Publication ethics

Publication Ethics

Social Entrepreneurship Review (SER) is a double-blind peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Krakow University of Economics, 27 Rakowicka Street, 31-510 Krakow, Poland, contact e-mail: ser@uek.krakow.pl.

In our journal, we are committed to ensuring high ethical standards in the context of publishing scientific results, with primary attention to the quality of articles submitted to the Editorial Board. Our ethical principles are aligned with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), and the ethical standards we expect from all stakeholders are as follows:

Authorship & Contributorship

SER has implemented policies against dishonesty and unethical publishing practices, adhering to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (http://publicationethics.org).

This includes safeguarding against ghostwriting (when an author is neither included in the list of authors nor mentioned in acknowledgements), guest authorship (where an author's contribution is negligible or non-existent), and plagiarism.

By submitting a manuscript, authors are obliged to declare that their work is original, written by the stated authors, has not been published before, and contains neither unlawful statements nor infringes the rights of third parties. Authors are also responsible for providing any necessary written permissions to quote material that has been previously published. The individual contribution of each author must be detailed in the manuscript section titled “Author contributions.”

The author’s statement, which includes the copyright notice as well as a declaration on ethics and good practices in science (including financial disclosures, ghostwriting safeguards, guest authorship safeguards, and contribution shares for co-authored papers), must be submitted alongside the manuscript in the format provided (see the attachment – author’s statement) and mentioned on the article title page (see the attachment – article template).

The journal does not charge any fees for Article Processing Charges (APCs). No submission charges are levied. Authors must submit, along with the manuscript, an application for free publication and a declaration (template available on the journal's website). Authors are required to send a signed declaration of consent for the free publication of the article in both paper and electronic formats (PDF), permitting the indexing of the article abstract in national and international databases with which the journal collaborates.

Scientific articles submitted to the Editor must be prepared in English. Articles written in other languages will not be accepted. Furthermore, the article must adhere to the required structure specified in the guidelines on the journal's website. Bibliographies should follow the APA standard.

Authors must ensure that all sources are appropriately cited, and their authenticity verified.

Anti-Plagiarism Policy

SER employs the Crossref Similarity Check anti-plagiarism system, utilising the iThenticate tool to verify the originality of works. More information is available at http://www.ithenticate.com/about.

Crossref Similarity Check enables comprehensive manuscript screening to eliminate plagiarism and ensure a high standard and quality peer-review process, performed independently by external reviewers. The journal considers the inclusion of plagiarised content as misconduct by the authors.

Complaints & Appeals

If an author, reviewer, reader, or another individual has a complaint about the journal or its Editors, they should initially contact the publisher. Complaints will be addressed by the relevant publishing or editorial personnel. If unresolved, the matter will be escalated to a senior figure for resolution.

Authors who believe that a manuscript rejection decision was incorrect may appeal. To do so, they must email the Editor-in-Chief or the publisher, detailing their reasons for disputing the decision. The appeal will be reviewed by an Editorial Board member not involved in the original decision, as nominated jointly by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher. Authors have only one chance to appeal and must provide a clear justification.

Conflict of Interest

A Conflict of Interest (COI) arises when personal relationships (e.g., friend, colleague, or family), business associations (e.g., working for a competing company), or financial factors (e.g., funding) could affect a person’s judgement during the journal’s publication process. Any COI among authors, funding bodies, or reviewers must be documented and disclosed. Authors should state “No conflict of interest” or detail any issues in the manuscript section titled “Conflict of interest.” The funding source must be disclosed in the section titled “Funding.” Reviewers must disclose any COI they identify upon reading the manuscript. The Editor will determine whether the reviewer is eligible to continue.

Data Sharing

We encourage and support authors to store, share, and reuse research data to enable transparency and reproducibility, fostering trust in science. Research data underlying the articles, such as raw data, processed data, software, and algorithms, should be stored in repositories such as Harvard Dataverse, Open Science Framework, Figshare, or Science Data Bank. These platforms provide unique reference numbers for citation.

Peer Review

Manuscripts are accepted when they align with the aims and scope of SER, demonstrate novelty, and hold scientific importance. Two positive reviews are required for publication. If reviews are inconclusive or unjustified, additional reviewers may be consulted.

Submitted manuscripts undergo preliminary evaluation by Editors. Suitable manuscripts are assigned to an Associate Editor or the Editor-in-Chief, who forwards them to at least two independent reviewers in a double-blind process, ensuring anonymity. At least one reviewer must be from a country other than the author’s. Reviewers provide written opinions, justifying their conclusions on acceptance, rejection, or revision. Simultaneously, manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using Crossref Similarity Check.

Based on reviews and screening outcomes, the Editor decides on revisions and communicates with the corresponding author. Revised manuscripts may be re-reviewed. Final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief.

Editorial Independence

Editors retain the right to select and accept/reject articles independently, guided by the journal’s Editorial Board policies and legal requirements. Published articles remain unchanged unless exceptional circumstances, such as legal violations, necessitate retraction or removal. The journal's official archives maintain all article versions.