Editorial and publication ethics policy

Preamble

Philo-Fictions is an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to the relations between philosophy, creation, fiction and theoretical experimentation. The journal upholds a demanding conception of research, grounded in intellectual freedom, scholarly rigour, plurality of approaches and respect for academic integrity.

This policy sets out the ethical principles governing the journal’s activities. It draws in particular on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), as well as international standards in scholarly publishing.

1. General principles

The journal undertakes to promote:

• scientific integrity;
• freedom of research and philosophical expression;
• editorial independence;
• fairness in the evaluation of manuscripts;
• transparency of editorial procedures;
• open dissemination of knowledge.

Editorial decisions rest exclusively on the scientific, philosophical, argumentative and literary quality of manuscripts.

No discrimination may be based on nationality, origin, language, gender, philosophical, religious or political convictions, institutional affiliation or any other personal characteristic of authors.

2. Peer review

All research articles undergo peer review.

The journal applies double-blind peer review, unless otherwise indicated for certain particular editorial formats.

Reviewers are invited to:

• provide reasoned, constructive and respectful reports;
• declare any potential conflict of interest;
• preserve the confidentiality of manuscripts;
• not use information obtained through review for personal or professional purposes.

Editorial decisions are taken by the editors in light of the review reports and the journal’s scientific aims.

3. Authors’ responsibilities

By submitting a manuscript, authors declare that:

• the text is original;
• it has not been published previously;
• it is not under simultaneous consideration by another journal or publisher;
• all sources used are properly cited;
• copyright in reproduced texts, images or other materials has been respected.

Authors also warrant that their contribution contains neither plagiarism, nor substantial self-plagiarism, nor fabrication or falsification of results.

Authors remain fully responsible for the intellectual content of their publication. See also the Submissions page.

4. Authorship

Authorship is reserved for those who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, writing or scholarly revision of the manuscript.

Anyone who has contributed in a secondary capacity (translation, technical assistance, documentary support, funding, etc.) may be mentioned in the acknowledgements with their consent.

Authors must agree on the order of authorship before submission.

5. Conflicts of interest

Authors are invited to declare any conflict of interest that might influence their research or its interpretation.

Conflicts of interest may be:

• financial;
• institutional;
• professional;
• personal.

Reviewers and editorial board members also undertake to declare any conflict of interest that could compromise their impartiality.

6. Use of artificial intelligence

The journal recognises that some artificial intelligence tools may be used as assistance instruments.

However:

• an artificial intelligence system cannot be regarded as an author or co-author of an article;
• authors alone remain responsible for the entire published content;
• any substantial use of generative AI tools (writing, translation, rewriting, analysis, production of images or graphics) must be disclosed at submission.

AI tools cannot replace critical judgement, scholarly responsibility or the verification of sources.

7. Plagiarism and research integrity

The journal condemns any form of:

• plagiarism;
• abusive self-plagiarism;
• data falsification;
• fabrication of results;
• manipulation of references;
• misleading citation;
• redundant publication.

Where a breach of research integrity is suspected, the editors conduct a confidential examination of the case and may seek explanations from the authors.

When the facts are established, the journal may in particular:

• reject the manuscript;
• suspend the editorial process;
• publish a correction;
• publish an expression of concern;
• retract the article after publication.

8. Corrections and retractions

The journal seeks to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Where significant errors are discovered after publication, they may give rise to:

• a correction (erratum or corrigendum);
• an expression of concern;
• a retraction.

Retractions remain accessible in order to ensure transparency of the editorial record.

9. Open access policy

Philo-Fictions supports the principles of open access to scholarly knowledge.

Published articles are freely accessible to readers without subscription fees.

The journal encourages the dissemination, reading and circulation of scholarly work in accordance with applicable copyright and licences.

10. Copyright and licences

Unless otherwise indicated, authors retain their copyright.

By publishing in the journal, they grant Philo-Fictions a non-exclusive right to publish, disseminate, archive and index their contribution.

The precise terms of dissemination are defined by the publication licence chosen by the journal.

11. Research data

Where the nature of the research allows, the journal encourages authors to make available the data, corpora, appendices or materials underlying their work.

Such openness remains compatible with:

• legal obligations;
• intellectual property rights;
• ethical constraints;
• the protection of persons.

12. Archiving and permanence

The journal seeks to ensure the lasting preservation of publications through archiving platforms, persistent identifiers and recognised indexing services.

Article metadata are disseminated according to international standards in order to foster visibility and interoperability.

13. Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts, review reports and editorial correspondence remain confidential.

Information shared in the course of the editorial process is used solely for evaluation and publication.

14. Editorial responsibilities

The editors guarantee:

• a transparent editorial procedure;
• respect for confidentiality;
• independence of editorial decisions;
• the scholarly quality of publications;
• respect for international principles of academic integrity.

The editors may amend or supplement this policy to reflect developments in international standards and best practice in scholarly publishing.

15. Reference version

This editorial policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to Philo-Fictions from the date of its publication on the journal’s website.

Any question concerning its interpretation may be addressed to the editors.