Editorial Policy
Open Access Policy
The journal is published under an open access model. All content is freely available to users without charge. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, and search the full text of articles, as well as to link to them, without prior permission from the author or the publisher. The use of content without written permission does not exempt users from the obligation to properly cite the source, in accordance with the terms specified in the Licensing section.
All published volumes of the journal are archived in accordance with legal requirements in the digital repository of the National Library of Serbia and are simultaneously deposited in the journal’s institutional repository.
Peer Review Procedure
The journal applies a double-blind peer review process to all submitted manuscripts. Each manuscript is evaluated by at least two independent external reviewers. The reviewers remain anonymous to the authors, and their identities are not disclosed to each other. Reviewers are selected based on their expertise relevant to the subject of the manuscript. They must not be affiliated with the same institution as the authors, nor have been recent co-authors. Author suggestions for reviewers are not considered. The purpose of the peer review process is to assist the editors in making decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts, as well as to improve the overall quality of the submitted work through constructive feedback.
Manuscripts are sent for peer review only after an initial editorial assessment of their suitability in terms of scope, relevance, and formal requirements. This initial screening is conducted promptly. Under normal circumstances, the review process is completed within four weeks, and only exceptionally may extend up to three months. The average time from submission to publication is approximately 90 days. During the review process, the Editor-in-Chief may request additional information from the authors, including primary data, if necessary for the evaluation of the manuscript. All such materials are treated as confidential and must not be used for any purpose other than the review process.
The entire review process is conducted under the supervision of the editorial team. Authors may track the status of their manuscripts during the review process. In cases where authors raise substantiated concerns regarding the review, the editors will assess the objectivity and quality of the reports. If necessary, additional reviewers may be appointed. Additional reviewers are also engaged when initial reviewer recommendations are conflicting or cannot be reconciled. The final decision regarding the acceptance of a manuscript rests solely with the editorial board.
Ethical Standards
Any individual or institution may, at any time, inform the Editor-in-Chief or the Editorial Board of suspected violations of ethical standards or other irregularities, and provide relevant evidence in order to initiate an investigation. The procedure for verifying such claims is conducted as follows: the Editor-in-Chief decides whether to initiate an investigation; all evidence is treated as confidential and disclosed only to individuals directly involved in the case; the parties concerned are given the opportunity to respond to the allegations. If a violation is confirmed, it is assessed whether it constitutes a minor breach or a serious violation of ethical standards. Minor breaches, which do not compromise the integrity of the work or the journal (e.g. misunderstandings or incorrect application of publishing standards), are resolved through direct communication with the authors and/or reviewers, without involving third parties. Such measures may include issuing a warning, publishing a correction, or issuing an erratum (for example, in cases of editorial errors or incomplete references). In cases of serious ethical violations, the Editor-in-Chief may take appropriate actions, including: publishing a formal notice or editorial describing the case; informing the author’s or reviewer’s affiliated institution; retracting the published article; imposing a temporary ban on future submissions; or reporting the case to relevant authorities or regulatory bodies. These measures may be applied individually or in combination. During the investigation and resolution process, the journal may consult relevant experts or institutions when necessary.
In handling ethical issues, the editors adhere to the guidelines and core practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Plagiarism Policy
The journal does not publish plagiarized work. Plagiarism, defined as the use of another person’s ideas, words, or other forms of creative contribution without proper attribution, constitutes a serious violation of academic and publishing ethics and may also represent a breach of copyright law. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: verbatim or near-verbatim copying of text without appropriate citation; intentional paraphrasing intended to conceal the original source; and the use of equations, data, tables, or other materials from previously published works without proper acknowledgment and, where required, permission from the copyright holder. Manuscripts that show clear evidence of plagiarism will be rejected. If plagiarism is identified after publication, the article will be retracted in accordance with the journal’s retraction policy. To prevent plagiarism, all submitted manuscripts are screened using iThenticate (Crossref Similarity Check). The results of similarity reports are evaluated by the editorial team.
Retraction Policy
In cases of violation of publisher rights, copyright, or author rights; duplicate publication of the same manuscript in multiple journals; false authorship; plagiarism; data manipulation for the purpose of fraud; or any other form of academic or ethical misconduct, the published article will be retracted. Retractions are issued by the Editor-in-Chief and/or the Editorial Board, by the author(s), or by mutual agreement of both parties. A retraction is published as a separate item within the journal issue and is clearly labeled as “Retraction” or “Retracted Article” in the table of contents.
Copyright Policy
Authors retain copyright of their published articles. By publishing in the journal, authors grant the publisher a non-exclusive right to publish the article, to be acknowledged as the original publisher in any subsequent use, and to distribute the article in all formats and media.
