Ethics, Science, Education is committed to the highest standards in publishing ethics. The Code of Ethics is based on the basic practices of Core Practices for journal editors elaborated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF AUTHORS

1. Originality and Previous Publication

Ethics, Science, Education publishes only original texts that have not been published before, in Bulgarian or another language. Submitting a manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

All manuscripts go through a plagiarism check procedure. Authors must correctly indicate all sources used and/or quotes from other authors. Publications that have influenced the determination of the nature of the work described in the manuscript should also be cited. Citing literature that is not relevant to the text proposed for publication and listing literature that is not used in the text is not encouraged. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

2. “Blind” Peer Review

Authors are required to participate in the double-blind peer review process in which the reviewers and the author maintain anonymity. Authors shall fully cooperate and promptly respond to editors’ inquiries concerning primary data, text clarifications, or copyright. Authors must also respond to reviewers’ comments, as well as revise and resubmit their manuscript after editing and within the specified deadline.

3. Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If authors come across significant errors or inaccuracies in their own published work, it is their responsibility to immediately notify the journal’s Editorial Board or publisher and to cooperate with them to correct the errors or, if necessary, retract the article. If a third party reports that the published text contains a significant error or inaccuracy, it is the responsibility of the authors to immediately correct or withdraw the manuscript or provide the editors with evidence of the correctness of the text.

4. Publication of Experimental or Empirical Research with People

Authors must declare in writing that the subjects (or their parents/guardians in the case of children or dependents) have given their informed consent before participating in the study, in compliance with the rules of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, revised in 2013, with the 1979 Belmont Report on Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, and with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child.

5. Observance of Technical Requirements

When submitting their manuscripts, authors shall comply with the ethical rules and the specified technical requirements of Ethics, Science, Education.

6. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

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The journal Ethics, Science, Education conducts its editorial activities in accordance with the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and publication ethics. This policy is based on the Core Practices and related guidance developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and reflects the editorial best practices adopted by leading international scholarly publishers.

1. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Authors

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools may be used as auxiliary tools in the preparation of scholarly manuscripts, for example for: improving language and style; structuring the text; editing and checking grammar and spelling; supporting the literature review and the organization of information; and translation.

Generative AI must not replace the authors’ scholarly contribution, critical thinking, analysis, interpretation of results, or original scientific conclusions, nor should it be used to generate the substantive content of the manuscript. Authors bear full responsibility for the content of the manuscript, regardless of whether AI tools have been used. The use of AI must not compromise the originality or scientific reliability of the publication.

Authors must not list artificial intelligence tools, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, etc., as authors or co-authors, nor cite AI tools as authors. Authorship requires intellectual contribution, the capacity to make decisions, and responsibility for the published content.

2. AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Data

Images, figures, illustrations, graphs, or other visual materials that have been generated or substantially modified using artificial intelligence (AI) must be clearly disclosed by the authors. Where necessary, the Editors may request additional information regarding the method of their creation, including the original source files or other supporting documentation.

The use of AI to fabricate, falsifies, manipulate, or misrepresent scientific data, research results, images, or evidence is strictly prohibited.

3. Responsibility of Authors

Authors bear full responsibility for: the scientific reliability and accuracy of all statements; the originality of the publication; the proper citation of all sources used; the verification and editing of any content generated with the assistance of AI; and compliance with copyright, personal data protection requirements, and all applicable ethical standards.

The use of AI does not exempt authors from academic, professional, or legal responsibility.

4. Editors and Reviewers

Editors and reviewers are required to ensure the confidentiality of all manuscripts received.

Unpublished manuscripts, reviews, or editorial correspondence must not be uploaded to publicly accessible AI platforms, as this may violate the principle of confidentiality.

Generative AI must not replace independent expert judgment in editorial decision-making or peer review.

5. Editorial Assessment

The journal does not base its decisions solely on the results of software designed to detect AI-generated content.

