EDITORIAL POLICIES
The editorial policies of RITHA Publishing are rooted in a commitment to upholding the highest standards in scholarly publishing. We align our practices with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, as outlined in the joint statement by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) and OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association).
In addition to these fundamental principles, we also adhere to the NISO (National Information Standards Organization) Recommended Practices for the Presentation and Identification of E-Journals (PIE-J). This ensures that our publishing content is presented and identified in a clear, standardized, and reader-friendly manner.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism, in all its forms, is considered an unethical and unacceptable practice within our publication policies. Plagiarism involves the unauthorized use of someone else's ideas, processes, findings, or language without proper attribution to the original author and source. Self-plagiarism, specifically, occurs when an author reuses substantial portions of their own previously published work without proper citation. This can encompass actions such as submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals or revising a previously published paper with the addition of new data.
To maintain the integrity of our publication process, all manuscripts submitted to RITHA Publishing as submissions in Journals or Book Series undergo a comprehensive plagiarism check using Safe Assign and Turnitin software. Manuscripts identified as plagiarized during the initial stages of review are promptly rejected and will not be considered for publication in the journal.
In cases where plagiarism is discovered after publication, the Editor(s) initiates a preliminary investigation, potentially involving a specially constituted committee from members of Editorial Board. If the extent of plagiarism is found to exceed acceptable limits, the following steps will be considered:
- Contact the author's Institute/College/University and any relevant Funding Agency to report the misconduct.
- Create a bi-directional link between original paper and plagiarised material, ensuring that the plagiarism is documented to readers.
- Consider formal retraction of the paper, if the extent of plagiarism warrants such action.
- Banning the author(s) from submitting future publications. Such a measure is taken to ensure that individuals who have engaged in unethical practices are held accountable and to prevent further violations of academic integrity within our publications.
Authorship Policy
RITHA Publishing House follow the COPE authorship guidelines regarding any authorship disputes. These issues may refers to:
- Ghost authorship – exclusion of a contributor from the list of authors;
- Gift/guest authorship – Inclusion of someone who hasn’t contributed to the work, or who has chosen not to be associated with the research;
- Disputes over the order of the authors and the level of contribution made by each author.
To be considered an author, someone have to:
- Made substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the obtaining/gathering, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work;
- Contributed to drafting of the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content;
- Given consent of the version to be published;
- Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Obtaining a grant to complete the work does not constitute authorship. These people can be included in the acknowledgements section.
Regarding authorship disputes, our aim is to try to reach reach an agreement between the parties. If the authorship disputes can’t be resolved in such fashion, we may refer it to the authors’ institutions.
Archiving Policy
Preservation of digital content is a critical component of ensuring the long-term accessibility and integrity of content published. Our digital preservation strategy encompasses various processes and activities to safeguard the digital content of the Journals and Book Series. The archiving policy includes the following steps:
- Website Archiving: We employ website archiving methods to capture and retain the current state of our digital content. This ensures that the website of RITHA Publishing, which includes all published articles and related information, is securely backed up for future reference.
RITHA Publishing does not allow the posting or sharing of book chapters. Book authors and contributors may post a summary of their contribution on their personal or institutional site. For special considerations, authors may contact the Publisher Manager.
- Abstracting/Indexing Services: We work with reputable abstracting and indexing services to enhance the discoverability and accessibility of our content as CEEOL, Index Copernicus. These services help disseminate our articles to a wider audience while also contributing to the preservation of metadata and links to the original content.
- Self-Archiving: Authors and contributors are encouraged to engage in self-archiving, a practice that allows them to archive their work independently. This aids in preserving the content on their personal websites, in institutional repositories, or in a cross-institutional repository ensuring its long-term accessibility.
Repository Policy
RITHA Publishing has a policy that allows authors to submit all versions of their articles to any repository they choose. The open-access options allowed by the RITHA Publishing's repository policy are listed below based on the type of publishing:
Article's Published Version in Journal
Authors are kindly advised to refrain from posting their manuscripts in institutional repositories or on websites during the pre-publishing or submission stages. However, they are permitted to post the PDF version of the publisher's final format, without embargo, after the article has been officially published. When doing so, it is important for authors to provide proper attribution to the original source of publication and ensure accurate citation details are included when sharing, reusing, or distributing their published Open Access articles elsewhere. Furthermore, it is recommended that authors deposit the URL/DOI of the published article when posting it to any repository.
