Annals of Valahia University of Targoviste. Geographical Series
Publication Ethics Statement
Annals of Valahia University of Targoviste – Geographical Series (AVUTGS) and its partners are committed to maintaining the standards outlined in COPE's Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors (http://publicationethics.org/resources/code-conduct). The journal actively promotes and respects the ethical principles of scientific publishing, which are essential to ensuring the quality and credibility of all academic publications.
All manuscripts are considered without regard to the authors' gender, race, religion, citizenship, or institutional affiliation. AVUTGS applies a rigorous double-blind peer-review process.
Editors' Responsibilities:
•Editorial Decisions: Deciding whether to accept or reject a manuscript based on its relevance, scientific validity, clarity, and originality.
•Reviewer Selection: Finding independent peer reviewers who hold a degree and expertise in the relevant scientific field.
•Confidentiality: Maintaining the absolute confidentiality of the manuscript while it is under review.
•Open Access: Ensuring the final paper is published under a fully open-access model, completely free of charges.
•Originality and Concurrent Submission: Submitting original work that has not been published before (partially or in full) and is not under consideration by another journal.
•Exclusivity of Views: Acknowledging that opinions and views expressed in the papers belong solely to the authors and do not reflect or represent the stance of the publisher or its partners.
•Permissions and Citations: Obtaining official permission to reproduce any copyrighted material from other sources, and appropriately citing or quoting them within the manuscript (including figures, photos, and online materials).
• Co-Authorship Accountability: Sharing collective responsibility and accountability for the research results among all listed co-authors.
•Authorship Changes: Acknowledging that no changes to authorship (additions, deletions, or reordering) are accepted after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.
•Error Notification: Promptly notifying the editors if a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered in their own published work, in order to facilitate a retraction or correction.
•Acknowledgments: Properly acknowledging individuals who provided assistance during the research, as well as funding sources and research grants.
•Important Note on Plagiarism: To prevent any form of plagiarism or self-plagiarism, every newly submitted manuscript will be screened using specialized anti-plagiarism software. Any manipulation of citations (e.g., including citations that do not contribute to the manuscript's scientific content) is considered scientific malpractice. In cases of confirmed plagiarism, the authors' home institutions may be officially informed.
Peer Reviewers' Responsibilities:
•Decision Support: Assisting the editors in making informed decisions regarding the publication of a submitted manuscript.
•Confidentiality: Preserving the absolute confidentiality of the manuscript and refraining from discussing it with anyone unauthorized by the editors.
•Objectivity: Conducting an objective, unbiased review supported by clear, constructive arguments.
•Manuscript Improvement: Contributing to the enhancement of the work by formulating clear suggestions for the authors.
•Ethical Alerts: Alerting the editors immediately if any instances of plagiarism or ethical misconduct are suspected.
Compliance with Ethical Standards:
To ensure compliance with the ethical principles of scientific publishing, authors must include detailed information regarding sources of funding and potential conflicts of interest (e.g., financial, multiple affiliations, or intellectual property rights).
Authors must explicitly state in the manuscript if the work involves chemicals, procedures, or equipment that present any unusual inherent hazards. Furthermore, a statement on animal or human welfare must be provided if the research involved human participants or animals.
The manuscript must include an ethical statement that reflects the information recorded in the potential conflict of interest disclosure form(s).
The corresponding author is responsible for collecting these forms from all co-authors. Authors should be prepared to provide documentation of compliance with ethical standards if requested during the peer-review process or after publication.
The Peer-Review Process
Before submitting your article, please carefully check the Instructions for Authors. The evaluation process begins with an internal editorial screening. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal's basic requirements may be rejected at this stage, a process that normally takes about one week.
If the editors determine that the paper aligns with the journal's scope and standards, it is sent out for external, double-blind peer review. Each article is anonymized (the authors' names are removed) and evaluated by two independent reviewers. The reviewers' identities also remain strictly confidential.
Reviewers judge papers based on originality, importance, scientific quality, and suitability for the journal. Based on their recommendations, the editorial board will notify the corresponding author of the final decision, which may be: acceptance, minor revisions, major revisions/resubmission, or rejection. If revisions are required, the reviewers' comments will be forwarded to the authors to guide the necessary changes.