Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The ethical norms aim to ensure the best practices in academic research and the free dissemination of scientific knowledge. They are addressed to all parties involved in the editorial process: authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers. Symbolon follows the COPE Code of Conduct.
Symbolon maintains full ethical oversight of all submitted and published content. The journal upholds the highest standards of research integrity and is committed to identifying, investigating, and resolving potential ethical issues at any stage of the publication process. Depending on the outcome, the journal may issue corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or notify the relevant institutions.

Authors' responsibility. Authors will declare unique or co-author authorship, that their manuscript is original except for citations, and the result of their research and writing, that it has not been published elsewhere, nor is it being submitted for evaluation or publication to another publication. The authors warrant that the manuscript does not contain libellous or unlawful claims, and that the text, illustrations, and any other materials included in the manuscript do not infringe any copyright or other rights of any person and are accurately cited.
Authors must disclose all sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest. They agree to revise the manuscript according to the requirements of the reviewers. If the author does not wish to comply with one or more of the reviewers' recommendations, the editor-in-chief decides whether or not to publish the manuscript.

Responsibility of the editorial board. The editorial team has to maintain confidentiality regarding the manuscript and its authors. The editors may not use unpublished information in their own research without the express written consent of the author. The editors will make corrections to the form or content only with the consent of the author.
The final decision to accept or reject a paper for publication rests with the editor-in-chief. In case of detection of any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, or significant ethical breach, the editor-in-chief may reject the manuscript or retract the published article. Ethical concerns raised post-publication will be investigated, and errata, corrections, or retractions will be issued as needed in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines.

Responsibility of evaluators. Reviewers are selected so that their specialization and experience correspond to the theme proposed by the author and avoid any conflict of interest. If necessary, the editor may ask for additional opinions from guest reviewers, external to the journal's scientific board, provided that they meet the same conditions regarding specialization and experience. The review system is double-blind. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, declare any competing interest, and provide objective, constructive feedback to help improve the manuscript. They are expected to report any deviation from ethical norms (plagiarism, data fabrication, etc.). Symbolon follows COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

Plagiarism. Symbolon is committed to ensuring the integrity of the scholarly record and upholding ethical standards in academic publishing. Plagiarism, in any form—including direct copying, paraphrasing without attribution, or presenting others' ideas, media, or creative works as one's own—is considered a serious violation of academic ethics.
Although the journal does not use automated plagiarism detection software at the submission stage, all authors are required to sign a Autorship Declaration and Copyright Agreement, accepting full responsibility for the originality of their work.
If plagiarism or self-plagiarism is discovered during review or after publication, Symbolon will follow the COPE guidelines (1, 2) to investigate and may take actions including rejection of the manuscript, retraction of the published article and notification of the authors’ institution or funding agency.
The editorial board reserves the right to request additional clarifications, documentation, or formal checks when there is reason to suspect plagiarism.

Complaints and Appeals. Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a written justification. The editorial board will review the case, and the editor-in-chief will issue a final decision. Complaints regarding editorial conduct, peer review, or publication ethics will be handled according to COPE flowcharts and procedures.

Conflicts of Interest. All authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential financial or personal conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity of the review or publication process. Where conflicts are identified, alternative reviewers or editors will be assigned.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility. In disciplines such as performance and drama studies, film and media, and music, research data may take diverse forms, including audio-visual recordings, scripts, scores, production notes, field documentation, or creative outputs. Where applicable, authors are encouraged to include a data availability statement describing how such materials can be accessed or consulted.
Authors should preserve documentation supporting their research (e.g. annotated scripts, rehearsal logs, video recordings, interview transcripts, or sound files) and, where possible, make it available for academic verification, subject to ethical, legal, and copyright considerations.
The journal supports transparency and scholarly reproducibility through the responsible sharing of materials, in line with adapted FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), recognizing that reproducibility in the arts and humanities often involves interpretive traceability rather than experimental replication.

Intellectual Property. Authors retain copyright of their work under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). They are responsible for obtaining permissions for third-party materials and for correctly crediting all borrowed content.

Post-Publication Corrections and Discussions. The journal may publish corrections, errata, or retractions where necessary. Readers and authors may contact the editorial board to raise concerns about published content. Requests for clarification or dialogue regarding a publication are welcome and may be published as letters or commentaries if relevant.