Publication Ethics and Policy
Uirtus is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal that publishes three issues annually (April, August, and December). The journal is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, editorial integrity, and transparency in scholarly communication. It follows the Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
1. Editorial Integrity and Independence
Uirtus upholds the highest standards of editorial independence and academic rigor. Editorial decisions are based solely on the scholarly merit, originality, clarity, and relevance of the work to the journal’s aims. Personal characteristics or beliefs of the authors—including race, gender, religion, or political views—do not influence editorial judgment.
The Editor-in-Chief holds ultimate responsibility for publication decisions.
2. Peer Review Process
- All submissions undergo initial editorial screening followed by a double-blind peer review.
- Reviewers are selected based on their subject expertise and are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest.
- Reviews must be objective, constructive, and respectful, maintaining confidentiality and intellectual property rights.
- Editorial decisions are made based on the reviewers’ assessments and the academic quality of the manuscript.
- Reviewers and editors must not disclose or use any information from submitted manuscripts for personal advantage.
3. Authorship and Contribution
- Authorship is limited to individuals who have made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study.
- All authors must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.
- Any changes to authorship after submission require the consent of all listed authors.
- Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
- Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work is accurate, original, and properly cited.
4. Originality, Plagiarism, and Research Misconduct
- Submitted manuscripts must represent original work not previously published or under consideration elsewhere.
- Uirtus uses plagiarism-detection software to screen all submissions.
- The journal maintains zero tolerance for plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or any other form of academic misconduct.
- Violations will result in rejection, retraction, and possible permanent submission bans.
- Authors must provide accurate and verifiable data and share it for verification upon request.
5. Conflicts of Interest
- Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could influence their work or its evaluation.
- Editors will not handle papers for which they have a conflict of interest.
- Relevant disclosures will be published to ensure transparency.
6. Data Availability and Reproducibility
Authors are encouraged to make their data, materials, and methods available upon reasonable request to promote reproducibility and transparency in research.
7. Ethics in Human and Animal Research
Studies involving human participants or animals must comply with recognized ethical standards and receive prior approval from an appropriate ethics committee. Authors must clearly state the ethical approval details in their manuscripts.
8. Transparency and Open Access
Uirtus operates as an open-access journal. All published content is freely accessible without barriers. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction with proper attribution. The journal is transparent regarding copyright, licensing, and publication costs.
9. Confidentiality
All manuscripts under review are treated as confidential documents. Editors, reviewers, and staff may not share or discuss manuscripts with anyone outside the editorial process without the authors’ explicit permission.
10. Respect and Professionalism
All participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, editors, and staff—must act respectfully and professionally. Discrimination, harassment, or hostile behavior will not be tolerated.
11. Allegations of Misconduct
Uirtus follows COPE’s flowcharts and guidelines when investigating allegations of plagiarism, data manipulation, unethical behavior, or other forms of misconduct. Investigations will be handled confidentially and fairly.
12. Retractions, Corrections, and Expressions of Concern
If significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered post-publication, Uirtus will issue appropriate corrections, errata, or retractions in accordance with COPE guidelines to preserve the integrity of the academic record.
13. Appeals and Complaints
Authors may appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding publication ethics or procedures. Appeals and complaints should be sent to:
📧 [email protected]
14. Archiving and Preservation
Uirtus maintains a digital archive of all published issues (April, August, December) to ensure long-term accessibility and preservation of scholarly content.
15. Ownership and Management
Uirtus is an independent, non-profit academic journal managed by its editorial board. The journal operates without external commercial influence and is committed to upholding academic independence.
16. Ethical Oversight
Uirtus ensures ethical oversight throughout all stages of publication. Concerns about misconduct, conflicts of interest, or unethical behavior may be reported confidentially to the editorial office.
17. Contact Information
Editorial Office:
📧 [email protected] / [email protected]
🌐 Website: https://uirtus.net