Licensing
Published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This license permits copying and redistribution of the material in any medium or format, as well as adaptation, modification, and development of the work for any purpose, including commercial use, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors. Users must provide proper attribution, including a full bibliographic reference to the original article (authors, article title, journal title, volume/issue, page numbers), a link to the original publication, and a link to the CC BY 4.0 license. If the work has been modified, this must be clearly indicated. In the case of electronic use, users are also required to include an HTML link to both the original article published in the journal and the applicable license. Authors may enter into separate, non-exclusive agreements for the distribution of the published version of their work (for example, inclusion in institutional repositories or books), provided that the original publication in this journal is clearly cited. Authors are permitted to deposit the published version of their article in institutional or subject repositories, or to share it on personal websites, institutional webpages, and academic networking platforms (such as ResearchGate or Academia.edu) at any time after publication. In all cases, a full bibliographic citation and a link to the published version must be provided.
The views expressed in published articles are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or members of the editorial board. Authors bear full legal and ethical responsibility for the content of their work, including any opinions, data, and conclusions presented. The publisher shall not be held responsible for any claims, losses, or damages arising from the use or interpretation of the published material.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors guarantee that the submitted manuscript represents their original work, has not been previously published, and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals constitutes a violation of ethical standards and excludes the manuscript from further consideration. Manuscripts that have already been published elsewhere will not be accepted for publication. Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscript. The submission must not contain unlawful statements or unfounded claims, nor infringe upon the rights of third parties. Authors must ensure that all listed co-authors have made significant contributions to the work, and that no individuals who have not contributed substantially are included. Contributions of individuals who participated in specific aspects of the research or manuscript preparation but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in a footnote or acknowledgments section. Authors are required to state the name and code of the research project under which the work was conducted, as well as the full name of the funding institution, where applicable. If the work has been previously presented at a conference or scientific meeting (e.g. as an oral presentation), this information must also be clearly indicated. All sources that have significantly influenced the research and manuscript must be properly cited. Any verbatim use of text, equations, figures, or tables from other sources must be clearly indicated and properly referenced. Extensive quoted material should be clearly marked and separated from the main text. If authors discover a significant error in their published work, they are obliged to immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief or publisher and cooperate in issuing a correction or retraction. Authors must disclose any financial or other relevant conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of the research. By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to comply with the journal’s editorial policy.
Editorial Responsibilities
The Editorial Board makes the final decision on the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts submitted for publication. Decisions are based exclusively on the academic quality, originality, and relevance of the manuscript. Editorial decisions must be free from any form of discrimination, including but not limited to race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. In making publication decisions, the Editorial Board adheres to the journal’s editorial policy and takes into account applicable legal regulations concerning defamation, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. Members of the Editorial Board, including the Editor-in-Chief, must not have any conflict of interest regarding manuscripts under consideration. Any member with a potential conflict of interest is excluded from the decision-making process for the relevant manuscript. All submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential materials. Information and ideas obtained through the peer review process must not be used for personal advantage without the explicit written consent of the authors. The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board members are responsible for taking all reasonable measures to ensure the anonymity of authors and reviewers throughout the evaluation process and after its completion, in accordance with the journal’s review procedure. The Editorial Board is obliged to assist reviewers by providing all necessary information related to the manuscript, including the results of plagiarism screening and any other relevant editorial data required for the review process.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are required to provide the Editor-in-Chief with a qualified, objective, and timely assessment of the scientific and professional quality of the manuscript. Special attention should be given to the originality and actual contribution of the work. The review must be impartial, and all evaluations must be clearly stated and supported by appropriate arguments.
Reviewers assess manuscripts based on:
- relevance to the journal’s scope,
- scientific importance and usefulness,
- adequacy of research methods,
- scientific validity of the results,
- clarity and quality of presentation,
- overall structure and technical preparation of the manuscript.
The review is submitted in a standardized format, including evaluations of individual aspects of the manuscript, a general assessment, and a final recommendation. All reviews are submitted through the journal’s online submission system and are stored permanently in the system.
Reviewers must not have any conflict of interest with the authors or with the funding source of the research. If such a conflict exists or is suspected, the reviewer is required to immediately inform the Editor-in-Chief and withdraw from the review process.
Reviewers should decline assignments for manuscripts outside their area of expertise.
Reviewers are also expected to notify the Editor-in-Chief if they have reasonable suspicion of ethical misconduct, including plagiarism, data manipulation, or other violations of publication ethics by the authors.
They should also identify relevant sources that have not been properly considered in the manuscript. Reviewers may suggest additional references where appropriate, but must not require citation of their own work or articles published in the journal unless there is a clear and justified academic reason for doing so.
Reviewers are expected to contribute to improving the quality of the manuscript through constructive and well-argued recommendations. If they consider that the manuscript can be accepted subject to revisions, they must clearly specify the required changes and provide guidance on how these improvements can be achieved.
Manuscripts submitted for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, disclose, or discuss the content of the manuscript with others. They are not permitted to use any information obtained through the review process for personal or professional advantage or for their own research without the explicit written consent of the authors.
