1. General Principles
Littera Scripta is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and scholarly excellence. The journal adheres to the principles set out by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including COPE Core Practices, COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, and COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers. All parties involved in the publication process — authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff — are expected to follow these principles.
The journal evaluates manuscripts solely on the basis of their academic merit, originality, methodological rigor, and contribution to the field, without regard to the authors’ personal characteristics, institutional affiliation, nationality, political beliefs, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
2. Editorial Independence and Responsibilities
The Editorial Board has full responsibility and authority for editorial decisions. Editors evaluate manuscripts objectively and ensure that decisions are based exclusively on scholarly merit.
2.1 Editorial Independence
Editors act independently and are not influenced by external pressures, including institutional, political, or commercial interests. Editorial decisions are not affected by advertising, sponsorship, or revenue considerations.
2.2 Confidentiality
Editors and editorial staff must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts. They may not disclose any information about a manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or other editorial advisers.
2.3 Use of Unpublished Material
Editors and editorial staff must not use unpublished data or ideas from submitted manuscripts for their own research or for the benefit of others without explicit written permission from the authors.
2.4 Handling Conflicts of Interest
Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest (personal, professional, financial, or academic). In such cases, another editor or an independent member of the Editorial Board will be assigned.
3. Peer Review Process
Littera Scripta uses a double‑blind peer review process. Both reviewers and authors remain anonymous throughout the evaluation.
3.1 Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers must:
- evaluate manuscripts objectively, fairly, and constructively,
- provide clear, evidence‑based comments,
- maintain confidentiality,
- identify potential ethical issues, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or duplicate publication,
- decline the review if they lack expertise or have a conflict of interest,
- refrain from using unpublished material for personal benefit.
3.2 Reviewer Misconduct
Any breach of confidentiality, misuse of unpublished data, or biased evaluation constitutes reviewer misconduct and may result in removal from the reviewer database.
4. Authors’ Responsibilities
Authors must ensure that their work is original, accurate, and ethically conducted.
4.1 Originality and Plagiarism
Authors must submit only original work. Plagiarism, including self‑plagiarism, paraphrasing without attribution, and inappropriate reuse of text, is strictly prohibited. All submissions are subject to plagiarism detection tools.
4.2 Authorship and Contributorship
Authorship is limited to individuals who have made a substantial scholarly contribution to:
- the conception or design of the study,
- data collection, analysis, or interpretation,
- drafting or revising the manuscript.
All authors must approve the final version and agree to its submission. Gift, ghost, or coerced authorship is unacceptable.
4.3 Data Accuracy and Integrity
Authors must ensure that:
- data are accurate, complete, and honestly reported,
- statistical methods are appropriate and transparently described,
- fabricated or falsified data are never used.
4.4 Data Availability
Authors should retain raw data and make them available upon reasonable request. When applicable, authors must provide a Data Availability Statement.
4.5 Ethical Research Standards
Research involving human participants, personal data, or sensitive information must comply with relevant ethical guidelines and legal requirements. Authors must provide evidence of ethical approval where required.
4.6 Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication
Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is unethical. Redundant or duplicate publication is prohibited.
4.7 Acknowledgment of Sources
Authors must properly cite all sources, including data, methods, and ideas from other works. Personal communications require written permission.
5. Conflict of Interest Policy
All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest.
Conflicts may include:
- financial relationships (funding, grants, consulting fees, stock ownership),
- personal or professional relationships,
- academic competition,
- ideological or institutional affiliations.
Authors must include a Conflict of Interest Statement in their manuscript. Reviewers must decline assignments where conflicts exist. Editors must recuse themselves when impartiality cannot be guaranteed.
6. Publication Misconduct and Investigation Procedures
Littera Scripta follows COPE flowcharts for handling allegations of misconduct.
Misconduct includes:
- plagiarism,
- data fabrication or falsification,
- citation manipulation,
- unethical research practices,
- authorship manipulation,
- duplicate publication,
- undisclosed conflicts of interest.
6.1 Investigation Process
When misconduct is suspected:
- The editorial office initiates a confidential inquiry.
- Authors are asked to respond to the allegations.
- Evidence is evaluated by the Editorial Board.
- If misconduct is confirmed, appropriate actions are taken.
6.2 Possible Actions
- rejection of the manuscript,
- retraction of a published article,
- publication of an Expression of Concern,
- notification of authors’ institutions or funders,
- banning authors from future submissions.
7. Retractions, Corrections, and Editorial Notices
The journal maintains the integrity of the scholarly record through transparent correction mechanisms.
7.1 Corrections (Errata)
Corrections are issued when minor errors are identified that do not compromise the validity of the findings.
7.2 Retractions
Articles may be retracted when:
- data are unreliable,
- plagiarism or fabrication is confirmed,
- ethical violations occurred,
- duplicate publication is identified.
Retraction notices are clearly labeled, linked to the original article, and remain permanently accessible.
7.3 Expressions of Concern
Used when serious concerns arise but the investigation cannot be completed promptly.
8. Post‑Publication Discussion and Debate
The journal welcomes scholarly debate. Readers may submit comments, critiques, or responses to published articles. Substantive post‑publication commentary may be peer‑reviewed and published at the discretion of the Editorial Board.
9. Archiving and Preservation Policy
Littera Scripta ensures long‑term digital preservation of all published content through institutional repositories and archiving services. Articles remain accessible even in the event of journal discontinuation.
10. Transparency and Open Science Practices
The journal supports transparency in research and encourages:
- sharing of data and materials,
- preregistration of studies when applicable,
- disclosure of funding sources,
- open methodological reporting.
11. Advertising, Sponsorship, and Commercial Influence
The journal does not accept advertising that could influence editorial decisions. Sponsorship does not affect editorial independence.
12. Appeals and Complaints
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request. Complaints regarding ethical issues, editorial conduct, or peer review are handled confidentially and in accordance with COPE guidelines.