Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Godišnjak​/Jahrbuch Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja ANUBiH is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal’s publication ethics policy applies to authors, editors, members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, and all other participants in the editorial and publishing process.

The journal follows recognized principles of research and publication integrity and takes into consideration the Core Practices and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Responsibility for the implementation of the journal’s editorial policies rests with the Editorial Board and the publisher, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1. Editorial responsibility and independence

The Editor and the Editorial Board are responsible for safeguarding the academic quality and integrity of the journal. Decisions concerning submitted manuscripts are based on their scholarly quality, originality, relevance to the aims and scope of the journal, methodological and academic standards, and the outcome of the peer-review process.

Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial, institutional, political, or personal interests. Authors are treated equally regardless of their nationality, ethnic origin, gender, religious or political views, institutional affiliation, or other personal characteristics unrelated to the scholarly merit of their work.

Where an editor or member of the Editorial Board has a conflict of interest concerning a submitted manuscript, that person shall not participate in the assessment or decision-making process relating to the manuscript. Responsibility shall be assigned to another qualified editor or member of the Editorial Board.

2. Responsibilities of authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work.

By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:

• the submitted work is original and does not contain plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct;
• all sources used in the manuscript have been appropriately acknowledged and cited;
• the manuscript has not been published previously in substantially the same form and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;
• all individuals listed as authors have made a genuine scholarly contribution to the work and have approved the submitted version;
• individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship are not listed as authors;
• information concerning sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest is disclosed where relevant;
• permissions have been obtained for copyrighted material, images, illustrations, archival material, or other third-party content where such permission is required;
• the information presented in the manuscript is accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge and has not been fabricated, falsified, or intentionally misrepresented.

Authors remain responsible for the content of their published work.

3. Authorship and contributorship

Authorship should accurately reflect scholarly responsibility for the submitted work. All listed authors must have made a meaningful contribution to the conception, research, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript and must approve its final version.

Any disagreement concerning authorship or the order of authors should, wherever possible, be resolved by the authors and their institutions. The journal may request clarification concerning individual contributions when necessary.

Requests for changes to authorship after submission or publication must be explained and will be considered by the Editorial Board in accordance with accepted publication-ethics practices.

4. Originality, plagiarism, and redundant publication

The journal does not accept plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data or sources, inappropriate manipulation of research material, duplicate publication, or other practices that compromise research integrity.

Authors must clearly distinguish their own contribution from material originating from other sources. Direct quotations, paraphrased material, ideas, images, tables, and other content originating from previous publications must be appropriately acknowledged.

Where there are reasonable grounds for concern about the originality or integrity of a submitted or published work, the Editorial Board may examine the matter and request an explanation or supporting documentation from the author.

A manuscript found to contain serious violations of research or publication integrity may be rejected. Where a serious problem is established after publication, the journal may publish a correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the nature and extent of the problem.

5. Peer review

Scholarly manuscripts submitted to the journal are evaluated through the journal’s established peer-review procedure. The purpose of peer review is to assist the Editorial Board in assessing the scholarly quality of submissions and to provide authors with expert evaluation of their work.

Reviewers are selected on the basis of relevant academic expertise. They are expected to provide objective, reasoned, and constructive assessments and to avoid personal criticism of authors.

Reviewers must treat manuscripts and related materials as confidential. Information, arguments, data, or unpublished material obtained through the review process may not be used for personal or professional advantage.

A reviewer who considers that they do not possess the necessary expertise, cannot complete the review within an appropriate period, or has a conflict of interest should inform the Editorial Board and decline the review.

Final responsibility for publication decisions rests with the journal’s editorial authorities and is not transferred to reviewers.

6. Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts and information relating to the editorial and peer-review process are treated as confidential.

Editors, Editorial Board members, reviewers, and persons involved in editorial processing must not disclose unpublished material or information concerning a manuscript except where disclosure is necessary for the legitimate operation of the editorial process or required in the investigation of a potential breach of research integrity.

Unpublished material obtained through editorial work or peer review must not be used for personal research or other purposes without appropriate authorization.

7. Conflicts of interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and Editorial Board members are expected to disclose relationships or circumstances that could reasonably influence, or be perceived as influencing, their scholarly judgment.

Conflicts may arise from personal, professional, institutional, academic, or financial relationships.

