Proceedings of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Publication policy

Proceedings of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is a peer-reviewed, diamond open access scholarly serial. No article processing or publication fees are charged to authors, and all content is made freely and permanently available online to readers worldwide. The editorial board is committed to promoting the open dissemination and broad accessibility of scholarly knowledge, while upholding the highest standards of academic quality.

Publication Ethics

The journal adheres to the guidelines and principles of ethical publishing established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), as well as to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania and other applicable national legislation, and to recognised best practices in academic publishing. These standards apply to all participants in the publication process, including editors, authors, and reviewers. In addressing potential cases of misconduct, the journal follows the COPE flowcharts.

Author Ethics

Authors must ensure that:

submitted manuscripts constitute original work and do not infringe upon any intellectual property rights or other rights of third parties;
manuscripts are free from plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, and that the authors’ own publications do not predominate the list of references;
manuscripts have not been submitted for publication elsewhere;
all sources are properly and accurately cited, and the work and findings of other authors relevant to the research are duly acknowledged; only sources cited in the text are included in the reference list, and inappropriate self-citation is avoided;
all sources of research funding and financial support are fully disclosed;
redundant or duplicate publication is avoided, including the reuse of previously published research results with only minor modifications, additions, or rephrasing.

Reviewer Ethics

Reviewers undertake to:

provide professional, objective, and constructive reviews within the agreed timeframe;
maintain confidentiality;
declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest;
inform the responsible editor if they suspect any breach of ethical standards by the author.

Editorial Ethics

Editors of the publication ensure that:

decisions are made objectively, impartially, and fairly, based on the scholarly merit and suitability of the submitted manuscript;
the peer-review process, including the identity of reviewers, is kept confidential;
established policies and requirements are upheld for members of the editorial board, authors, and reviewers;
each issue is published in a timely manner and in accordance with the journal’s stated publication schedule.

Personal Data Protection

Personal and contact data provided to the journal are used solely for the purposes of publication and dissemination. Such data will not be made publicly available or shared with third parties, except where required by applicable law.

Copyright

Copyright is governed by the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania. Authors retain all economic copyright and related rights to their work.

By submitting a manuscript, authors agree to the terms of the Creative Commons licence under which the published article will be made available.

Publications of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0). This licence permits users to copy, distribute, and create derivative works based on the article, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author and to the original publication in the journal.

Copyright Provisions

By submitting a manuscript, the author confirms that they are authorised by all co-authors and, on their own behalf and on behalf of the co-authors, warrants that:
- they have the right to enter into this agreement and to grant the rights specified herein to the publisher, without breaching any other obligations;
- the article is original and does not infringe the copyright or any other rights of third parties;
- the article has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another publisher;
- the article does not contain unlawful content, misinformation, or data whose disclosure would violate obligations of confidentiality or secrecy.
Submitted manuscripts must meet the requirements for scholarly publications and be prepared in accordance with the journal’s guidelines for authors regarding structure, citation, references, abstracts, and other elements (see Instructions for Authors).
Scholarly articles are published in the journal, in both print and electronic formats, free of charge. Authors do not receive any remuneration for their contributions.
Economic copyright in articles published in the journal is held jointly by the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and the authors, for an unlimited period and across all territories.
In the event of the discontinuation or suspension of the journal, the electronic archive published up to that point will continue to be preserved and remain freely accessible online.

Authorship and Artificial Intelligence Tools

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences endorses and follows the position of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and scholarly publishing:

“AI tools cannot meet the requirements for authorship as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work. As non-legal entities, they cannot assert the presence or absence of conflicts of interest nor manage copyright or license agreements. Authors who use AI tools in the writing of a manuscript, production of images or graphical elements of the paper, or in the collection and analysis of data, must be transparent in disclosing in the Materials and Methods (or similar section) of the paper how the AI tool was used and which tool was used. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, even those parts produced by an AI tool, and are thus liable for any breach of publication ethics.”

