Policies
Transparent standards for ethical publishing.
Publishing ethics
Caravel Press is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in academic publishing. Ethical practices ensure that the scholarly record remains trustworthy, transparent, and respected. All parties involved in the publishing process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, share responsibility for maintaining these standards.
Duties of the publisher
- Safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record.
- Support editors and reviewers in maintaining ethical standards.
- Ensure policies and processes are fair, transparent, and free from commercial influence.
Duties of editors
- Make publication decisions based solely on the quality, originality, and relevance of the work.
- Ensure a fair, unbiased, and timely peer review process.
- Treat all authors with respect, without discrimination or bias.
- Maintain confidentiality of submitted materials.
- Address ethical concerns, including plagiarism, conflicts of interest, or misconduct, promptly and responsibly.
Duties of reviewers
- Provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback to authors.
- Maintain confidentiality of all manuscripts under review.
- Declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves where appropriate.
- Refrain from using unpublished material for personal advantage.
Duties of authors
- Submit original, accurate, and properly referenced work.
- Acknowledge the contributions of others appropriately.
- Disclose any conflicts of interest or funding sources.
- Avoid plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication.
- Cooperate with editors in correcting errors or retracting work if necessary.
References
Our policies are guided by best practices from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Peer review process
Peer review is central to Caravel Press’s commitment to publishing high-quality, trustworthy scholarship. Our process is designed to be rigorous, fair, and transparent, ensuring that all published work meets the highest academic standards.
Duties of authors
- All manuscripts undergo external peer review by qualified experts in the relevant field.
- Reviews are conducted confidentially, and identities of reviewers are not disclosed to authors unless both parties agree (single-anonymized review model).
- Each submission is evaluated by at least two reviewers.
Role of editors
- Editors select appropriate reviewers based on expertise and impartiality.
- Editorial decisions are based on reviewer feedback, originality, methodological rigor, and the relevance of the work.
- Editors may request revisions before making a final decision.
Role of reviewers
- Reviewers provide objective, constructive, and timely feedback.
- Reviews must address the strengths, weaknesses, and significance of the manuscript.
- Reviewers are expected to declare conflicts of interest and decline assignments where impartiality may be compromised.
Role of authors
- Authors are expected to respond to reviewer comments respectfully and thoroughly.
- Revised manuscripts undergo further review when necessary to ensure quality and accuracy.
Outcomes
- Decisions may include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection.
- The editorial team makes the final decision, guided but not bound by reviewer recommendations.
Peer Review Standards and Transparency
Caravel Press journals use the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), ensuring that each stage of the review process is securely managed and properly recorded. All peer review activity follows the ethical standards outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Records of reviews and editorial decisions are permanently stored in our system to maintain transparency and accountability.
We use a single blind peer review model, where reviewers remain anonymous but authors’ identities are visible to them. This approach helps ensure fairness, encourages constructive feedback, and maintains the integrity of the editorial process across all our journals.
Licensing
All Caravel Press content is published under open licenses from Creative Commons. We support CC BY as the standard for true open access in books and journals, and CC0 for open research data.
We are proud signatories of the Budapest Open Access Initiative, which calls for the free and unrestricted sharing of research to advance global knowledge.
We also endorse the Panton Principles, affirming that open data is essential for scientific progress and public benefit.
Correction & retraction
Caravel Press is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. When errors or ethical concerns are identified in published content, we investigate promptly and transparently to correct the literature.
Corrections
- Minor errors that do not affect the overall findings or conclusions (e.g., typographical errors, metadata issues, author name corrections) are addressed through a published correction notice.
- Corrections are clearly linked to the original article and remain freely accessible.
Retractions
- Retractions are issued when major issues invalidate the integrity of a work, including plagiarism, data fabrication, ethical violations, or significant errors that alter conclusions.
- Retracted articles remain available online but are clearly marked as “Retracted” to preserve the scholarly record.
- A retraction notice explains the reasons for the decision.
Expressions of Concern
- In cases where investigations are ongoing or inconclusive, an Expression of Concern may be published to alert readers to potential issues.
Author & editor responsibilities
- Authors are expected to notify the publisher promptly if they discover an error in their published work.
- Editors are responsible for initiating correction, retraction, or concern procedures in line with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines.
Editorial independence
Caravel Press upholds the principle of editorial independence as a cornerstone of scholarly publishing. Editorial decisions are based solely on academic merit, relevance, and the quality of the work, and are never influenced by commercial, institutional, or political considerations.
Editorial decision-making
- Editors have full authority over the content selected for publication.
- Decisions to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript are made independently, guided by peer review and the editor’s judgment.
- Business considerations, including advertising or sponsorship, do not affect editorial outcomes.
