Publication Ethics

The Editorial Board of Liturgia Sacra is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. All participants in the publishing process—authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to adhere to principles of scholarly honesty, transparency, fairness, and responsibility.

The journal’s publication ethics policy is based on internationally recognized standards of good editorial practice and follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Liturgia Sacra are expected to:

• present research findings accurately, objectively, and in accordance with accepted scholarly standards;
• submit only original work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere;
• properly acknowledge and cite all sources used in the preparation of the manuscript;
• identify all individuals who have made a significant scholarly contribution to the work;
• disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of the research or the publication process;
• promptly notify the Editorial Board if a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered in a submitted or published article.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study.

Practices such as ghostwriting (concealing the contribution of an actual author) and guest or honorary authorship (listing individuals who have not contributed substantially to the work) are considered forms of scientific misconduct and are unacceptable. Any detected cases may result in rejection of the manuscript or other appropriate actions in accordance with ethical standards and institutional regulations.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to:

• provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations of submitted manuscripts;
• maintain confidentiality regarding all materials received for review;
• identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors;
• inform the Editorial Board of any suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns;
• decline to review manuscripts in cases of actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for:

• making publication decisions solely on the basis of scholarly merit, originality, relevance, and quality;
• ensuring a fair, unbiased, and confidential peer-review process;
• treating all submissions without discrimination based on gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, or institutional affiliation;
• taking appropriate measures to prevent and address academic misconduct;
• protecting the confidentiality of authors, reviewers, and editorial communications.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation, publication, or interpretation of scholarly work.

When a conflict of interest is identified, the Editorial Board will take appropriate measures to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the editorial process.

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

All submissions are subject to assessment for compliance with the principles of academic integrity. Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, manipulation of research results, copyright infringement, and other forms of scientific misconduct are considered serious violations of publication ethics.

Any confirmed misconduct may result in rejection of the manuscript, withdrawal of a published article, notification of relevant institutions, or other appropriate actions.

Retraction Policy

The Editorial Board reserves the right to retract a published article if serious ethical violations are identified, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, copyright infringement, duplicate publication, or other actions that undermine the reliability of the scholarly record.

Retraction notices will be issued in a transparent manner to preserve the integrity of the academic literature and ensure that readers are informed of the reasons for retraction.

Complaints and Appeals

Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions and to submit complaints regarding the editorial or peer-review process.

All complaints and appeals are reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief in accordance with the journal’s ethical standards and editorial procedures. The Editorial Board will make every effort to ensure that concerns are addressed fairly, impartially, and promptly.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of scholarly publications.

Authors must disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies when such tools have made a substantial contribution to the preparation of the manuscript. Responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly quality of the submitted work remains entirely with the author(s).

Access to Research Materials and Data

The Editorial Board encourages authors, whenever appropriate and feasible, to provide access to research materials, source documentation, and data supporting the results presented in their publications.

Such access should be provided in accordance with applicable legal requirements, ethical considerations, copyright regulations, and data protection standards.