The Economic Forum journal adheres to strict principles of academic integrity and upholds high standards of scholarly publishing. We actively combat violations such as plagiarism, data fabrication, and citation manipulation. All breaches of academic ethics will be promptly investigated, and appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) standards.
1. Multiple submission
Authors are required to submit unique manuscripts that have not been submitted simultaneously to other journals. Any breach of this policy, such as submitting the same document to multiple journals or submitting multiple documents based on the same research, may be considered a violation. Multiple submission can take various forms:
- literal copying;
- partial but significant copying;
- paraphrased copying.
Such violations will result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript and possible sanctions against the authors.
2. Citation manipulation
Any attempts to manipulate the number of citations for the purpose of increasing references to the author’s own work or articles published in a particular journal will be considered unethical. Identified citation manipulations will lead to immediate rejection of the manuscript and potential sanctions.
3. Data fabrication
If fabricated or manipulated data is found in a submitted manuscript, including manipulation of images or experimental results, the manuscript will be rejected. This may also result in severe sanctions for the authors, including the retraction of an already published article.
4. Investigation and sanctions for violations
If academic misconduct or fraud is suspected, the journal will conduct a thorough investigation following COPE and other relevant guidelines. If reasonable concerns arise after the investigation, the editorial team will contact the authors to discuss the situation. Based on the findings of the investigation, the following actions may be taken:
- if the manuscript is still under review, it may be rejected and returned to the author;
- if the article has already been published, depending on the severity of the violation, a decision may be made to retract the article.
5. Corrections and error notifications
- corrections will be published if fundamental errors (such as experimental errors or calculation mistakes) are identified that do not alter the scientific content of the work but require clarification;
- an Erratum will be issued if the mistake occurred due to an error on the journal's part, such as failure to make corrections requested by the authors;
- a Corrigendum is used when a mistake was made by the authors of the article. All corrections must be approved by the editorial team.
6. Procedure for making corrections
Corrections can be initiated by the authors, editors, or readers. The editorial team will assess the request and consult with the authors if necessary. Once approved, the correction will be published as a separate document linked to the original article, marked as "Correction".
7. Article retraction
Retraction is a last resort and may be applied in the following cases:
- clear evidence that the research results are unreliable due to data fabrication or manipulation;
- duplicate publication of results without proper references or licensing;
- evidence of plagiarism or authorship fraud;
- breaches of ethical standards in the peer review process.
The decision to retract an article is made by the chief editor or deputy editor after an investigation.
8. Cases of publication manipulation
Mass Manipulation (“Paper Mills”): if it is found that an article is part of a group of publications compromised by “paper mills” or other fraudulent practices, the editorial team may decide to retract the entire package of articles.
Use of Artificial Intelligence: the hidden or undisclosed use of artificial intelligence tools to generate text, images, or other data in a manuscript will be considered a serious violation and may lead to retraction. Authors are required to transparently declare the use of such tools. Failure to disclose this information may result in retraction. The editorial team reserves the right to check manuscripts for the use of generative AI systems, using automated detection tools, reviewer expertise, and additional inquiries to authors.
Authorship Fraud: if false authorship is confirmed or if someone’s personal data (e.g., name, ORCID) is used fraudulently, or if there is concealed or forced authorship, the article may be retracted.
9. Expression of concern
In cases where there are serious concerns about the validity of an article or academic integrity violations, but insufficient evidence for immediate retraction, the journal may publish an Expression of Concern. This statement will have its own DOI, linked to the original article, and will contain a brief explanation of the reasons for its publication. The Expression of Concern will remain available until the editorial investigation is concluded.
10. Timeliness and availability of retractions
Decisions regarding the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be made by the editorial team and implemented as soon as possible once significant violations are identified. All retracted articles will remain available in open access in the journal’s archives with a clear “Retraction” label. Complete removal will only be possible in exceptional cases where required by law, such as in matters related to personal data protection, copyright infringement, legal judgments, or safety considerations.
