Publication Ethics

The Editorial Board of  Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica is committed to provide the highest ethical standards at every stage of the publishing procedure.  Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica is a Committee on Publication Ethics member since 2018 and strictly follows the rules of that organisation. The review process is arranged by double-blind system. Every text is subject to at least two reviews. 

For further information, cf. the rules below and the sections: For Authors and About the Journal

General Provisions

1. Contributions to  Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica are accepted via the Journals of the University of Lodz platform.
2. For a detailed overview of the publication process, please refer to the FOE workflow guide.
3. For detailed information about peer review please refer to the FOE peer-review procedure.
4. Detailed information about the publication fee is available at: Publication fees.
5. Before submitting, see our Statement on Publication Malpractice.

Policies and Guidelines for Authors

1. Authors submitting results of their original research in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance in the field in the field of economic sciences. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the manuscript. Sufficient detail and references are necessary to verify and replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

2. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica publishes exclusively original research results. Authors should therefore ensure that they have written entirely original works and, if they have used the work and/or words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

3. Manuscripts describing essentially the same or redundant research in more than one journal or primary publication generally should not be published. Parallel submission of the same paper to more than one journal constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and it will not be accepted in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica.

4. The work of others must be always properly acknowledged. Authors should also cite the sources that have been influential in creating the reported work.

5. It is requested to limit the authorship only to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. The corresponding author must ensure that all contributors are listed as co-authors (according to the above definition) and that no inappropriate names are included in the submitted authors list. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be named in an Acknowledgement section.

6. All co-authors should approve the final version of the paper and agree to its submission for publication in the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica.

7. Plagiarism and data fabrication are unacceptable.

8. The financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might be construed to influence the results or their interpretation on the part of all of the co-authors should be made known in the manuscript submitted to Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica. All sources of financial support for the project should also be disclosed.

9. When the authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their own published work, they are obligated to promptly notify the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica editorial team and collaborate with the editors and publisher to retract the paper or to issue an appropriate erratum.

10. To publish the research that contains personal data (including surveys and social media) in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica, the authors must obtain approval and a positive opinion from their institutional committee of ethics. Authors affiliated with the University of Lodz must obtain approval of the audit commission operating at the University of Lodz as a form of supervision to establish ethical standards and suggested forms (e.g., in the context of sensitive questions). The authors should provide the Editorial Board with proof that the research was conducted with the informed consent of respondents and in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (EU) 2016/679, abbreviated GDPR).

11. Publishing the photographic image of people performing public functions who are not widely known and who were not presented against the background of the landscape or immortalized among other people during a public event requires obtaining their consent for the dissemination of the image and the processing of personal data (GPRD - obligation to provide information about personal data protection).

12. The submission must not violate the rights of third parties, in particular other copyrights, and all necessary permissions regarding the use of copyrighted materials have been obtained by the Author(s) and submitted to the Editor.

13. The authors may be requested to share the research data and should be prepared to provide access to unprocessed research results, including for a period after the article is published.

Policies and Guidelines for Editors

Editorial Team of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica

1. Each manuscript is promptly assigned by the Editor-in-Chief to section editors (subject-matter experts) based on the JEL codes declared by the authors. This ensures that every submission is immediately evaluated by specialists with the most relevant expertise.

2. The Editor-in-Chief and section editors of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica (hereinafter together referred to as: "the editors") are responsible for deciding which articles submitted to the journal should be published, and, moreover, are accountable for everything published in the journal. In making these decisions, they may be guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial team as well as by legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.

3.. When making publication decisions the editors may confer with other editorial team members or with the reviewers.

4. The editors should maintain the integrity of the academic record, preclude business needs from compromising intellectual and ethical standards, and always be willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, errata and apologies when needed.

5. The editors of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica should evaluate manuscripts for intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the author(s).

6. Any information about a manuscript under consideration is confidential and should not be disclosed to anyone other than the author(s), reviewers and potential reviewers, and in some instances the editorial team members, as appropriate.

7. The editors are strictly prohibited from using unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript in their own research without the express written consent of the authors.

8. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

9. The editors of the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica should ensure a fair and appropriate peer review process.

10. The editors should withdraw from the editorial process for the manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships and connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions connected to the submitted research; i.e. they should ask co-editor, associate editor or another member of the editorial team to replace them in reviewing the submission.

11. The advertising, reprint or other commercial revenue should not have any impact or influence on editorial decisions.

12. Those who submit complaints and appeals (whistleblowers) are kindly requested to help the editors of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica to record and document the claim (e.g. data manipulation or fabrication, text recycling, plagiarism, research misconduct). The report should include:
– specific information about the case (who, what, when, where, why),
– in case of plagiarism and text recycling, details should be given about the relevant texts/articles.

13. The editors should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints about both the submitted manuscript and published paper have been presented.
When considering retracting, issuing expressions of concern and corrections pertaining to articles that have been published in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica the editors will be guided by COPE’s Guidelines for Retracting Articles.

14. The editors should guard the integrity of the content published in the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica by issuing corrections and retractions when needed.

15. If competing interests of any of the contributors are revealed after publication, the section editors should ensure that relevant information will be disclosed and issue erratum. If needed, other appropriate action should be taken, such as the publication of a retraction or expression of concern.

16. The editors should investigate and pursue suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct as well as reviewer and editorial misconduct.

17. The editors are obliged to inform other members of the editorial team about any ethical concerns with the submitted manuscripts (lack of consent or reservations of the ethical committee regarding the protection of image, personal data, patient’s or animal rights). In such a situation, the editors are obliged to ask the author to provide relevant certificates and documents. When the answer is satisfactory, the publishing process could be resumed, in the absence of clarification or in case of any objections – the review of the manuscript should be suspended, and the misconduct – reported to COPE and/or persons responsible for supervision over the research in the appropriate institution. If the matter has not been clarified after 3 to 6 months, it should be reported to other authorities (i.e. medical research register, ethics committee, disciplinary spokesman of the university where the author is affiliated).

18. Editorial team members who are authors and/or co-authors of a scientific article submitted for publication are excluded from the process of its internal and external review.

Policies and Guidelines for Reviewers

The peer review process in Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica is arranged by a double-blind system. Every text is subject to at least two reviews.

1. The reviewers assist the editors in making editorial decisions and, through the editorial communication with the author, may also assist the author in improving the manuscript.

2. If the researchers invited to peer review the manuscript feel unqualified or know that its timely review will be impossible, they should immediately notify the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica editors so that alternative reviewers can be contacted.

3. The referees are kindly requested to treat any manuscripts received for review as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except if authorized by the editors of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica.

4. The review process should be conducted with objectivity. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable. The opinions and recommendations should be expressed clearly with appropriate supporting arguments.

5. The 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 suitable citation.

6. The reviewers should also call to the editor’s attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published data of which they have personal knowledge.

7. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage.

8. The reviewers should refuse to evaluate the 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 connected to the submission.

9. The reviewers are obliged to inform the editorial team of Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica about any ethical concerns with the submitted manuscripts (lack of consent or reservations of the ethical committee regarding the protection of image, personal data, patient or animal rights). In such a situation, the editorial team is obliged to ask the authors to provide relevant certificates and documents. When the answer is satisfactory, the publishing process could be resumed, in the absence of clarification or in case of any objections – the review of the manuscript should be suspended, and the misconduct – reported to COPE and/or persons responsible for supervision over the research in the appropriate institution. If the matter has not been clarified after 3 to 6 months, it should be reported to other authorities (i.e. medical research register, ethics committee, disciplinary spokesman of the university where the authors are affiliated).

Policies and Guidelines for the Publisher

Lodz University Press is obliged to collect and share with the editors all complaints and appeals received against the Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Oeconomica, its staff and the editorial team or the publisher itself. The publisher is also obliged to inform COPE when there is any violation of Publication Ethics or any other ethical policies followed by the University of Lodz.


Sources:
https://publicationethics.org/guidance
https://publicationethics.org/core-practices