PUBLICATION ETHICS GUIDELINES AND STATEMENT ON MISCONDUCT AND AUTHORIAL INTEGRITY:
"BIBLIOTEKARZ PODLASKI" publishes original scientific articles and reports. Founded in 2000, co-edited and developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Philology at the University of Białystok, the journal aims to address key issues in contemporary library science, librarianship, literary studies, history, and other humanities and social sciences, creating a space for interdisciplinary, modern, open scholarly dialogue. The journal is peer-reviewed and edited by an international Editorial Committee, with input from an international Scientific Committee. It publishes texts reflecting the broad research interests of authors from various academic centers in Poland and abroad.
The Editorial Team of "Bibliotekarz Podlaski" prioritizes upholding the highest ethical standards in publishing practice and employs all possible means to prevent misconduct and authorial unreliability.
In our journal, we apply the principles outlined below. These have been implemented to ensure the proper (meaning reliable, honest, transparent) functioning of the entire publishing process in "Bibliotekarz Podlaski". The publisher regularly reviews the journal's publishing policy. The Editorial Team of "Bibliotekarz Podlaski" has adopted and adheres to transparent, modern principles regarding best practices in publishing scientific works, in collaboration with our academic partners from Poland and abroad. The applied publishing policy aims to serve both authors submitting scientific articles to our journal, as well as publishers and readers. The article review principles adopted by the journal also align with the recommendations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education regarding the observance of ethics and good practices in science, aiming to ensure the integrity of the publishing process and prevent misconduct and authorial unreliability.
The accepted conduct guidelines for the editorial team, authors, reviewers, and publishers fully conform to the guidelines provided by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and align with the content of the Code of Ethics for Scientific Employees.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
The Authors must present the results of their research in agreement with scholarly standards. The papers must be original; the findings and words of other researchers must be appropriately acknowledged. Plagiarism is not accepted. The Authors must obtain written permission to reproduce any previously published materials.
The same manuscript should not be submitted to several journals at the same time.
All the co-authors of an article are equally responsible for compliance with the journal’s publication ethics.
The Authors (Contributors) are obliged to observe the standards of scientific integrity and the universally applicable rules of publication ethics. The Contributors are obliged to cooperate with the editorial team during the review and, if applicable, publication process. They are also obliged at all times to provide access to the data they refer to in their manuscripts. The Contributors should disclose any conflicts of interest that may affect the results of the study or their interpretation, e.g. grants, royalties, other forms of funding, membership in organisations and associations, employment relationships, consulting work, ownership of shares or other equity interests, patents, licensing agreements, and personal or professional relations. All sources of financial support for the manuscript must be disclosed, including the subsidy number or another reference to the source of funding. If a manuscript has been written by several contributors, the contributors have the duty to disclose their contributions, indicating exactly what the contribution of a given author was.
The Contributors may submit only their own original manuscripts for publication. Any references to works and studies of other authors should be clearly indicated, accompanied by appropriate commentary and notes, and should be mentioned in the bibliography. Failure to comply with the above rules is a manifestation of scientific dishonesty. Ghostwriting, ghost authorship, guest authorship and gift authorship are considered manifestations of authorship and scientific dishonesty.
The Authors are obliged to notify “Bibliotekarz Podlaski” of discovering any significant inaccuracies or errors in the published manuscript they have written as authors or co-authors. They are responsible for the rectification of such inaccuracies or errors by way of an explanatory note, correction or any other appropriate measure in respect of the next issue or printout.
The Contributors may submit only manuscripts that have not been submitted and provided to other publishers for publication. Submitting manuscripts to several publishers at the same time is unethical. Authors have the right to present the articles published in “Bibliotekarz Podlaski” on conferences and on symposia.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE EDITORS AND THE PUBLISHER
The role of the Publisher is to ensure the scholarly independence of the Editorial Board, the Reviewers and the Authors. It is also ultimately responsible for the maintenance of good editorial practices and publishing ethics by the journal.
The Editor-in-chief is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal are to be published. Before making his/her final decision, the Editor-in-chief consults the opinion of at least two independent external Reviewers. The Editor may also consult his/her decision with the members of the Advisory Board and Editorial Board. In making his/her decision, the Editor-in-chief does not take into account the ethnic origin, gender, religious beliefs or political views of the Author.
It is the Editor-in-chief’s duty to ensure that all research articles submitted to the journal are reviewed by at least two external Reviewers in the process of double-blind peer review. The Editor-in-chief makes sure that the review process, the revision process, and the publication process are timely. The Editor-in-chief ensures that there is no conflict of interests between the Reviewers and the Authors.
Members of the Editorial Board assist the Editor-in-chief in the process of making final decisions concerning the publication of articles submitted to the journal, as well as in the process of preparing articles for publication (revision, communication with Reviewers and with Authors).
The Publisher will consider any reported publication misconduct, even if detected long after the date of publication. If ethical misconduct is proven, the publisher will publish a correction or a comment or will withdraw the manuscript from publication or take any other appropriate action. If the Editorial Board decides to withdraw the manuscript, the material cannot be used in any way without written permission from the Author. Information regarding manuscripts submitted for publication can be disclosed exclusively to the Authors, Reviewers, Publisher or selected members of the Editorial Board.
