The publication ethics policy of Civitas et Lex follows the Committee on Publication Ethics

(COPE) Core Practices  (http://publicationethics.org/).

Duties of Authors

1.1 Originality and integrity of the manuscript

Authors must ensure that the manuscript is original, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration elsewhere. All sources must be properly acknowledged.

1.2 Plagiarism and self-plagiarism

Plagiarism and self-plagiarism in any form are unacceptable and constitute grounds for rejection.

1.3 Research data and scientific integrity

Authors must ensure data integrity and methodological transparency enabling verification of research results. Data falsification, fabrication, or manipulation constitute serious breaches of publication ethics.

1.4 Authorship

Authorship is limited to individuals who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the work. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring correct attribution of authorship and obtaining consent from all co-authors.

Ghostwriting and guest authorship are strictly prohibited.

1.5 Conflicts of interest

Authors must disclose any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence the interpretation of research findings.

1.6 Funding disclosure

All sources of funding and institutional or organizational support must be disclosed.

Detailed information for Authors see – PDF

2. Duties of Reviewers

2.1 Confidentiality

All manuscripts under review are confidential and must not be disclosed or used outside the peer review process.

2.2 Objectivity

Reviews must be objective and based solely on the scholarly merit and relevance of the manuscript.

2.3 Conflicts of interest

Reviewers must decline assignments in case of any conflict of interest or inability to provide an impartial assessment.

2.4 Ethical concerns reporting

Reviewers should report any suspected ethical issues, including plagiarism or data manipulation, together with appropriate justification.

2.5 Timeliness

Reviewers are expected to meet deadlines and must promptly inform the editorial office in case of delay or withdrawal.

Detailed information for peer reviewers see –  PDF

3. Duties of Editors

3.1 Editorial decisions

The editorial board makes publication decisions solely based on scholarly merit, originality, and relevance to the journal scope.

3.2 Confidentiality

The editorial board ensures confidentiality of all submitted materials and all related correspondence.

3.3 Research integrity and misconduct handling

The editorial board is responsible for maintaining publication ethics standards and follows COPE guidelines in cases of suspected misconduct.

This includes, in particular, plagiarism, data falsification, and authorship misconduct.

3.4 Corrections and retractions

When necessary, the journal may publish corrections, errata, or retract articles. Each retraction includes a clear statement of reasons.

3.5 Editorial conflicts of interest

Editorial members must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists.

4. Publication misconduct

The journal applies a zero-tolerance policy toward academic misconduct.

This includes in particular:

• plagiarism
• self-plagiarism
• ghostwriting
• guest authorship
• data fabrication
• data falsification or manipulation

Definitions:

Plagiarism - The appropriation of another person’s ideas, text, or results without proper attribution.

Self-plagiarism - Reuse of one’s own previously published work without appropriate citation.

Ghostwriting - Significant contribution to a manuscript by an undisclosed individual.

Guest authorship - Attribution of authorship to a person who did not make a significant contribution.