An editor or reviewer with a relevant conflict of interest shall not participate in the evaluation of the manuscript concerned. Where a potential conflict is identified after publication, the Editorial Board will consider whether further action or public disclosure is necessary.

8. Use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies

Authors are responsible for transparently disclosing the use of generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies where such tools have materially contributed to the preparation of a manuscript.

Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because authorship entails responsibilities that can only be assumed by persons.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, citations, arguments, and all other content of manuscripts prepared with the assistance of AI-based tools. The use of such technologies does not reduce or transfer the author’s responsibility for compliance with the journal’s standards of research and publication integrity.

The journal may request additional information concerning the nature and extent of AI use where this is necessary for editorial assessment.

9. Research integrity and ethical oversight

Authors are responsible for ensuring that research reported in the journal has been conducted in accordance with applicable professional, institutional, and legal standards.

Where research involves human participants, sensitive personal or confidential information, archaeological heritage, museum or archival collections, or other materials subject to legal, institutional, or professional restrictions, authors are responsible for obtaining the approvals, permissions, or consent required for their research and publication.

The Editorial Board may request information concerning relevant approvals or permissions when necessary to establish that appropriate research standards have been observed.

10. Corrections and retractions

The journal is committed to maintaining the reliability of the scholarly record.

When a significant error is identified in a published article, the Editorial Board will determine the appropriate response according to the nature and seriousness of the error. This may include the publication of a correction or other notice linked to the original article.

Retraction may be considered where reliable evidence demonstrates that the findings or content of an article are seriously compromised by research or publication misconduct, major error, duplicate publication, plagiarism, or another substantial breach of scholarly integrity.

Corrections, retractions, and other post-publication notices will be made transparent and clearly linked to the publication concerned.

11. Allegations of research and publication misconduct

Concerns regarding possible research or publication misconduct may be submitted to the journal’s editorial office.

The Editorial Board will consider credible allegations regardless of whether they concern a manuscript under consideration or an article already published. Matters will be handled confidentially and fairly, and persons whose work is the subject of an allegation will normally be given an opportunity to respond.

Where appropriate, the journal may request additional documentation or seek information from the author’s institution or another relevant body. The Editorial Board will determine the appropriate editorial action on the basis of the available evidence and the seriousness of the matter.

12. Complaints and appeals

Authors and other interested parties may submit reasoned complaints concerning the journal’s editorial procedures or the application of its published policies.

Complaints will be considered by an appropriate member of the editorial structure who was not directly responsible for the matter in dispute whenever this is practicable.

Authors may also request reconsideration of an editorial decision where they believe that a material error occurred in the evaluation process. Such requests must provide a clear scholarly or procedural basis for reconsideration. A request for reconsideration does not in itself guarantee a new review or a change in the editorial decision.

13. Copyright and permissions

Authors are responsible for respecting copyright and other intellectual-property rights and for obtaining permission to reproduce material where permission is legally required.

The journal’s copyright, licensing, and open-access conditions are stated separately on the journal website and apply to all published content.

Any allegations concerning copyright infringement or unauthorized use of third-party material will be considered by the Editorial Board and publisher and may result in correction, removal of affected material, retraction, or other appropriate action.

14. Post-publication discussion and integrity of the scholarly record

The journal recognizes that scholarly evaluation continues after publication. Substantive concerns relating to published work may be communicated to the Editorial Board.

Where a concern is supported by relevant evidence, it will be assessed and, when appropriate, referred to the author for a response. The journal will take proportionate action where necessary to correct the scholarly record.

The original publication and any subsequent correction, retraction, or editorial notice should remain appropriately linked so that readers can understand the publication history of the article.

15. Responsibilities of the publisher

The Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as publisher of Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, supports the editorial independence of the journal and the maintenance of appropriate standards of scholarly publishing.

The publisher and Editorial Board are responsible for ensuring that editorial policies are publicly available and that procedures concerning peer review, publication ethics, authorship, conflicts of interest, corrections, and research integrity are applied consistently.

Commercial or institutional considerations shall not override decisions concerning the scholarly integrity of published material.

Reference to international standards

The publication-ethics policy of Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja has been developed as the journal’s own editorial policy, taking into consideration internationally recognized principles of research and publication integrity, including the Core Practices and relevant guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Where an ethical issue is not specifically addressed by this policy, the Editorial Board may consult relevant COPE guidance and other recognized standards of research and publication integrity when determining an appropriate course of action.