Conflicts of interest
- Editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise impartiality.
- Editors will not handle manuscripts where they have personal, professional, or financial interests.
Publisher’s role
- The publisher supports editors in maintaining independence and integrity but does not interfere with editorial decisions.
- The publisher’s responsibility is to ensure policies and processes protect the editorial decision-making process from undue influence.
Indexing
Caravel Press ensures that all published content is indexed and easily discoverable across major academic databases. Each article is assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) through Crossref and is included in the Initiative for Open Citations, allowing transparent citation tracking within the scholarly community.
Metadata is openly available via OAI-PMH for harvesting by indexing services, and journals are registered with open archives to maximise visibility. Our publications are indexed in services such as Google Scholar, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), PubMed Central, and Europe PMC. Books are also disseminated through OAPEN.
International indexing services
- Google Scholar
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
- Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
- PubMed Central / Europe PMC
- OAPEN (for open access books)
- Scopus
- Ei Compendex (Engineering Index)
- Web of Science (SCI, SCIE, Emerging Sources Citation Index and others)
- Dimensions
- EBSCOhost
- ProQuest
- OpenAIRE
- Semantic Scholar
- BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine)
- Zenodo
- ROAD (Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources)
Our editorial team actively works to expand indexing coverage and ensure all journals meet the inclusion criteria of major databases and subject repositories, supporting greater recognition and impact for our authors’ work.
Digital archiving & preservation
Caravel Press is committed to the long-term availability and integrity of all published content. We ensure that scholarly works remain permanently accessible, regardless of future changes in technology or organizational structure.
Archiving practices
- All published content is stored in secure digital repositories.
- Metadata and file formats follow widely accepted standards to support long-term preservation.
- Regular backups are maintained to prevent data loss.
Preservation strategy
- Articles remain accessible even if a journal ceases publication.
- Where possible, partnerships with trusted archiving services (e.g., institutional repositories, preservation networks) are established to safeguard content.
- Digital object identifiers (DOIs) are assigned to all articles to provide persistent links.
Commitment to accessibility
- Archived content remains freely available in line with our open access policy.
- Preservation efforts prioritize accessibility for researchers, institutions, and the wider community.
Privacy & accessibility
Caravel Press respects the privacy of authors, reviewers, and readers, and is committed to making our publications accessible to all users.
Privacy
- Personal information is collected only as necessary for submission, review, and publication processes.
- Data is stored securely and is never shared with third parties without consent.
- Users may request access to or correction of their personal information.
Accessibility
- Our platforms and publications are designed to be accessible to individuals with diverse abilities.
- We follow recognized accessibility standards to ensure content can be accessed and navigated effectively by all users.
- Feedback on accessibility issues is welcomed and will be addressed promptly.
Use of generative AI
Caravel Press supports responsible and transparent use of generative AI in academic publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors must use AI tools ethically, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of all content.
For authors
- AI tools may assist with writing, data analysis, or formatting, but authors remain fully responsible for the content of their work.
- The use of AI must be disclosed in the manuscript where it contributes substantially to text, figures, or data.
- AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
For reviewers
- Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and may not use AI tools to analyze manuscripts in a way that breaches the peer review process.
- Any use of AI in drafting reviewer reports must be responsible and fully ethical.
For editors
- Editors must ensure that AI use does not compromise the integrity of editorial decisions.
- AI may support administrative tasks, but editorial judgments and content evaluation remain the sole responsibility of human editors.
Commitment to integrity
- All users of AI are accountable for the accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance of published work.
- Misuse of AI that results in ethical violations may lead to corrections, retractions, or other appropriate actions.
Article Processing Charges (APCs) vary based on journal scope, article length, and production requirements. Fee structures are reviewed periodically and may be adjusted without prior notice. Caravel Press endeavours to maintain APCs at the lowest sustainable level through institutional and partner support. Publication timelines, including peer review duration and editorial processing, may vary across journals. Caravel Press does not guarantee specific review or publication dates. All content published by Caravel Press is made available under Creative Commons open access licenses. License terms vary by publication and are displayed on each article or book record. Metadata, Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), and citation data are supplied through Crossref to ensure reliable indexing and reference integrity. Caravel Press is not responsible for delays or errors arising from third-party indexing services.
Inclusion in external databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, or similar services is determined independently by those organizations. Caravel Press cannot guarantee indexing or impact metrics for any individual publication.
All policies, pricing, and publishing terms are subject to change to reflect updates in industry standards, technical infrastructure, or partner requirements. The latest information is published on the Caravel Press website.
Caravel Press reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any service at its sole discretion, in accordance with applicable laws and publishing best practices.
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