Publishing Policy
of the Francis de Sales Scientific Society (TNFS)
concerning the ethical principles applicable to the journal “Seminare. Learned Investigations”
and other publications of the Francis de Sales Scientific Society

1. Purpose and Nature of the Policy

This Policy sets out the ethical principles and best practices governing the journal “Seminare. Learned Investigations” and other publications issued by the Francis de Sales Scientific Society (TNFS).

TNFS follows the standards and best practices developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), in particular the COPE Core Practices and COPE Guidance.

2. Scope and Definitions

2.1. Scope of Application

This Policy applies to authors, co-authors, editors (including the editor-in-chief), members of editorial and scientific boards, reviewers, and all individuals involved in the publishing process.

2.2. Definitions

Ethical violations include, among others: plagiarism; self-plagiarism without disclosure; fabrication or falsification of data; peer review manipulation; undisclosed conflicts of interest; copyright infringement; inappropriate authorship practices (ghostwriting, guest or gift authorship); and citation manipulation.

Conflict of interest means any situation in which financial, institutional, personal, or other relationships may influence—or be perceived to influence—the impartiality of decisions made within the publishing process.

Double-blind peer review is a review process in which neither the author nor the reviewer knows the identity of the other, to the extent reasonably possible.

Expression of concern is an editorial notice issued when serious doubts arise regarding the integrity of a publication and the investigation is ongoing.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Editors

• manage the editorial and peer review process in accordance with this Policy,
• select reviewers in an independent and impartial manner,
• ensure confidentiality of the review process,
• respond to suspected ethical misconduct,
• make decisions regarding corrections and retractions.

Authors

• ensure the originality and integrity of their work,
• apply proper citation practices,
• disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest,
• accurately indicate authorship and individual contributions,
• comply with ethical requirements of research,
• cooperate with the editorial process.

Reviewers

• maintain confidentiality,
• provide objective, thorough, and timely reviews,
• disclose any conflicts of interest,
• refrain from using reviewed material for personal purposes.

Editorial decisions are based solely on scholarly merit and are free from discrimination of any kind.

4. Peer Review Process

• The journal operates a double-blind peer review system.
• Each scholarly article is subject to at least two independent reviews.
• Reviewers are selected based on expertise and absence of conflicts of interest.
• The editorial team takes measures to prevent peer review manipulation.
• Any deviations from the standard review procedure must be justified.
• The editorial office monitors the quality and integrity of the peer review process.

The editorial office publishes review criteria and an annual list of reviewers.

5. Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest.

Where a conflict exists, the editorial office applies appropriate measures, including exclusion from the process.

Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in rejection or retraction of a publication.

6. Originality and Plagiarism

• The editorial office uses similarity detection tools (e.g., iThenticate or other appropriate systems depending on the discipline and type of content).
• Similarity reports are assessed contextually and do not constitute the sole basis for editorial decisions. The evaluation takes into account, among others, proper citation practices, bibliographic references, acceptable methodological similarities, and the nature of the text.
• In cases of suspected misconduct, an investigation is conducted and appropriate actions are taken (e.g., suspension of the editorial process, rejection, correction, retraction, or publication of an expression of concern).
• Authors must retain source data and provide it upon justified request for verification purposes.
• Any manipulation of materials (especially images, graphs, or data) that could mislead interpretation is prohibited.

7. Authorship

Authorship must reflect actual contributions to the work.

Ghostwriting and guest/gift authorship are prohibited.

The editorial office requires an author contribution statement.

8. Research Ethics Involving Human Participants

Authors must:

• obtain approval from relevant ethics committees,
• obtain informed consent from participants,
• ensure anonymity and data protection.

The editorial office may reject submissions that do not meet ethical standards.

9. Complaints and Appeals

TNFS provides mechanisms for submitting complaints and appeals concerning the editorial process and ethical decisions.

Submissions should be sent to: tnfs@tnfs.pl

Proceedings are conducted in a confidential, impartial, and documented manner.

The procedure includes:

• registration of the complaint and preliminary assessment of its validity,
• collection of statements from all relevant parties, including authors,
• consultation with reviewers or independent experts where necessary,
• decision-making based on the findings,
• communication of the outcome to the parties involved, including justification and, where applicable, information on the appeal procedure.

10. Corrections and Retractions

Post-publication actions include:

• correction (erratum or corrigendum),
• retraction,
• expression of concern.

Authors may request corrections or retractions; however, final decisions are made by the editorial office (and/or publisher) in accordance with COPE principles.

Corrections and retractions are clearly indicated and linked to the original publication.

Retraction may occur in cases of:

• serious ethical violations,
• data fabrication or falsification,
• significant errors affecting validity,
• other circumstances undermining the integrity of the publication.

Retracted articles are not removed but clearly marked.

An expression of concern may be issued during an ongoing investigation.

The editorial office may publish responses, corrections, or scholarly debate where appropriate.

11. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools may be used only as auxiliary support, particularly for language editing, data analysis, or content organization.

Authors must disclose the use of AI tools, especially in:

• text generation,
• data analysis,
• language editing.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content, including factual accuracy, citations, and any errors resulting from the use of AI.

12. Copyright

Authors retain copyright.

Publications are distributed under the CC BY-ND 4.0 International license.

All versions of the article may be deposited in repositories.

13. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Editorial processes are confidential.

Personal data are processed in accordance with applicable data protection regulations (including GDPR).

14. Open Access and Publication Fees

“Seminare. Learned Investigations” and other TNFS publications operate under an open access policy.

All content is freely available to readers without charge and without embargo.

Authors are not charged any submission, processing, peer review, or publication fees.

15. Publication Schedule

The journal is published twice a year.

The editorial office operates an “online-first” model, allowing early publication of accepted articles.

16. Archiving and Preservation

The journal ensures long-term availability of published content through digital archiving and institutional repositories.

17. Ownership, Governance and Editorial Independence

The publisher and owner of the journal is the Francis de Sales Scientific Society.

Information about the publisher, editorial team, scientific board, and editorial contact details is publicly available on the journal’s website.

Editorial decisions are made independently of any institutional, financial, personal, or organisational influence.

18. Advertising and Marketing

The journal does not engage in misleading marketing practices.

No advertisements are currently published.

If introduced in the future, they will not influence editorial decisions.