Ethics

All articles submitted for publication in “Studia z Dziejów Średniowiecza” are reviewed with regard to authenticity, ethical issues, and originality.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

Monitoring ethical standards

The editorial board monitors ethical standards in academic publishing and takes all possible measures to prevent any form of misconduct in the publication of scholarly texts.

Fairness

Submitted manuscripts are evaluated solely on their academic merit, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, national or state origin, or political ideology.

Publication decisions

The editorial board is responsible for deciding which submitted articles should be published. The decision to accept or reject an article is based on its scholarly quality, originality, and relevance to the journal’s thematic scope.

Confidentiality

The editorial board is obliged to maintain confidentiality throughout the peer-review process for all materials submitted to the journal. No information about submitted manuscripts may be disclosed to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, potential reviewers, members of the editorial board, and the publisher.

Disclosure, use of information, and conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in submitted manuscripts must not be used by the editorial board for their own research without the authors’ written consent. The editorial board always prioritizes intellectual and ethical standards.

Quality and integrity of research

The editorial board safeguards the quality of published works by issuing corrections and errata, retracting articles, and investigating suspected or alleged research and publication misconduct. Plagiarism and data fabrication are not tolerated.

Article retraction

The editorial board will retract an article if:

  • there is clear evidence that the findings are unreliable due to misconduct (e.g., data falsification) or honest error (e.g., miscalculations or experimental errors);
  • the findings have been previously published elsewhere without proper citation, permission from the original publisher, or justification (redundant publication / self-plagiarism);
  • the publication constitutes plagiarism or violates research ethics.

Responsibilities of Authors

Publication standards

Authors of works based on original research should provide an accurate description of the work performed, along with an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be accurately presented. The article must include sufficient detail and references to allow others to reproduce or build upon the findings. Data falsification or misrepresentation constitutes unethical behavior and may result in rejection or retraction.

Originality and plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is entirely original. If they use the work and/or words of other researchers, this must be clearly acknowledged. Plagiarism and data fabrication are strictly prohibited.

Data access

Authors may be asked to provide the data underlying their submitted manuscript for editorial review. They should be prepared to make such data publicly available and retain it for a reasonable period after publication.

Multiple or concurrent publication

Authors should generally not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal. Simultaneous submission to multiple journals is considered unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

Authorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All contributors should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included, that all have reviewed and approved the final version, and agree to its submission.

Citation

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be ensured. Authors should cite publications that influenced the content of the manuscript.

Fundamental errors in published works

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are obliged to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to editorial decisions

Peer review assists the editorial board in making publication decisions and may also help authors improve their manuscripts.

Timeliness

Any reviewer who feels unqualified to review a manuscript or unable to complete the review in a timely manner should notify the editorial board and withdraw from the process.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential. They must not be shown to or discussed with anyone except authorized individuals.

Standards of objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable. Reviewers should express their views clearly and support them with reasoned arguments.

Standards for citation assessment

Reviewers should identify relevant published works that have not been cited by the authors. Any substantial similarity between the manuscript and other published works should be reported to the editorial board.

Use of information and conflicts of interest

Information obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not accept manuscripts where a conflict of interest may exist with the authors.