Code of Conduct

The editor of the Bulletin of aesthetics, i. e. the Center for Philosophical Research, is committed to upholding and maintaining best practices in academic publishing at all stages of the publication process. Below is a summary of our Code of Conduct for editors, peer reviewers, and authors, as well as our Procedures for Handling Academic Misconduct, which adhere to the latest publishing ethics and misconduct policies. These guidelines for best publishing practices are subject to periodic review.

Code of Conduct

Responsibilities of Editors

• Act in a balanced, objective, and fair manner in carrying out their editorial duties, without discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, political or religious beliefs, or the geographic or ethnic origin of the authors.
• Treat submissions for supplements or special issues in the same way as regular submissions, ensuring that articles are evaluated and accepted solely based on their academic merit and without undue influence.
• Adopt and follow reasonable procedures in cases of ethical or conflict-related complaints. Authors must be given a fair opportunity to respond to any allegations. All complaints should be investigated regardless of when the original publication was approved. Documentation related to such complaints must be retained.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

• Contribute to the decision-making process and help improve the quality of the published article by providing an objective and timely review of the manuscript.
• Maintain the confidentiality of any information supplied by the editor or author. Reviewers should not retain or copy the manuscript.
• Alert the editor to any published or submitted content that is substantially similar to the manuscript under review.
• Be aware of any potential conflicts of interest (financial, institutional, collaborative, or other relationships between the reviewer and the author) and notify the editor accordingly, withdrawing from reviewing the manuscript if necessary.

Responsibilities of Authors

• Ensure that the manuscript, as submitted, is not under consideration or has not been accepted for publication elsewhere. Authors must acknowledge and cite sources whenever any portion of the content coincides with previously published or submitted materials. Additionally, they must provide the editor with a copy of any submitted manuscript that may contain overlapping or closely related content.
• Ensure that all content in the submitted manuscript is original, properly acknowledging and citing any reproduced material from other sources. Authors must obtain permission to reproduce content from other sources when required.
• Declare any potential conflicts of interest that could be perceived as an improper influence on their responsibilities at any stage of the publication process.
• Promptly notify the editor or the Bulletin of aesthetics' editorial team if a significant error is identified in their publication. Authors must cooperate with the editor or the editorial team to issue errata, addenda, or corrigenda, or to retract the publication if deemed necessary.

Responsibilities of the Responsible Editor

• The Center for Philosophical Research, through its academic committee, ensures that good editorial practices are maintained in accordance with the criteria outlined above.

Procedures for Handling Academic Misconduct

Identification of Unethical Behavior

• Misconduct and unethical behavior may be identified and reported to the editor or the editorial team by anyone at any time.
• Anyone reporting such behavior must provide sufficient information and evidence for an investigation to be initiated. All allegations must be taken seriously and treated with equal rigor until a satisfactory resolution or conclusion is reached.

Investigation

• The editor must make an initial decision, consulting or seeking advice from the editorial team if appropriate.
• Evidence should be gathered while maintaining confidentiality and avoiding the dissemination of allegations beyond those who need to be informed.

Minor Offenses

• Minor offenses may be resolved without the need for extensive consultation. In all cases, the author must be given the opportunity to respond to any allegations.

Serious Offenses

• Serious offenses may require notifying the accused party’s employer. The editor, in consultation with the editorial team, will decide whether to involve the employer after reviewing the available evidence or consulting a limited number of experts.

Resolutions
(Listed in ascending order of severity; may be applied separately or in combination)

1. Inform or instruct the author or reviewer about any apparent misunderstanding or incorrect application of acceptable standards.
2. Send a formal letter to the author or reviewer in a more severe tone, describing the misconduct and issuing a warning regarding future behavior.
3. Publish a formal notice detailing the misconduct.
4. Publish an editorial outlining the misconduct.
5. Send a formal letter to the author’s department head or funding institution.
6. Formally retract or withdraw the publication from the journal, in conjunction with notifying the author’s department head, relevant abstracting and indexing services, and the journal’s readership.
7. Impose a formal embargo on the individual’s contributions for a defined period.
8. Report the case and its resolution to a professional organization or higher authority for further investigation and action.