviewers who decline an invitation to review a
manuscript.
Assistance
in Publication Decisions
The review assists editors in making editorial decisions
and, through communication between editors and authors, may help authors
improve their manuscripts.
Conflict
of Interest and Transparency of the Procedure
Any invited reviewer who is in a
conflict of interest due to competitive relationships or relations with any of
the authors, companies, or institutions connected with the manuscript must
immediately declare this conflict of interest to the editors in order to allow
the selection of another reviewer.
3.
Responsibilities
of the Press. Responsibilities of Editors
The Press bears responsibility for approved manuscripts and,
in the event of identified malpractice, conflicts, or actions contrary to
ethical standards, must notify the affected parties as quickly as possible.
The Press is responsible for ensuring a fair, timely, and
thorough editorial process.
The Press guarantees that the decision to publish all
submitted manuscripts is based on the significance and value of the manuscript,
the comments and recommendations of the reviewers, and its compliance with the
goals and objectives of the Press. The Press considers the interests of authors
and readers when corrections are made or work is undertaken to improve the
manuscript.
The Press does not disclose information related to the
publishing process or to the activities and procedures of Sofia University “St.
Kliment Ohridski”.
The Press responds to potential violations regardless of
whether they concern a published or unpublished manuscript and, where necessary,
takes the appropriate measures – correction, withdrawal, publication of
clarification, or other appropriate action.
4.
Responsibility
Toward Readers and the Academic Community.
The Press guarantees that the content and information about the author in the
work are clear. The Press evaluates all manuscripts and guarantees that they
correspond to its goals and objectives. At the same time, the Press provides
all participants in the publication process with access to the Regulations on
the Printing of Book Publications and the document templates of University
Press with Printing House “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
The Press accepts and evaluates manuscripts on the basis of
their scientific and educational significance and their contribution to the
educational process, regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, political or
religious philosophy, or social or institutional affiliation. All decisions
concerning editing or publishing manuscripts or other texts are made
independently by the Press, without external influence, including from
advertisers or other commercial partners.
Confidentiality.
The Press, the editorial staff, as well as all other employees and staff
members, will not disclose any information regarding a submitted manuscript to
anyone except those directly involved in the evaluation and publication
process. The Press does not use or provide unpublished information concerning a
manuscript to third parties without the authors’ written consent. Information
obtained during manuscript processing is considered confidential and will not
be used for personal gain.
Conflict of Interest.
Publishing editors declare that they will not participate in the consideration
of manuscripts that may give rise to a conflict of interest – including but not
limited to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with an author or
with institutions and organizations. In such cases, the affected editor must
request another member of the editorial staff to handle the manuscript.
Ethical Violations and Complaints. The editor is obliged to take appropriate action regarding
submitted complaints concerning ethical aspects related to a submitted or
already published manuscript. This includes contacting the author and
thoroughly reviewing the complaint. In cases where the complaint is upheld, it
is advisable to publish corrections, withdrawals, statements of opinion,
rebuttals, or other appropriate notices.
In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraud,
or plagiarism, the Press will take all necessary measures to clarify the
situation. If necessary, this includes the immediate publication of a notice,
clarification, or, in the most serious cases, withdrawal of the affected
manuscript.
The Press is responsible for preserving published scientific
information and ensuring its accessibility.
The Press supports communication with other publishers if
this improves publishing activities. The publisher cooperates with other
publishing houses and organizations in establishing standards for publication
ethics.
The Press adheres to guidelines and procedures intended to
ensure fair and best practices within the academic publishing community. The
Press undertakes responsibility for maintaining the integrity and completeness
of the scientific record for all end users. The Press places great importance
on the authority of manuscripts after publication, and the publication policy
is based on best practices followed within the academic publishing community.
Upon receiving a manuscript, the Press guarantees that it:
appropriately disseminates the present Publishing Ethics and Malpractice
Prevention Procedures among interested parties – authors/co-authors, reviewers,
editors, and members of the academic community; monitors compliance with the
Ethical Publishing Policy; takes all necessary measures in the event of
violations of the Ethical Publishing Policy; stores, processes, and archives
the manuscript within the legally prescribed period; does not knowingly permit
violations of the Ethical Publishing Policy; and reserves the right to amend
the requirements for authors’ manuscripts.
Identification and Handling of Misconduct
Plagiarism.
Plagiarism in all its forms is regarded as unethical and unacceptable conduct.
The Press reserves the right not to publish a text for which a similarity rate
exceeding 20% has been established. If plagiarism is detected during the
editorial process, the manuscript may be rejected. If plagiarism is discovered
after publication of the manuscript, an investigation will be conducted and
measures will be taken in accordance with the Ethical Publishing Policy.
Fabrication and Falsification of Data. Manuscripts and other texts found to contain fabricated or
falsified results, including manipulated images, will not be accepted, and
where this is discovered in already published manuscripts, they will be
withdrawn.
Copyright and Access Policies. By submitting a text and/or content/files/manuscripts to
the Press, the author agrees to transfer the rights for their disclosure,
publication, and distribution for the purpose of promoting University Press
“St. Kliment Ohridski”. The author agrees to grant the Press the exclusive
right to use the published work in accordance with the Bulgarian Copyright and
Related Rights Act, for a mutually agreed period and without territorial
limitation regarding the use of the work.
Advertising Policy. The Press conducts appropriate and targeted advertising of published works. Advertisements must be independent and clearly distinguishable from advertisements of publishing products of other publishers. Misleading, dishonest, or deceptive advertising is not permitted. The Press reserves the right to reject or remove any advertisement that raises suspicion of being contrary to good scholarly publishing practice or ethical principles.