Ethics & Integrity
Editorial and Publication Ethics
BALKANISTIC WORLDS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and academic ethics in all aspects of its publication process. The journal adheres to the principles and guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
These policies outline the responsibilities and ethical expectations of authors, reviewers, and editors, ensuring the credibility, fairness, and scholarly quality of all published work.
For Editors
Editors must:
Declare any actual or potential conflict of interest (financial, institutional, or personal);
Refrain from handling manuscripts submitted by colleagues, collaborators, or individuals from the same institution;
Transfer responsibility for such manuscripts to another member of the Editorial Board.
For Reviewers
Reviewers must:
Disclose any conflicts before accepting a review assignment;
Decline to review in cases of personal or institutional connection with the author(s);
Refrain from using unpublished material for personal advantage.
For Authors
Authors are required to:
Declare any financial or non-financial interests that could be perceived as influencing their results;
Acknowledge all sources of funding or institutional support;
Include a clear statement such as: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”
The Editorial Board may request additional clarification regarding conflicts of interest at any stage of the review or publication process.
3. Authorship and Contribution Policy
The journal follows the ICMJE recommendations for authorship to ensure transparency and accountability.
Authorship Definition
An author is an individual who has made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
Authorship Criteria
Each listed author must:
Contribute substantially to the conception, design, or analysis of data;
Participate in drafting or critically revising the manuscript;
Approve the final version before publication;
Accept responsibility for all aspects of the work.
Those who do not meet all four criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged.
Acknowledgement of Contributors
Individuals providing technical, administrative, or language support should be mentioned in the Acknowledgements section but not included as authors.
Corresponding Author Responsibilities
The corresponding author ensures:
That all authors meet authorship criteria;
That all co-authors approve the final manuscript;
That communication with the Editorial Office is clear and ethical throughout the submission process.
Misrepresentation of authorship or omission of contributors constitutes unethical behaviour and may result in rejection or retraction.
4. Ethical Guidelines and Research Integrity
Originality and Plagiarism
Manuscripts must present original work and properly cite all sources.
All submissions are screened for plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, paraphrasing without attribution, and data manipulation.
Data Integrity
Authors must ensure accuracy, reliability, and verifiability of their data.
Manipulation, fabrication, or falsification of data will result in rejection or retraction.
Authors should retain and, if requested, provide access to underlying data.
Ethical Approval
Research involving human participants or sensitive data must comply with recognised ethical standards (e.g. the Declaration of Helsinki).
Authors must state whether ethical approval was obtained and identify the approving institution or committee.
Publication Misconduct
Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
Plagiarism and duplicate submission;
Data fabrication or falsification;
Ghost or honorary authorship;
Undeclared conflicts of interest;
Citation manipulation;
Breach of confidentiality during peer review.
All allegations of misconduct will be investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.
Corrections and Retractions
If errors or ethical violations are identified after publication:
Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be issued transparently and permanently.
The reasons for such actions will be clearly stated in the public record.
5. Editorial Fairness and Accountability
Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit and relevance to the journal’s scope.
No discrimination is permitted on the basis of nationality, gender, institutional affiliation, or personal belief.
Editors act independently from commercial or political influence.
The Editorial Board remains accountable for the integrity and transparency of all editorial processes.
Editorial Statement
By submitting a manuscript to BALKANISTIC WORLDS, authors confirm that they have read, understood, and agree to comply with these ethical and integrity guidelines.
These principles ensure that the journal remains a respected, transparent, and internationally recognised platform for interdisciplinary research.
Journal’s open access statement
Statement of Peer Review Policies
Generative AI policies for journals (Elsevier)