Ethical principles of the editorial board’s work
The journal’s editorial policy is based on international standards of publication ethics and the principles of responsible evaluation of scientific research. In its activities, the editorial board is guided by honesty, transparency, respect for copyright, and the assurance of high-quality scholarly content.
Ethical principles of the editor and publisher
Editors make publication decisions based on the scientific significance, reliability, and quality of the submitted manuscripts. The evaluation of manuscript content is conducted impartially, without regard to the personal characteristics or beliefs of the authors.
The editorial board guarantees the confidentiality of information obtained from manuscripts and does not permit its use for personal gain. Materials that show signs of academic misconduct or copyright infringement are not accepted for publication. In the event of disputes, the editorial board ensures their objective consideration and takes measures to protect the rights of all parties involved.
Ethical principles of the reviewer
Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality and must not disclose manuscripts to third parties. The evaluation should be professional, well-argued, and focused on the content of the research rather than the author’s identity.
A reviewer must not use data from the manuscript for personal gain. In the case of insufficient expertise or a conflict of interest, the reviewer is obliged to decline the review.
Ethical principles of the author
Authors are required to submit original and reliable research results and to properly cite all sources used. Violations of academic integrity, including plagiarism or data falsification, are unacceptable.
The submission of a manuscript that is simultaneously under consideration in another journal is prohibited. All co-authors must be properly acknowledged in accordance with their actual contribution. In the event that errors are identified, the authors are obliged to promptly inform the editorial office.
Adherence to the principles of DORA (Declaration on Research Assessment)
The ethical principles guiding the work of the editorial board are based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as the principles of DORA. The editorial board supports modern approaches to research evaluation, focusing on the content of the study, its originality, methodological quality, and significance for science. Journal metrics are not used as the primary criterion for assessment.
The journal recognizes various forms of scientific contribution, encourages data openness, and promotes the responsible use of scientometric indicators.
Conflict of Interest Policy
The editorial board requires authors, reviewers, and editors to disclose any circumstances that may influence the objectivity of the evaluation or editorial decisions. In the event of a conflict of interest being identified, the relevant individual is excluded from the process, and the manuscript is assigned to independent experts for review.
Submission of materials by members of the editorial board
Manuscripts prepared by editors or members of the editorial board undergo independent editorial processing and the standard double-blind peer review procedure. Authors do not take part in decisions regarding their own submissions. The publication of such articles is possible only upon full compliance with the established procedures.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy
The journal supports the use of artificial intelligence tools but requires transparency and responsibility. Authors must clearly indicate which parts of the work involved the use of AI. Materials generated exclusively by AI without substantial author contribution are not accepted.
The editorial board may use artificial intelligence for technical support; however, final decisions are made by editors and reviewers. The use of AI must not violate copyright or the principles of academic integrity.
Ethical Approval of Research
Research involving human participants, animals, or the use of personal data must comply with applicable legislation and international ethical standards. Authors are required to provide confirmation of the necessary approvals and compliance with requirements regarding informed consent, confidentiality, and the protection and safety of participants.
The editorial board may request additional documentation or refuse publication if the submitted materials do not comply with ethical standards.
Article Retraction Policy
Retraction is applied in cases of serious violations, such as plagiarism, data falsification, duplicate publication, or significant errors that affect the reliability of the results. The decision is made after a thorough analysis of the situation and with the involvement of independent experts.
In the event of retraction, an official notice is published indicating the reasons. The article remains in the archive but is clearly marked as retracted, ensuring transparency and the preservation of the scholarly record.
Open Access Policy, Copyright, and Licensing Policy
Public Law follows an Open Access policy. All articles are made permanently and freely available immediately upon publication of each issue. Full-text, real-time access to the journal’s scholarly articles is provided on the official journal website.
The journal supports Open Science policy, which allows any individual to:
read, download, copy, distribute, and print articles;
cite or reference the full text of an article;
use the materials in their own research, educational, or commercial activities, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original work.
Authors retain full copyright in their articles and are entitled to deposit the final published version or the accepted manuscript in any institutional or subject repository without restrictions.
This is consistent with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of open access. The journal’s licensing policy is compatible with the majority of open access and manuscript archiving policies.
Archiving and Long-Term Preservation Policy in Open Access
Each published work is assigned a unique DOI, and its full metadata is deposited in the Crossref registry, ensuring proper citation, version traceability, and automatic notification of indexing services regarding any changes in publication status (such as corrections, clarifications, or retractions) in accordance with COPE guidelines and the principles of transparency endorsed by COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME. For post-publication updates, the journal applies Crossref/CrossMark mechanisms or other technically equivalent solutions. Long-term accessibility is ensured through participation in archival networks such as the PKP Preservation Network / LOCKSS or their functional equivalents (CLOCKSS, Portico), as well as through internal procedures for backup, format migration, and access recovery. The policy is aligned with EU Open Science standards (OpenAIRE/Plan S) and the FAIR principles for metadata and identifiers. Publications are available on the journal’s website without embargo; metadata are openly distributed via repository-compatible protocols (including OAI-PMH) and include persistent identifiers for authors (ORCID) and funding information. This ensures interoperability, indexing, and the long-term preservation of scholarly output in line with European best practices.
The journal guarantees the stability and integrity of the scholarly record, adhering to European Open Science frameworks (OpenAIRE/Plan S), transparency principles (COPE/DOAJ/OASPA/WAME), and FAIR requirements for metadata and identifiers. Standardized procedures for backup, technological risk monitoring, and planned format migration are implemented to prevent loss of accessibility due to software obsolescence. Each article is assigned a DOI, with the full set of metadata deposited in Crossref, ensuring reliable citation, interoperability with external systems, and automatic notification of indexing services about post-publication changes (such as corrections, additions, or retractions). For long-term preservation, the journal is integrated into archiving networks such as the PKP Preservation Network / LOCKSS or their functional equivalents (CLOCKSS, Portico), and maintains procedures for access recovery in the event of incidents. Metadata are distributed via compatible protocols (e.g., OAI-PMH) and include persistent identifiers for authors (ORCID) and funding information, in accordance with the requirements of European repository ecosystems.
