Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

The ethical standards of South-east European forestry (SEEFOR) are based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors, as well as established international publishing standards.

The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal represents a fundamental contribution to the development of a reliable and respected body of scientific knowledge. It reflects the quality of the authors' work and that of their supporting institutions, and underpins the integrity of the scientific record. SEEFOR is therefore committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards for all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, the publisher, and the scientific community.

The Croatian Forest Research Institute, as the publisher of SEEFOR, takes its responsibility for ethical oversight at all stages of the publication process seriously and is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are independent of commercial interests, including advertising or other revenue sources.

Duties of the Editorial Board

Publication decisions

The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for deciding which manuscripts are accepted for publication. An Assistant Editor may assist the Editor-in-Chief in handling manuscripts delegated to them, under the authority of the Editor-in-Chief and in accordance with the journal’s editorial policies. Where appropriate, the Editorial Board may provide advisory support in the editorial decision-making process.

Decisions are based on the scientific merit, originality, relevance, and clarity of the submitted work, as well as its importance to readers. Editors operate in accordance with applicable legal requirements related to defamation, copyright, and plagiarism.

Fair play

Editors evaluate manuscripts solely on their intellectual content, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff treat all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and must not disclose information about a manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, or the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Editors must not use unpublished material from submitted manuscripts in their own research without the author’s explicit written consent. Editors must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest and ensure that all authors disclose relevant competing interests. Where necessary, appropriate action will be taken, including the publication of corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern.

Involvement and cooperation in investigations

Editors will take appropriate action in response to ethical concerns regarding submitted or published articles, in cooperation with the publisher and relevant institutions. All allegations of unethical publishing behaviour will be investigated, regardless of when they are reported.

Duties of authors

Authors are expected to adhere to recognised standards of ethical research and publication.

Reporting standards

Authors should present an accurate and objective account of their research and its significance. Sufficient detail and references must be provided to allow others to replicate the work.

Data access and retention

Authors may be requested to provide raw data for editorial review and should be prepared to make data publicly available where appropriate and to retain data for a reasonable period after publication.

Originality and plagiarism

Authors must ensure that their work is original and that all sources are properly cited. Plagiarism in any form constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Multiple or redundant publication

Manuscripts describing essentially the same research should not be published in more than one journal. Secondary publication may be acceptable only under clearly defined conditions and with proper acknowledgement of the original source.

Authorship 

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the research. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest

Authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest and all sources of funding.

Acknowledgements and funding

Authors are encouraged to acknowledge individuals, institutions, and funding bodies that supported the research. All sources of financial support should be clearly disclosed in the manuscript, where applicable.

Fundamental errors 

Authors are obliged to promptly notify the journal if a significant error is discovered and to cooperate in correcting or retracting the publication.

Duties of reviewers

Peer review supports editorial decision-making and improves manuscript quality.

Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential and must not use unpublished material for personal advantage.

Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively, with constructive and evidence-based comments.

Acknowledgement of sources

Reviewers should identify relevant uncited work and alert editors to possible overlap or plagiarism.