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Publication ethics



Standards & Policies

Version: 1.0 | Last updated: 5 March 2026

The Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University Publishing House (hereinafter: the Publishing House) conducts its publishing activities in accordance with international standards of publication ethics, in particular the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The Publishing House applies COPE Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing in relation to book publications and academic journals.

The Publishing House operates within the framework of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw and applies the ethical standards in force at UKSW, including the provisions of the Code of Ethics for Researchers at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. The principles of this code also serve as a reference point for publishing practices.

Code of Ethics for Researchers / UKSW Staff

The aim of this policy is to ensure:  

  • scientific integrity,
  • transparency of the editorial process,
  • honesty in authorship,
  • protection of the integrity of academic publications,
  • transparency in the resolution of conflicts of interest.

This policy applies to authors, editors-in-chief, members of academic councils, members of editorial boards, reviewers,  staff of the Publishing House, and entities collaborating on publications. It applies to all publications issued by the UKSW Publishing House, including academic journals, publication series and monographs.

Authors’ responsibilities

Authors are required to:
  • submit an original text with a sound scientific basis and cite the sources of data and arguments;
  • cite sources correctly and obtain permissions/licences for the use of materials (tables, illustrations, data, text excerpts);
  • disclose funding, sponsors and potential conflicts of interest;
  • acknowledge the contributions of co-authors and avoid ghostwriting/guest authorship (authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception of the research, data analysis, drafting of the text, and approval of the final version);
  • refraining from unauthorised practices (e.g. citation manipulation, artificial ‘padding’ of citations, data falsification);
  • cooperating with the Publisher in a timely manner (amendments, clarifications, additions) and responding thoroughly to reviewers’ comments.

Duties of reviewers

Reviewers are required to:
  • maintain the confidentiality of the materials and content under review;
  • ensure the timeliness and substantive reliability of the assessment;
  • declare and recuse themselves in the event of a conflict of interest (financial, institutional, personal, academic competition) prior to accepting the review;
  • not using information obtained during the review for their own purposes;
  • avoiding suggestions that are not substantively justified (e.g. insisting on citations of their own work unrelated to the topic).

Responsibilities of Editors and the Publisher

The Publisher undertakes to:
  • ensure that editorial decisions are independent of funding, institutional pressure and personal relationships;
  • selecting reviewers independently, taking into account their expertise and verifying conflicts of interest;
  • preventing manipulation of the review process (including abuses relating to the identity of reviewers, ‘fake reviews’ and other forms of peer-review manipulation);
  • documenting editorial decisions and managing cases in a consistent, transparent and auditable manner;
  • taking action in the event of suspected misconduct in accordance with procedures and based on COPE recommendations;
  • ensuring a channel and procedure for handling complaints and appeals (including maintaining impartiality and confidentiality).

Violations and misconduct

Violations include, amongst others:
  • plagiarism and unauthorised borrowing;
  • self-plagiarism or duplication of content without disclosure and justification;
  • fabrication/falsification of data or manipulation of results;
  • concealment of a conflict of interest;
  • manipulation of the review process (e.g. impersonating reviewers, using false email addresses, dishonestly suggesting reviewers);
  • infringement of copyright and rights to third-party materials;
  • ghostwriting and guest authorship;
  • manipulation of citations (including unjustified self-citations imposed by reviewers or editors).

Procedure in the event of suspected breaches and misconduct

In the event of suspected breaches, the Publisher will receive the report, verify its validity and proceed in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Possible actions include:
  • requesting an explanation from the author,
  • consulting the institution with which the author is affiliated,
  • suspending the publication process,
  • refusing publication,
  • withdrawing the publication,
  • publishing a corrigendum.

All proceedings are documented whilst maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.

In complex cases, the Publisher may follow COPE’s recommendations (including procedural guidelines) and, where justified, seek the opinion of the relevant university bodies or external institutions (e.g. in cases of suspected legal violations).

Complaints and appeals

The publisher provides a mechanism for submitting complaints or appeals regarding the conduct of proceedings or ethical decisions. Complaints are dealt with impartially and confidentially, in accordance with the established procedure described under Complaints and appeals.

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