Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

Challenges of the Future (Izzivi prihodnosti) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. The journal follows the principles and best practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aligns its editorial policies with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

This statement applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, members of the editorial board, and the publisher.

Editorial responsibility and independence

The Editor-in-Chief and editorial team are responsible for the editorial management of the journal and for making publication decisions based on:

  • scholarly merit,

  • originality,

  • methodological quality,

  • relevance to the journal’s scope, and

  • clarity of presentation.

Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial, institutional, or political influence. Advertising, funding, or other financial support does not affect editorial decisions or the peer review process.

The journal does not discriminate against authors on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or political philosophy.

Peer review policy

Challenges of the Future operates a double-blind peer review process.

  • Submitted manuscripts are first evaluated by the Editor-in-Chief (or assigned editor) for suitability, scope, and basic quality.

  • Manuscripts may be rejected without external review if they are out of scope, do not meet basic scholarly standards, or violate ethical requirements.

  • Manuscripts passing initial screening are sent to independent expert reviewers (normally two reviewers).

  • Reviewers are asked to evaluate originality, scientific/scholarly contribution, methodological soundness, clarity, and relevance.

  • Final publication decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief, taking reviewers’ reports into account.

The journal expects all participants in peer review to treat the process as confidential.

Authorship and contributorship

Authorship must reflect substantial scholarly contribution to the work. All listed authors should have:

  • made a significant contribution to the conception/design of the study, data collection, analysis, or interpretation, and/or drafting/revising the manuscript;

  • approved the final version of the manuscript and

  • agreed to be accountable for the content of the work.

Those who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

Changes in authorship

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission or after acceptance must be justified in writing and approved by the editorial office. The journal may request written consent from all listed authors before implementing any change.

Corresponding author responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • ensuring that all eligible co-authors are included and no ineligible persons are listed,

  • ensuring that all co-authors have seen and approved the submitted/final manuscript,

  • managing communication with the journal during submission, review, and publication.

Use of AI tools in manuscripts

AI tools (including generative AI systems) cannot be listed as authors, as they cannot assume responsibility for the work, declare conflicts of interest, or enter into copyright/licensing agreements.

Authors may use AI tools only in a transparent and responsible manner. If AI tools were used in preparing the manuscript (e.g., language editing, idea organization, coding assistance, image generation, data processing), authors must:

  • disclose the use of AI tools in the manuscript (e.g., acknowledgements or a dedicated disclosure statement),

  • describe how the tools were used (to the extent relevant),

  • ensure that the submitted work is accurate, original, and compliant with ethical and legal standards.

Authors remain fully responsible for the content of the manuscript, including all text, data, figures, and references, regardless of AI assistance.

Originality, plagiarism, and duplicate submission/publication

Authors must submit original work. Manuscripts must not:

  • be under review by another journal at the same time,

  • have been published previously (except where clearly disclosed and editorially acceptable, such as certain preprints or conference-derived work, if permitted by journal policy),

  • contain plagiarized content, manipulated citations, or fabricated/falsified data.

Proper acknowledgment of the work of others is required at all times.

If plagiarism, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, or other forms of misconduct are suspected, the journal will investigate the case in accordance with COPE guidance and may take editorial action (including rejection, publication of a correction, retraction, or notification of institutions/funders where appropriate).

Data integrity, fabrication, falsification and image manipulation

Authors must present an accurate account of the work performed and an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately.

The journal does not tolerate:

  • data fabrication,

  • data falsification,

  • misleading reporting,

  • inappropriate image manipulation or

  • deliberate omission of relevant findings that materially misrepresent the research.

Editors may request clarifications, original data, or supporting documentation during review or after publication.

Conflicts of interest (competing interests)

All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or handling of a manuscript.

Examples include:

  • employment or consultancy,

  • grants/funding,

  • personal or professional relationships,

  • institutional affiliations,

  • political or ideological commitments,

  • intellectual passion or rivalry relevant to the manuscript.

Authors

Authors should disclose conflicts of interest and funding sources in the manuscript.

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline review invitations if they have conflicts of interest or cannot provide an unbiased assessment.

Editors

Editors should recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. In such cases, another editor will manage the peer review and decision process.

Research ethics and ethical oversight

Where applicable, manuscripts must comply with recognized ethical standards for research involving:

  • human participants,

  • personal data,

  • vulnerable groups,

  • confidential or sensitive materials.

Authors must indicate, where relevant:

  • approval by an appropriate ethics committee/institutional review board,

  • informed consent procedures,

  • compliance with applicable legal and institutional requirements.

If ethical approval was not required, authors should state this and explain why (where relevant).

