Zagreber germanistische Beiträge (ZGB) is a peer-reviewed academic journal committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct in scholarly publishing. While not a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), ZGB aligns itself with COPE’s Core Practices and follows the ethical principles outlined in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA). The policies described below define the responsibilities of all participants in the editorial process: authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.
1. Editorial Responsibilities
1.1 Editorial Independence and Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief has full editorial independence and final responsibility for publication decisions. Manuscripts are assessed based solely on academic merit, originality, relevance to the journal’s scope, and clarity of presentation, irrespective of the authors’ background, institutional affiliation, or personal characteristics. No governmental or commercial body may interfere in editorial decisions.
1.2 Peer Review Process
All manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review by at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. If reviews diverge significantly, a third reviewer may be consulted. Editorial board members ensure the review process is impartial, confidential, and timely. If a manuscript is submitted by a Croatian author, the reviewers must be international.
1.3 Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest
Submitted manuscripts are treated as confidential documents. Editors and editorial staff must not disclose their content or use unpublished material for personal advantage. Editors recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest.
1.4 Response to Misconduct and Retractions
If ethical misconduct is suspected—e.g., plagiarism, data fabrication, unethical research—the Editorial Board will initiate a COPE-compliant investigation. Proven cases will result in retraction, correction, or editorial notice in the following issue. Editors are committed to correcting the scholarly record when necessary.
2. Author Responsibilities
2.1 Originality and Exclusivity
Authors must submit original work that has not been published elsewhere, in whole or in part, and is not under consideration by another journal. Republishing content, including translated versions, is only allowed with prior approval and proper citation.
2.2 Research Integrity
Authors must present data truthfully and include sufficient detail to allow replication. Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data constitutes misconduct. Authors may be asked to supply raw data upon editorial request.
2.3 Authorship and Contributions
Authorship should reflect significant scholarly contribution to the conception, execution, and interpretation of the work. All co-authors must approve the submitted version. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.
2.4 Citation and Source Acknowledgment
Authors must accurately cite all sources and appropriately acknowledge prior work, including their own. The use of AI tools (e.g., for paraphrasing, summarization, or content generation) must be explicitly disclosed. However, the journal does not permit the use of AI-generated content in creative, interpretative, or analytical writing, where originality of thought and scholarly rigor are essential. AI may not substitute for the author’s intellectual contribution in tasks such as close reading, theoretical framing, critical commentary, or narrative development.
Undisclosed or excessive reliance on AI tools in place of the author’s own reasoning or creative process will be considered a breach of academic integrity.
2.5 Conflicts of Interest
Authors are obliged to disclose any financial or personal relationships that might influence the interpretation of their research.
2.6 Post-Publication Responsibility
If a significant error or inaccuracy is discovered after publication, the authors must promptly notify the Editorial Board and cooperate with correction or retraction procedures.
3. Reviewer Responsibilities
3.1 Confidentiality and Objectivity
Reviewers must treat manuscripts confidentially and assess them impartially, without personal bias. They should provide constructive, evidence-based feedback to assist editorial decisions and author revisions.
3.2 Expertise and Timeliness
Reviewers must decline review invitations if they lack the expertise or cannot meet the deadline. If ethical concerns arise during review—e.g., suspected plagiarism or data manipulation—they must notify the editorial team confidentially.
3.3 Conflict of Interest
Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have financial, professional, or personal conflicts of interest. Unpublished content must not be used for personal or professional gain.
3.4 Ethical Vigilance
Reviewers should alert the editorial board to potential ethical concerns, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unacknowledged sources.
4. Publisher’s Role and Open Access
The publisher guarantees editorial autonomy and supports the journal in upholding ethical publishing standards. ZGB’s publication process is free of article processing charges.
Zagreber germanistische Beiträge is an open-access journal. All articles are freely available online in PDF format without subscription barriers. The journal is accessible on both the Hrčak portal of Croatian scientific and professional journals and the official journal website.
ZGB applies the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction of published material, provided the original author and source are properly credited, and no modifications are made.