Publication ethics

Publication ethics rules

Český lid / Czech Ethnological Journal upholds rigorous standards of publication ethics and actively works to prevent malpractice (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, authorship misconduct, citation manipulation, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, or peer review abuse).

Only original manuscripts are accepted – those that have not been previously published or submitted elsewhere. Submissions must be the work of the listed authors, contain no unlawful statements, respect the rights of others, and properly cite all sources.

The review process is conducted anonymously. Reviewers must have no conflicts of interest regarding the articles they assess, and their evaluations should be objective.

Editors and the publisher are responsible for maintaining the quality of the published content and must take all necessary steps to uphold these standards.

In cases of ethical concerns or disputes, the editorial team follows  the guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics COPE (Guidance and tools) and works with the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit PERK (Publishing Ethics) developed by Elsevier.

Author's responsibilities

To uphold the integrity and quality of scholarly publishing, authors are expected to follow the ethical guidelines listed below:

Originality and Authorship

• Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is prohibited. Republishing the same research in more than one journal is also considered unethical.
• All listed authors must have made a significant contribution to the research. Authorship must reflect actual involvement; ghost authorship or honorary authorship is considered misconduct.
• All authors must consent to publication and be properly acknowledged.
• Any uncertainty about originality or potential overlap with previous publications must be discussed with the journal editor in advance.

Citation and Use of Sources

• All sources, including the authors’ own prior publications, must be clearly cited. Publications that influenced the reported work must be properly acknowledged.
• Permission must be obtained for the use of any copyrighted materials.
• Plagiarism and the use of fraudulent data are strictly prohibited.

Data Integrity and Transparency

• Submitted data must be truthful and free from any manipulation.
• Authors must either own the data or have permission to use it.
• Transparency is required in all aspects of data reporting and research conduct.

Ethical Research Conduct

• Research involving human or animal subjects must comply with relevant disciplinary ethical guidelines.
• Informed consent is required for participation and for the publication of personal data.
• Authors publishing in Český lid / Czech Ethnological Journal must follow the Code of Ethics for Researchers of the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Code of Ethics of the Czech Ethnological Society and the Code of Ethics of the Czech Association for Social Anthropology (Etický kodex České asociace pro sociální antropologii).

Disclosure of Conflicts and Funding

• All real or perceived conflicts of interest must be declared at the time of submission.
• Financial support and professional affiliations must be fully disclosed.

Corrections and Retractions

• Significant errors discovered before or after publication must be reported to the editor without delay.
• Authors must cooperate in issuing corrections or retractions when they are necessary.

Peer Review Participation

• Participation in peer review is required. Authors must respond to reviewer feedback and revise their work accordingly.

This policy outlines the ethical obligations of authors and promotes integrity, transparency, and accountability in academic publishing.

The rules regarding the use of AI by authors are specified in the SUBMISSIONS section.

Editor’s responsibilities

To uphold the integrity and quality of scholarly publishing, editors are expected to follow the ethical guidelines below:

Editorial Integrity and Ethical Oversight

• Monitor all aspects of publishing ethics, maintain and enforce consistent ethical policies across the journal, and act fairly and consistently when applying these policies.
• Exercise the highest standards of personal integrity and proactively manage any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
• Ensure that business interests do not compromise the journal’s intellectual or ethical standards.

Editorial Responsibilities

• Strive to meet the needs of readers and authors while continuously improving the journal’s quality.
• Champion freedom of expression and academic independence.
• Make decisions to accept or reject manuscripts based on objective academic criteria (e.g., originality, clarity, and significance).
• Respect the right of authors to appeal editorial decisions.
• Be reasonably certain when accepting manuscripts; decisions should not be reversed without serious justification. New editors should not overturn previous publication decisions without valid reasons.

Confidentiality and Peer Review

• Ensure confidentiality throughout the peer review process.
• Preserve reviewer anonymity and require the disclosure of any reviewer conflicts of interest.
• Provide clear guidance to reviewers regarding expectations and ethical standards.
• Editors publishing in Český lid / Czech Ethnological Journal must not exploit their position (the peer review process must be handled independently of the author).

Transparency and Communication

• Publish submission and acceptance dates and describe the peer review process clearly.
• Offer updated guidance to authors on submission requirements and authorship criteria.
• Communicate promptly with authors, reviewers, and readers in cases of suspected misconduct (e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, or authorship disputes).
• Promote and publish corrections, clarifications, retractions, or apologies when they are necessary.

Editorial Board Collaboration

• Provide new editorial board members with clear and comprehensive guidelines.
• Keep existing members informed about policy updates and developments.

These principles ensure that editors uphold the highest standards of ethical publishing and foster trust within the academic community.

Reviewer’s responsibilities

To ensure the integrity and quality of the peer review process, reviewers are expected to adhere to the following ethical standards:

Timeliness and Competence

• Reviewers should accept assignments only if they are qualified in the manuscript’s subject area and can complete the review within the required timeframe (typically four weeks).
• If reviewers are unable to review promptly or lack sufficient expertise, they must inform the editor immediately and withdraw from the process.
• Using generative AI tools to create reviews is not considered ethical.

Confidentiality

• Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, discuss, or disclose any part of the manuscript with others, except with explicit permission from the editorial team.
• Direct contact with authors is prohibited unless authorized by the journal.

Objectivity and Constructiveness

• Reviews must be fair, objective, and constructive. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable.
• Reviewers should provide clear, reasoned feedback and avoid any disparaging comments.

Source Acknowledgement

• Reviewers should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors. Any previously reported ideas, arguments, or data must be properly referenced.
• Significant overlap with other known publications should be reported to the editor.

Conflict of Interest

• Reviewers must disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including personal, professional, or financial relationships with the authors or affiliated institutions. If unsure about a potential conflict they should consult the editor. In cases of conflict, reviewers must decline the review.
• Editors publishing in their own journals must not influence the review process; peer review must remain entirely independent.
• Privileged information obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage or to disadvantage others.

By following these principles, reviewers help maintain the credibility, fairness, and academic rigor of the publication process.

For more information, see Peer Review Process at the link ABOUT – POLICIES.

Publisher’s responsibilities

To ensure ethical publishing practices and uphold the integrity of scholarly communication, the publisher commits to the following principles:

Editorial Independence and Ethical Oversight

• Ensure and protect the editorial independence of the journal’s editors.
• Support editors in managing the journal ethically and transparently.
• Collaborate with editors to define clear and appropriate relationships among all parties involved.

Policy and Record Integrity

• Establish and periodically review journal policies on authorship, peer review, research ethics, and transparency.
• Maintain an accurate academic record by publishing timely corrections, clarifications, and retractions.
• Uphold privacy, copyright, and intellectual property rights.
• Promote integrity in reporting standards, conflict of interest disclosures, and transparency of funding.