The journal may reject or retract work if ethical requirements are not adequately met or documented.

Data sharing and reproducibility

Challenges of the Future supports transparency, reproducibility, and responsible data sharing.

Authors are encouraged (and where applicable, expected) to:

  • retain research data and documentation,

  • make data available in a suitable repository or as supplementary material when legally and ethically possible,

  • provide sufficient methodological detail to allow verification and replication,

  • cite datasets and software appropriately.

Where data cannot be shared (e.g., privacy, confidentiality, legal restrictions), authors should provide a clear data availability statement explaining the limitation.

Intellectual property, copyright and licensing

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts do not infringe third-party copyright or other rights.

Authors must obtain permission for any copyrighted material (e.g., figures, tables, images, lengthy excerpts) used in the manuscript when required.

According to the journal’s policy:

  • copyright remains with the author(s);

  • authors grant the journal the non-exclusive right to publish and identify the journal as the original publisher;

  • published content is distributed under the journal’s stated license (CC BY-SA 4.0, as indicated on the journal website).

Any disputes regarding copyright infringement or rights misuse will be handled according to journal procedures and applicable law.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and must not disclose or use unpublished material for personal advantage.

Information about a manuscript is disclosed only to those directly involved in the editorial and peer review process (e.g., editors, reviewers, editorial staff, publisher, and, where necessary, ethics advisors).

Reviewer responsibilities

Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective, constructive, and timely reviews,

  • identify relevant published work not cited by the authors where appropriate,

  • alert editors to suspected plagiarism, overlap, data concerns, or ethical issues,

  • treat manuscripts and associated data as confidential,

  • decline review if unqualified, unavailable, or conflicted.

Reviewers must not use manuscript content for personal or professional advantage.

Complaints and appeals

The journal provides a procedure for handling complaints and appeals related to editorial decisions, peer review, or publication ethics.

Appeals against editorial decisions

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned written appeal to the editorial office / Editor-in-Chief. Appeals should:

  • clearly identify the manuscript,

  • explain the grounds for appeal,

  • address specific points in the decision or reviews.

The journal will review the appeal, which may include reassessment by the Editor-in-Chief, another editor, and/or additional reviewers. The journal’s decision after appeal is final.

Complaints about editorial process or ethics

Complaints regarding delays, reviewer conduct, editorial conduct, or ethical concerns should be sent to the journal contact listed on the website. Complaints will be handled confidentially and fairly.

Allegations of research misconduct

The journal takes allegations of research misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • plagiarism,

  • duplicate publication,

  • authorship disputes,

  • undisclosed conflicts of interest,

  • fabricated/falsified data,

  • unethical research practices,

  • manipulated peer review.

When concerns are raised, the journal will:

  1. assess the allegation,

  2. contact the author(s) for explanation and supporting evidence,

  3. consult editors/reviewers and, where appropriate, institutional representatives,

  4. follow COPE guidance in determining an appropriate response.

Possible outcomes include:

  • no action (if allegations are unfounded),

  • request for clarification/correction,

  • rejection of the manuscript,

  • publication of an erratum/corrigendum,

  • expression of concern,

  • retraction,

  • notification of the author’s institution or funder (where justified).

Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern

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

When necessary, the journal may publish:

  • Corrections (Errata/Corrigenda) for honest errors that do not invalidate the main conclusions,

  • Retractions for unreliable findings, major ethical breaches, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or misconduct,

  • Expressions of Concern when serious concerns exist but an investigation is ongoing or inconclusive.

Such notices will be clearly identified and linked to the original article.

Post-publication discussion and debate

The journal supports scholarly dialogue and may consider post-publication communications (e.g., letters to the editor, comments, or formal responses) that are relevant, evidence-based, and respectful.

Substantive concerns about published articles should be submitted to the editorial office. The editorial team may invite the original authors to respond and may publish correspondence or editorial notes when appropriate.

Funding, advertising, and commercial influence

The journal discloses relevant funding/support and maintains a strict separation between editorial decisions and commercial considerations.

As stated on the journal website, the journal accepts only advertisements relevant to academic and scholarly activities, and advertising has no influence on editorial decisions or peer review.

Publication fees and transparency

The journal is an open-access journal. According to the journal website:

  • no submission fee is charged,

  • no article processing charge (APC) is charged.

Any future changes to fees or publication terms will be clearly announced on the journal website prior to implementation.

Policy updates

This statement may be updated periodically to reflect developments in publishing standards, COPE guidance, legal requirements, and journal practice. The most recent version published on the journal website is the authoritative version.

Contact for ethics matters

For questions, complaints, appeals, or suspected ethical breaches, please contact the journal via the official contact information listed on the journal website.