Ethical Code

The History – Theory – Criticism Ethical Code

(Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement)

The History – Theory – Criticism Code of Conduct applies to authors and all other stakeholders.

The History – Theory – Criticism journal is committed to respecting and promoting the principles of good practice in scholarly publishing. In doing so, it follows the principles of publication ethics as outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE - https://publicationethics.org/ (accessed 16 December 2018).

These efforts are supported by the journal's host institution, Charles University, and especially by the Faculty of Humanities as its publisher.

All parties involved in the publication of the History – Theory – Criticism journal (HTC), i.e., editors, reviewers, publisher and authors of all texts, are obliged to comply with the following standards:

Responsibilities of Editors and the Editorial Board

In coordination with the editorial board, the editors accept all submitted manuscripts, which correspond with the journal's focus and meet the standards of scientific texts, for a peer review. They also oversee the mutually anonymous peer review process and guarantee that the manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of their intellectual merit regardless of the author's race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, or citizenship.

The editors ensure that information about submitted manuscripts is not disclosed to anyone other than the respective authors, potential and actual reviewers, Editorial Board members, or the publisher, as is deemed necessary.

Unpublished material disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the authors.

All submitted manuscripts are subject to approval by the Managing Editor of the HTC journal who is responsible for the final decision on their publication. In the decision-making process, he/she will take into account the views of the Editorial Board members and reviewers as well as follow the applicable legal standards regarding ethical integrity, copyright infringement, and plagiarism.

The editors and the Editorial Board believe it is important to monitor the affordability of the HTC journal and to ensure that the price is fair for all parties involved and does not constitute an access barrier to the content of the journal for readers worldwide.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

The peer-review process assists editors in editorial decision-making, and it may improve the quality of submitted manuscripts (through editorial communication with authors).

The invited reviewers' work is facilitated by a structured review form, available from the Managing Editor and on the journal's website. If the invited scientists/reviewers feel unqualified or are unable to write and submit their review in time, they should immediately notify the Managing Editor so that alternative reviewers can be contacted.

All manuscripts received for review are to be treated as confidential documents. They must not be disclosed to or discussed with others without the permission of the Managing Editor.

Reviews should be conducted with maximum objectivity. Reviewers should strive to provide constructive feedback and be guided by a sense of collegiality. They should express their views clearly, accompanied by supporting arguments, and should not allow ad hominem criticism.

Reviewers should identify relevant published or unpublished work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, conclusion, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. Reviewers should also call to the editors’ attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published or unpublished paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the manuscripts.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors of original research reports should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be accurately represented in the manuscript.  It should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Authors should ensure that all submitted work is original and if they have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited. Plagiarism takes many forms, from "passing off" another's manuscript as the author's own, to copying or paraphrasing substantial parts of another's paper (without attribution), to claiming results from research conducted by others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Authors should not, in general, publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Authors should ensure that they have properly acknowledged the work of others and should also cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work (e.g., in terms of methodology or structure of the study).

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have contributed to significant aspects of the research project should be appropriately acknowledged, for example in the Notes. The corresponding authors should ensure that all appropriate co-authors, and no inappropriate co-authors, are included in the manuscript, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication.

All authors should take the necessary steps to avoid conflicts of interest. All sources of financial support for the study should be disclosed.

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editors or publisher and cooperate with them to retract or correct the paper.