Publication Ethics

Communications implements strict ethical rules and demands that contributors, authors and experts conform to these rules. They are based on recommendations issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Commitments/Duties of Authors

Originality

Authors ensure that their article steers clear of any form of plagiarism, is unpublished, meets the criteria of scientific integrity and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. They also guarantee that their paper is not concurrently submitted to other journals.

Conflicts of Interest

They are also required to state all sources of funding for the research on which their articles are based. They must disclose to the review’s management any conflict of interest that may affect the empirical material used, the methodological choices made or the results of the analysis.

Authorship

Authors are requested to cite all persons having participated in the writing of the manuscript as co-authors and that they have read and approved the final version of the article.
They ought also to mention, in the footnotes or the acknowledgements, all contributors who have participated in a significant way in the conception, realisation and analysis of the research on which the article is based. They also ensure that only those who have made a significant contribution to the research are listed.

References

Authors are to properly cite all publications they use in their article.

Content of Articles

They also guarantee the strict anonymity of the respondents quoted or mentioned in their article and ensure that their text is free of any defamatory, fraudulent or deliberately inaccurate statements.

Editing

Authors are expected to collaborate with the editorial team of the journal who may submit suggestions for corrections to the article ahead of publication, in so doing authorising the editors to make any changes deemed necessary. Before publication, the authors will receive proofs of their article for proofreading and validation.

Erratum

If authors become aware of one or more significant errors in their text, they inform the journal and propose an erratum.
If the journal identifies one or more significant errors in an article published, the authors will be informed and will be urged to propose corrections or to provide evidence of the accuracy of their statements.

Print and Digital Publication

Authors authorise the publication of their article in print and digital formats on the Cairn.info and Persée portals.

2. Commitments/Duties of Reviewers

References

If the reviewers ascertain that the article under review uses work published by others without appropriate referencing, they will inform the journal’s management.

Multiple Publications

If the manuscript provides many passages from an article or text previously published by the author or submitted simultaneously to another journal, the referee shall inform the journal’s management.

Withdrawal

Referees approached by the journal who feel that they are not sufficiently competent in the subject matter or who are unable to complete the review within the allotted time are to inform the journal’s management as soon as possible.

Objectivity

The article shall be evaluated objectively and with respect for the intellectual independence of the authors. The expertise must be supported by precise arguments. The review shall not contain indelicate language.

Confidentiality and Data Use

The peer review process is strictly confidential. No information about the process is disclosed to outside parties, nor is the content of the articles, except prior consent of the authors.

3. Commitments of the Journal

Review Process

If a submitted article does not comply with the rules of citation in its referencing other scholarship, it will be discarded by Communications editorial board. An article proposal that does not conform to the editorial line of the journal may also be discarded without a double-blind peer review.

Apart from these two cases, all article proposals submitted are subject to a double-blind evaluation by at least two experts, one of whom not being a member of the journal. A response shall be sent to the authors within four months of receiving the article.

Following these assessments, the article may be accepted for publication with minor modifications, or publishable subject to major modifications, or rejected. In case of rejection, a motivated notification is provided.

Objectivity

All proposals are evaluated with the utmost impartiality, regardless of the gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, seniority, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin of the authors.

Conflicts of Interest

In case of conflicts of interest with authors or the content of an article, the editorial board members concerned will withdraw.

Confidentiality and Date Use

Strict confidentiality is guaranteed throughout the peer review process. No information about this process will be disclosed to third parties, nor is the content of the articles disclosed, except prior consent of the authors. Nor can the content of the papers be used before publication unless the authors have consented.

Editing

The article is processed in accordance with the rules of editing.

Erratum

If the journal identifies one or more significant errors, the authors will be informed and shall propose corrections or provide evidence of the accuracy of their statements.