The publication ethics, developed according to the Code of Conduct and the Best Practice Guidelines of COPE (Committee of Publication Ethics), must guide each activity in the process of publishing periodicals and recognised by all parties involved – authors, reviewers, and editors. The Human and Social Studies Foundation – Sofia is committed to promoting and gearing these ethical principles in the field of humanities.

Publication decisions

Once received, all articles that fall within the scope of the journal are referred to an independent reviewer for a blind peer review. Exceptions are made for book reviews, which are not subject to blind peer review. The reviews enable the Editorial Board of the Critique & Humanism journal to decide which submissions to nominate for publication and help authors improve their manuscripts based on recommendations, if any, made in the review reports. The final decision on publishing a submitted manuscript and on structuring each thematic issue is made by the Editor-in-Chief of Critique & Humanism. The decision on publishing a submitted manuscript is based entirely on its relevance to the scope of the journal and on its academic quality. Each editor is guided by the journal’s policy but is also constrained by legal requirements in force at the time of publication of the material concerned, including libel, copyright infringement, citation manipulation, data falsification, data fabrication, and plagiarism. The Editorial Board may consult with other editors or reviewers before making a publication decision. If an infringement is detected, or if misconduct is alleged, the Editorial Board will meet and decide unanimously whether a particular manuscript is to be published, adhering to the adopted basic ethical principles of the journal or other guidelines (e.g., COPE’s guidelines).

Equity

Editors should evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political opinions of the authors.

Confidentiality

The Editor-in-Chief and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in members of the Editorial Board’s own research without the express written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Editors should recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or (possibly) institutions associated with the papers. Editors should require all contributors to disclose relevant competing interests and publish corrections if competing interests are revealed after publication.

Involvement and cooperation in investigations

The Human and Social Studies Foundation – Sofia should take reasonably responsive measures when ethical complaints have been presented concerning a submitted manuscript or published material, in conjunction with the Editorial Board and the publisher. Such measures will generally include contacting the author of the manuscript or paper and giving due consideration to the respective complaint or claims made, but may also include further communications to the relevant institutions and research bodies. If the complaint is upheld, the publication of a correction, retraction, or other relevant measures, as may be, is relevant. Every reported act of unethical publishing behaviour must be investigated, even if it is discovered years after publication.