Rivista di Studi storici del Mediterraneo Rivista di Studi storici del Mediterraneo (registered at Naples Court no. 31 on November 16, 2023) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published biannually, which draws inspiration for the drafting of this publication ethics code from the guidelines developed by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics).
The purpose of this code is to define the principles to which the publisher, the bodies of the journal, and the authors must adhere to ensure the quality of published articles, as well as compliance with laws and ethical standards aimed at ensuring correct practices in the publication and dissemination of scientific contributions. The bodies of the journal include the directors, the editorial board, the scientific committee, the referees, the editorial staff, and the editorial committee.
It is necessary for all parties involved in the editorial, publication, and editorial review process to be aware of and share the following ethical rules. The act of contributing to the journal implies the transfer of all rights to the publisher ESI and therefore compliance with copyright exclusivity.
- Publisher’s Responsibilities
The publisher provides adequate resources to the journal as well as the guidance of experts (for graphic, editorial, marketing consultancy, etc.), thus contributing to the continuous improvement of the quality of the periodical, and undertakes to respect the deadlines set for printing and dissemination of the journal.
The publisher declares to act in line with the guidelines developed by COPE and promotes the adoption of the best international practices within the scientific direction of the Journal.
The relationship between the directors, the editorial board, and the publisher must be based firmly on the principle of editorial independence.
- Directors’ and Scientific Committee’s Duties
The directors are responsible for the decision to publish the articles submitted to the journal.
In their decisions, the editorial board is required to respect the guidelines of the journal and the criteria for review for publication purposes.
Articles selected by the directors and/or the scientific committee will be subject to evaluation by one or more referees, and their acceptance may be subject to the execution of any changes to the contributions in question.
The directors promote freedom of expression and strive to ensure that market interests do not compromise the scientific quality of publications and compliance with ethical standards.
Contributions are evaluated for their scientific content, without distinction of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, scientific, academic, or political orientation of the authors.
If the directors or members of the scientific committee detect or receive reports regarding errors or inaccuracies, conflicts of interest, or plagiarism, they promptly inform the author and the publisher. The management will take the necessary actions to clarify the issue and, if necessary, withdraw the article or publish a retraction.
- Referee’s Responsibilities
Through the blind peer review procedure, referees assist the management and the coordinator in making decisions on the proposed articles and may suggest corrections and improvements to the evaluated contribution.
If they are unable to fulfill their assigned task, they are required to promptly inform the scientific editorial board.
Each text assigned for review must be considered confidential; therefore, articles must not be discussed with other individuals without the explicit authorization of the management. At the same time, all information obtained during the blind peer review process must be considered confidential and cannot be used for other purposes.
The review must be carried out objectively, and referees are required to adequately justify the judgments expressed if they are obstacles to the publication of the article.
Referees undertake to report to the directors and the coordinator any similarities or overlaps of the received text with other works known to them.
Referees are required not to accept articles for review for which there is a conflict of interest due to previous collaborative or competitive relationships with the author and/or their affiliated institution.
- Editorial Duties
The editorial board, under the direction of the directors, identifies the themes of each issue, appointing a curator for the thematic sections, who also serves as the first evaluator of the contributions.
The editorial board is required not to disclose any information about the contributions sent to any other subject other than the authors, reviewers, and/or potential reviewers.
- Authors’ Responsibilities
Authors collaborating with the journal must adhere to the editorial criteria of the journal, made available by the editorial staff upon request of the authors.
Authors are required to declare that they have prepared an original work in its entirety and to cite within it the texts used. The authorship of the work must be properly attributed, and all those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, organization, implementation, and revision of the research underlying the scientific article must be indicated as co-authors.
All authors are required to explicitly declare that there are no conflicts of interest that could have influenced the results obtained or the interpretations proposed.
Works submitted to the journal must not be submitted to other journals for publication purposes, except for different agreements with the directors of the Journal.
Authors must ensure that there are no copyright violations within the articles, especially regarding quotations, images, tables, etc.; therefore, it must be ensured that all necessary permissions are obtained before submission.
When an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their article, they are required to promptly inform the editorial staff and provide all necessary information for the necessary corrections to be made.
Download the code of ethics in italian in pdf format: click here.