In cases of suspected undeclared or unethical use of AI, the Editorial Board reserves the right to request additional explanations, corrections, or documentation. If a violation is confirmed, actions may be taken in accordance with the principles of publication ethics and the recommendations of COPE, including rejection of the manuscript, publication of a correction, or retraction of the publication.

6. AI Disclosure Statement

Where applicable, authors should include the following statement immediately before the References section:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure Statement

"During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [name of the AI tool] for the purpose of [description of the purpose]. All content generated with the assistance of AI has been carefully reviewed, edited, and verified by the author(s), who assume full responsibility for the final version of the manuscript."

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in international standards and the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other recognized organizations in the field of publication ethics.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS

1. Editorial Independence

The Editorial Board of Ethics, Science, Education shall only evaluate the submitted manuscripts on the basis of their scientific value (significance, scientific results, originality, clarity) and their applicability to the thematic scope of the journal.

2. Confidentiality

Editorial Board members shall not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the respective author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher, depending on the particular case.

3. Conflict of Interest

Editorial Board members shall decline to review manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships/affiliations with any of the authors. Instead, they should ask another member of the Board to work on the manuscript.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF REVIEWERS

1. Peer Review Policy

Ethics, Science, Education implements a double-blind peer review procedure where reviewers and the author remain anonymous. It is the duty of reviewers to assess whether the article contains results that are clearly presented and support the conclusions, whether it contains an appropriate bibliography, and whether it makes a significant contribution to the field.

2. Confidentiality

Reviewers shall undertake to keep all the information about articles confidential and treat it as privileged.

3. Objectivity Standards

Reviews should be conducted objectively with no personal criticism of the author.

4. Deadline for Preparing Reviews

Reviewers must complete their reviews within a specified time frame. Any invited reviewer who feels unqualified to evaluate the manuscript or knows that he/she will not be able to complete the review on time should immediately notify the Editorial Board and decline the invitation, so that other reviewers can be engaged.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PUBLISHER

In the event of alleged or proven scientific contradiction, fraud, or plagiarism, the publisher shall take all necessary measures to clarify the situation in cooperation with the Editorial Board of the journal. If necessary, these may include the immediate publication of a notice, clarification, or, in the most serious cases of violations, withdrawal of the respective manuscript from the journal. Together with the Board, the publisher shall take the necessary steps to identify and prevent the publication of manuscripts containing controversial research or scientific practices. Under no circumstances should the publisher encourage such misconduct or consciously allow such a violation to take place.

PROCEDURES IN THE EVENT OF UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

1. Reporting Unethical Behaviour

Reports of established dishonest and unethical behaviour may be submitted by anyone at any time to the Editorial Board of the journal and to the publisher. Each report must be accompanied by the necessary information and evidence for initiating an investigation.

2. Verification

If sufficient information is available, the report shall be checked by the Editorial Board members. The inspection should be carried out under strict confidentiality. The gravity of the violation shall be assessed and subsequent actions shall be determined on the basis of the evidence gathered.

3. Actions to Remedy Violations

• If it is possible to remedy the violation, the Editorial Board shall make a prescription in writing to the author to make corrections.
• In case of more serious violations, the Editorial Board shall send information to the author about the need to withdraw the publication.
• If a report comes after the paper has been published, an editorial shall be published in the next issue of the journal informing about bad faith.

COPYRIGHT

No one may use or reproduce someone else’s work in any way without the explicit permission of the author or their representative. This applies to any reproduction of a work, whether found in print or online. Authors retain copyright over their articles and grant the journal the right to publish under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license. Authors are responsible for the content of their articles. 

Article Processing Charges Policy (APCs)

Ethics, Science, Education does not charge any fees for publication.

There are:

• no submission fees,
• no article processing charges (APCs),
• no fees for online publication.

The journal is committed to providing free access to academic knowledge, both for authors and readers.

License:

This journal uses the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/