With regard to all its publications, the Publisher safeguards the observance of publishing standards and rules of publication ethics (the Code of Ethics and Conduct ) and prevents any practices contrary to the accepted norms.
ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWERS:
A review must be fair, unbiased and objective; reviewers should refrain from any personal criticism and provide reasonable arguments in support of their opinions.
There should be no conflict of interest between the reviewer and the contributing author(s). If such a conflict occurs, the reviewer must immediately report it to the editorial team and return the manuscript under review.
Rejected manuscripts cannot be used by reviewers for any purposes without the express prior written consent of the editorial team. This shall also mean that the Reviewers must not use any unpublished data obtained from the papers under review in their own research.
Reviewers and editors are obliged to inform the Publisher of any fraudulent use of the intellectual property or duplicate publication. They are also obliged to inform the publisher if they suspect that an ethical violation has occurred.
Review comments are confidential and will only be disclosed to persons involved in the editorial and publishing process.
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE PUBLISHING PROCESS :
All versions of manuscripts submitted for publication remain accessible to the Editors and the Publisher. In the case of multiple versions of the same article, it is the Publisher’s responsibility to provide appropriate numbering and date of publication.
The journal accepts translations of the articles previously published elsewhere. This rule applies also to extended versions of conference papers. In such cases the Author is obliged to furnish all data regarding previous publication to ensure academic clarity. In some cases it is necessary to obtain written permission from the first publisher.
RETRACTION, CORRECTIONS AND EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN POLICY
“Bibliotekarz Podlaski” is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics. In cases where errors, ethical concerns, or scientific misconduct are identified, the Editorial Board follows the recommendations and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Corrections
If, after publication, an error is identified that does not compromise the validity of the research findings, interpretations, or conclusions, the Editorial Board may publish a correction (Erratum or Corrigendum).
Corrections are published promptly after verification and are permanently linked to the original article in both electronic and print versions, where applicable.
Expressions of Concern
The Editorial Board may issue an Expression of Concern when there is reasonable evidence suggesting potential research misconduct or serious ethical issues, but the available information is insufficient for a final decision or an investigation is still ongoing.
An Expression of Concern will remain associated with the article until the matter has been resolved.
Retractions
An article may be retracted in cases including, but not limited to:
- plagiarism or self-plagiarism;
• fabrication or falsification of data;
• serious methodological errors that invalidate the findings;
• ghostwriting or honorary (guest) authorship;
• copyright infringement;
• unethical research practices;
• duplicate publication;
• any other serious breach of publication ethics.
The decision to retract an article is made by the Editor-in-Chief following a thorough investigation and after giving the author(s) an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
To preserve the integrity of the scholarly record, retracted articles will remain accessible in the journal archive. However, they will be clearly marked as “Retracted,” and the reason for retraction will be publicly stated.
Reporting Errors and Concerns
Authors, reviewers, readers, and members of the academic community are encouraged to notify the Editorial Board of any suspected errors, ethical concerns, or research misconduct related to published or submitted manuscripts.
PUBLICATION MALPRACTICE POLICY
“Bibliotekarz Podlaski” adheres to the principles of publication ethics established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and does not tolerate any form of research misconduct or publication malpractice.
The journal is committed to ensuring transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the editorial and publishing process.
Forms of Publication Malpractice
Publication malpractice includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Plagiarism
The use of another person’s ideas, data, text, results, or intellectual property without appropriate acknowledgment or citation.
Self-Plagiarism
The reuse of substantial portions of one’s own previously published work without proper disclosure, citation, or editorial approval.
Data Fabrication and Falsification
The invention, manipulation, alteration, or selective presentation of research data or results in a misleading manner.
Ghostwriting
The omission of an individual who made a substantial contribution to the research or manuscript from the list of authors.
Guest (Honorary) Authorship
The inclusion of an individual as an author despite the absence of a significant contribution to the work.
Citation Manipulation
The deliberate and inappropriate use of citations with the purpose of artificially increasing citation metrics for specific authors, journals, or publications.
Manipulation of the Peer Review Process
Any attempt to compromise the objectivity, independence, confidentiality, or integrity of the peer review process.
Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest
Failure to disclose financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that may influence the conduct, interpretation, review, or publication of research.
Procedures for Handling Allegations
When allegations of publication malpractice are received, the Editorial Board will:
- conduct a preliminary assessment of the complaint;
- contact the author(s) and request an explanation where appropriate;
- seek additional documentation or evidence if necessary;
- consult external experts or relevant institutions when required;
- make decisions in accordance with COPE guidelines and best editorial practices.
Editorial Actions
Depending on the nature and severity of the misconduct, the Editorial Board may:
- reject a submitted manuscript;
• request corrections or clarifications;
• publish a correction or an Expression of Concern;
• retract a published article;
• notify the author’s affiliated institution or funding body;
• impose restrictions on future submissions.
Confidentiality and Fairness
All allegations of misconduct will be handled confidentially, impartially, and fairly. The Editorial Board will ensure that all parties involved have an opportunity to present relevant information before a final decision is made.
This policy is based on the current recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org