Code of ethics
Rules applicable to Authors
1. Scientific integrity
The author is obliged to reliably conduct and present scientific research and to interpret it objectively. The text should disclose sources of data and information that will allow the research to be replicated.
2. Originality
The text should represent the intellectual property of the author. Plagiarism, autoplagiarism, falsification, and fabrication of data and research methods are inadmissible. If the author has made use of other works, these should be properly referenced to remove any doubts concerning the authorship of the work or any part thereof. Information obtained privately (e.g., in conversation, correspondence, or discussion) may not be used without the written consent of its author.
3. Preventing conflicts of interest
Conflicts of interest are relationships that entail professional subordination and economic dependence as well as social relations, which can affect the impartial assessment of the merits of the text. The editors require the author to submit a statement of no conflict of interest.
4. Authorship
The authorship of work should be limited to persons who have contributed significantly to the text. To prevent cases of academic dishonesty, such as "ghost-writing" and "guest authorship," all persons who have contributed to the publication should be mentioned as co-authors.
Each author must sign the author's declaration. If an article has multiple authors, the authors must designate one person from among themselves on the author's declaration as the corresponding author. The corresponding author conducts all correspondence with the Publisher and approves the final version of the paper on behalf of the others.
If there are others who participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be mentioned, for example, in the "Acknowledgements". The authors assume collective responsibility for their work. The authors should also provide the Editorial Board with information on the sources of financing of the publication, and the contribution of academic research institutions, associations, and other entities ("financial disclosure").
5. Source reliability
The publications that influenced the author's work should be properly quoted. Information obtained privately may not be used without the written consent of its author.
6. Ethical supervision
If the scope of the published consent covers research on humans and/or animals, the author should provide the consent of the Ethics Committee or another appropriate authorisation for such research.
7. Errors in published works
If the author notices significant errors in his/her publication, he/she should immediately notify the Editor-in-Chief. An erratum, annexe or correction should be published in cooperation with the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher, or the publication should be withdrawn.
8. Avoiding multiple, redundant, or concurrent publications
Research results may not be published in more than one journal. Submitting a paper for publication is understood as a declaration that the text has never been previously published anywhere, including in electronic form, that it has not been submitted for publication in other journals, and nor is it a part of a non-serial publication, such as a monograph.
Principles concerning members of the Editorial Board
1. Responsibility
The Editorial Board decides which papers will be published and takes necessary steps to ensure the quality of published material. The Editorial Board accepts responsibility for all the content featured in the journal.
2. Fair play
The papers are assessed based on their merits and importance for the journal, regardless of the affiliation of the author of the work, his/her nationality, ethnicity, political views, gender, race, or religious denomination.
3. Confidentiality
The Editorial Board of the journal is under the obligation to keep confidential any information related to the editorial process.
4. Complaints and appeals
A complaint should be submitted in written form. In cases that concern the Journal or the Editorial Board, complaints should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief. In cases that concern the Editor-in-Chief, complaints should be submitted to the owner of the Publishing House/Publisher, i.e., the Rector of Gdynia Maritime University.
The subject of the complaint may be, for example, the infringement of the interests of the complaining party, negligence, a protracted response, or lack of response in the matter on the part of the Editorial Board. The complaining party should receive written information on the resolution of the matter submitted within 30 days of the complaint.
6. Verification of materials already published and prevention of conflicts of interest
The Editorial Board may withdraw a paper from publication or decide to correct materials that have already been published. Unpublished materials may not be used in the publishing process without the written consent of the author.
7. Discussion and corrections
The Editorial Board uses the Open Journal System, which allows a comprehensive, electronic editorial process to be followed, within which the editor, reviewer and the author of the text may carry out a discussion and make corrections at each stage of the publication process.
8. Decisions concerning the publication
The decision to publish or not to publish the text is made by the Editorial Board. The decision of the editorial team is determined, foremostly, by the academic merits of the text and its compliance with the thematic scope of the journal.
9. Scientific integrity
Members of the Editorial Board are obliged to ensure the scientific integrity of the published works. If dishonest practices are suspected, the editors must withdraw the text from publication and take steps to clarify and remedy the situation. The detected cases of transgression of ethics (plagiarism, falsification of research results, manipulation of research results, fabrication of research results, etc.) should be reported in writing to the journal's Editor-in-Chief (e-mail: publisher@umg.edu.pl). The report may be submitted by a member of the Editorial Board, reviewer, reader of the journal or any other person who holds suspicions as to the integrity of the text. The Editorial Board acts in compliance with the principles formulated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) https://publicationethics.org. Should a transgression of ethical principles concern a text that has already been published, the editors will remove the paper from the website, providing information on the reasons for the withdrawal and, in the case of a text published in print, the editors will publish an appropriate statement in the next edition of the journal. The Editorial Board will notify the author of the matter, the institution he/she is affiliated with, reviewers, the aggrieved persons, and, if necessary, other ethical oversight bodies. If ethical transgressions in the text are minor, it will be possible to republish the corrected text. If there is a conflict of interest within the Editorial Board, the report should be submitted to the Publisher (publisher@umg.edu.pl).
Rules applicable to Reviewers
1. Cooperation with the editorial team
Reviewers participate in the editorial process at the review stage and influence the decisions made by editors regarding the publication of the text. They also may, in consultation with the authors, decide on the final shape of the paper.
2. Timely performance
Reviewers are required to meet a set review deadline. The reviewer should immediately inform the Editorial Board of the reasons for delays or withdrawal from reviewing the text.
3. Confidentiality
Only authorised persons, i.e., the editors, authors, and reviewers, have access to the reviewed works.
4. Objectivity
The review should concern only substantive and formal aspects of the text. Any remarks concerning the authors are inadmissible.
5. Source reliability
The reviewer should disclose all cases that indicate the similarity of the reviewed work to other works and indicate which works have not been referenced by the author.
6. Preventing conflicts of interest
Reviewers may not use the reviewed texts for their own needs and benefits. If there is a conflict of interest between the reviewer(s) and author(s) of the text, such reviewers should be excluded from the review procedure.
Rules applicable to the Publisher
Gdynia Maritime University, as the owner and Publisher of the University's academic journals, ensures the highest quality of these publications and prevents unfair publication practices (plagiarism, autoplagiarism, ghost-writing, guest authorship or courtesy authorship) and applies the principles of publication ethics which comply with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Gdynia Maritime University provides its journals with support in this regard, in the form of:
1) a system that checks the similarity of texts – iThenticate (http://www.ithenticate.com/): the system checks for similarities in the text with 91% of the most widely quoted journals and provides the option to view the content of papers, enabling the detection of potential plagiarism and the resolution of problematic issues before the review process; Final Similarity Reports provide certainty that the published papers are original. The content of journals is indexed within the CrossRef – Similarity Check initiative, the purpose of which is to prevent academic and professional plagiarism;
2) The Open Journal Systems (OJS) – a platform for managing the publishing process and publishing journals online. OJS provides mechanisms that make it possible to hold a discussion between the author and the editor and the editor and reviewers; and revise, correct or withdraw papers after their publication;
3) in the event that unfair research practices are detected, the Publisher encourages the Editorial Boards to use the solution map, available in the form of COPE flowcharts (https://publicationethics.org/resources/translated-resources/polish-all-flowcharts).
