ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Authors’ Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all submitted work is original, accurate, and ethically sound. Manuscripts must properly acknowledge the contributions of all authors and contributors. Authorship is limited to those who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work. Authors must ensure that data are honestly collected, analyzed, and presented without fabricating, falsifying, or inappropriately manipulating them. All sources must be cited correctly, and the use of copyrighted material must comply with applicable permissions and licenses. Authors are also required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation or presentation of the research findings.

Authors must adhere to applicable ethical, legal, and professional standards throughout the publication process. This includes obtaining necessary approvals, informed consent where applicable, as well as maintaining confidentiality and data protection. Authors may not submit the same manuscript to multiple publications simultaneously or publish substantially similar work without proper disclosure.

Ensuring Non-Discrimination and Equal Treatment

The publication process is committed to a fair, inclusive, and respectful environment that ensures non-discrimination and equal treatment for all involved. Decisions regarding the submission, review, and publication of manuscripts are based solely on scholarly merit and relevance, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, political beliefs, or any other protected characteristic. All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to conduct themselves professionally throughout the publication process and promote diversity, equality, and mutual respect.

Editors are responsible for implementing transparent policies and procedures that actively prevent bias and discrimination. This includes applying consistent editorial standards, utilizing impartial peer review processes, and promptly and fairly addressing complaints or concerns related to discriminatory behavior. Where necessary, appropriate accommodations will be made to ensure equal participation. Any form of harassment, exclusion, or discriminatory treatment will not be tolerated.

Preventing and Fighting Plagiarism

The editorial team is committed to the highest academic standards and actively combats all forms of plagiarism. Authors are required to submit only original work and to clearly and precisely identify the ideas, data, formulations, and creative works of others through correct citations and references. Plagiarism in any form—including direct copying, improper paraphrasing, self-plagiarism, or the unauthorized use of material—is strictly prohibited. Submitted manuscripts may be checked for originality and compliance with ethical publication standards using plagiarism detection software.

Editors and reviewers share responsibility for identifying potential plagiarism and addressing concerns fairly and consistently. In cases of suspected or confirmed plagiarism, appropriate measures will be taken according to established procedures. These may include rejecting the manuscript, requesting revisions, or retracting the published work. The publisher is committed to informing authors about responsible research and citation practices and maintaining a transparent process that protects the credibility of scientific discourse and the trust of the academic community.

Preventing Self-Plagiarism

The publisher is committed to upholding the integrity and originality of scholarly publications and therefore prohibits self-plagiarism. Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts are substantially new and original work and do not reuse previously published text, data, figures, or results without clear acknowledgment. Reproduction of substantial portions of previous work, including duplicate or redundant publication, is permitted only if it is fully disclosed, correctly cited, and justified (e.g., in review articles or extended studies with clear added value).

Authors are required to disclose all previous publications or submissions closely related to the submitted manuscript at the time of submission. The editors may use similarity-checking tools to identify content overlaps and will assess whether these overlaps are acceptable based on transparency, citation, and the extent of the new contribution. If self-plagiarism is detected, the publisher may request revisions, reject the manuscript, or take post-publication corrective action, including issuing corrections or retractions. These measures ensure ethical publication practices, transparency, and confidence in the originality of the published work.

The journal Forschungen zur Volks- und Landeskunde does not charge a fee for submitting, evaluating, and publishing materials.