Editors’ responsibilities

Editors strive to meet the needs of readers and authors, ensure the quality of published content, champion freedom of expression and maintain the integrity of academic record.

Peer Review Process

All research articles published in Convivium have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymized refereeing by at least two anonymous referees coming from different academic background. Editors inform the authors about the process of double-blind peer review evaluation and uphold its objective and fair conduct. Editors ensure that appropriate reviewers are selected for submissions and they provide guidance to reviewers on everything that is expected of them. Editors encourage the reviewers to comment on the originality of submissions, to be alert to redundant publication and plagiarism and to disclose any potential competing interests before agreeing to review the article in question. Peer Review Form could be downloaded here.

Publication Decisions

Editors of Convivium are responsible for deciding which of the manuscripts submitted should be published. Editors may be guided by the policies of the journal’s editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted paper will not be used by the editors or the members of the advisory board for their own research purposes without the author’s explicit written consent. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. The editors are committed to ensuring that advertising, reprint, or other commercial revenue has no impact or influence on editorial decisions. The editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication.

Dealing with possible misconduct

Editors are aware of their duty to act if they suspect misconduct or if an allegation of misconduct is brought to them, both in the case of published and unpublished papers. Editors should make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a proper investigation into alleged misconduct is conducted, while following the COPE flowcharts where applicable. Editors should make all reasonable attempts to persist in obtaining a resolution to the problem.

Reviewers’ Responsibilities

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 manuscript. Any invited 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 excuse her/himself from the review process.

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

Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author(s) is inappropriate. Referees should express their opinions clearly with supporting arguments.

Authors’ Responsibilities

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors should ensure that they submit only entirely original work. If any work and/or words of others have been used, this has to be appropriately acknowledged. Publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work should also be cited. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit the same manuscript or articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal concurrently. Manuscripts which have been published as copyrighted material elsewhere cannot be submitted. In addition, manuscripts under review by the journal should not be re-submitted to copyrighted publications.

Publisher’s Responsibilities

Scientific misconduct

In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher, in close collaboration with the editors, will take all appropriate measures to clarify the situation and to amend the article in question. This includes the prompt publication of a correction statement or erratum or, in the most severe cases, the retraction of the affected work.