In order to encourage the citation of published articles, we suggest that authors include a link from their published article to its DOI (Digital Object Identifier). This practice not only facilitates easier access to their article but also contributes to the assessment of its impact and relevance in the academic community. Proper citation and linking are fundamental in ensuring that the research reaches its widest audience and receives the recognition it deserves. In this regard, please see the section "How to cite" from the article's web page. E.g.: https://ritha.eu/journals/JORIT/issues/4/articles/1 or https://ritha.eu/journals/JAES/issues/jaes82/articles/3
Chapter's Published in e-Book
Upon the publication of a chapter in an e-book, especially in the Open Access format, authors are granted the freedom to redistribute the published version themselves. This redistribution is subject to certain conditions:
- The content must be clearly labeled with the same Creative Commons license that applied to the original work.
- Proper attribution must be provided, including a reference to the original source with a link to the publisher's website or the DOI.
For e-books that are not openly accessible and require payment, we encourage authors to take the initiative to publish their chapters or contributions in institutional repositories or share them via academic platforms. This practice, often referred to as 'self-archiving,' is permitted after a twelve-month embargo period from the publication date of the print edition.
Authors engaging in self-archiving are advised to use "Cite this chapter" included in the end of each chapter published in any further distribution. An example citation look like this: "Author's Name, Author's First Name: Chapter Title, in: Editor's First and Last Name (ed.), Title of the Essay Collection, Page Number. ©RITHA (Year of Publication)." Furthermore, it's essential to reference the product page of the publication on the website or its DOI for added clarity and proper attribution. In this regard, please see the section "Cite this chapter" from the chapter's web page. E.g.: https://www.ritha.eu/series/SERITHA/books/DFE/chapters/1dfe.
Chapter's Published in Printed Book
When a book is available as a paid e-book edition, the ability to self-archive is typically limited to individual chapters. This limitation arises from legal regulations, particularly the book price-fixing rule, which publishers follow for the entire e-book.
If an author wishes to make their entire work available in an Open Access format, we are more than willing to assist in this process. In such cases, we recommend reaching out to us via email at office@ritha.eu, and we will gladly provide a quotation for Green Open Access.
Policies for using AI-assisted technologies and generative AI in writing processes
This policy is designed to improve transparency and provide guidance to authors, readers, reviewers, and editors regarding the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies within the writing process at RITHA Publishing. It's important to clarify that this policy specifically concerns to the writing process and does not encompass the utilization of AI tools for data analysis and insights generation in the research process.
When authors employ AI and AI-assisted technologies during the writing process, these tools should focus on improving the readability and language of the work, rather than replacing crucial authoring tasks such as formulating scientific, pedagogic, or medical insights, drawing scientific conclusions, or providing clinical recommendations. The application of such technology must involve human oversight and control, and all work should undergo thorough review and editing. AI has the potential to generate content that may sound authoritative but could be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. Authors assume ultimate responsibility for the content of their work.
Authors are required to disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their manuscript. A corresponding statement is included in their Disclosure of Interest statement and published inside the work when it is applicable. This disclosure advances transparency and trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors, and ensures compliance with the terms of use of the tools or technologies.
It's essential for authors not to attribute authorship to AI or list these technologies as authors or co-authors. Authorship carries responsibilities and tasks that are uniquely human. Each (co-) author is responsible for addressing accuracy or integrity issues within the work and must have the ability to approve the final version and consent to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring the originality of the work, verifying that stated authors qualify for authorship, and confirming that the work does not infringe third-party rights. Authors should acquaint themselves with RITHA Publishing Editorial Policies before submitting their manuscript.
Integrating these established and respected guidelines and recommendations into our editorial policies, we are dedicated to fostering a publishing environment that is transparent, credible, and committed to the dissemination of high-quality scholarly work.