COPE Position Statement, 13 February 2023:
https://publicationethics.org/cope-position-statements/ai-author

As with all material submitted to the journal, the author(s) must ensure that they have obtained permission to use any third-party content included in the submission, including content generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

Similarity Checking Policy

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to upholding high standards of academic integrity and originality in all published articles. To this end, prior to peer review, all submitted manuscripts are screened by the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, using advanced plagiarism detection tools.

Similarity Checking Process

All submitted manuscripts are checked using the iThenticate plagiarism detection software.
A similarity report is generated for each manuscript, indicating the percentage of overlap and identifying the sources of matching text.
The report is reviewed by the journal’s editors, who assess the nature and extent of any detected similarities.

Assessment of Similarity

A similarity level of up to 10% is generally considered acceptable, provided that overlaps are not concentrated within a single paragraph or section. Manuscripts with <10% similarity and appropriately cited sources are accepted for further peer review.
A similarity level of 10–20% requires closer examination to determine whether overlaps are properly cited. Manuscripts with 10–20% potentially problematic similarity are returned to the authors for revision.
A similarity level of 20% or higher raises serious concern and may indicate plagiarism, unless the majority of overlapping content is properly cited. Manuscripts containing >20% improperly cited text may be rejected outright.
The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences accepts manuscripts that have previously been deposited in non-profit preprint repositories. Authors must inform the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences of any preprint versions related to the submitted manuscript.
Overlaps with preprints are not considered problematic if it can be clearly identified that the overlap is with the same work previously published as a preprint (by the same author or co-authors).
Authors whose manuscripts are rejected on the grounds of plagiarism will be informed and given the opportunity to appeal the decision.
The serial’s editors reserve the right to check any manuscript for similarity or plagiarism at any stage, before or after publication. In cases of plagiarism identified after publication, authors may be subject to sanctions, including a ban on future submissions.

Data Sharing and Reproducibility

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to promoting open science and the principles of reproducibility, ensuring transparency throughout the research process. It seeks to ensure that published research is reliable, transparent, and reproducible. Authors are required to indicate where the data underlying their research can be accessed or to provide a justified reason why the data cannot be shared.
Authors are encouraged to provide a clear and detailed description of their research methodology and analysis to enable other researchers to reproduce their results.
The use of open-source software and openly accessible programming languages is recommended in order to promote transparency and facilitate reproducibility.

Allegations of Research Misconduct

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to maintaining high standards of research and publication integrity and therefore treats all allegations of research misconduct with the utmost seriousness. This policy covers all aspects of research ethics, including, but not limited to, plagiarism, data falsification, and other breaches of academic integrity. In cases of suspected misconduct, the editorial board follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Reporting Allegations

Any individual (author, reviewer, reader, or other interested party) may raise concerns regarding potential research misconduct in a manuscript submitted to or published in the journal.
Allegations must be submitted in writing, including by email, to the responsible editor and should be supported by sufficient evidence to enable an investigation.
The journal’s editors assess the submitted allegations and, where they appear credible, initiate an investigation.
To ensure an objective evaluation, the editorial board may consult independent experts.
In order to protect the privacy and reputation of all parties involved, the editorial board maintains strict confidentiality throughout the process.

Assessment of Allegations

The editorial board appoints an independent panel to conduct an impartial investigation and to provide recommendations for further action.
Authors and other relevant parties are expected to cooperate fully during the investigation and to provide all necessary information and documentation.
Following the investigation, the editorial board determines the appropriate course of action, which may include:
- dismissal of the allegations where they are not substantiated;
- recommendations for corrections or other measures in cases of minor breaches;
- in cases of serious misconduct, retraction of the article and/or sanctions against the author(s).

The editorial board informs all relevant parties of the outcome of the investigation and any actions taken, while maintaining confidentiality requirements.

Complaints and Appeals Policy

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to ensuring a fair and transparent peer-review process. It values constructive feedback and actively addresses any issues that may arise. The editorial board is prepared to respond to authors’ inquiries and to consider submitted complaints.

Submission of Complaints

Authors who have concerns regarding the peer-review process, editorial decisions, or other publication-related matters may submit a formal complaint to the editorial board.
Complaints must be submitted in writing to the responsible editor within 30 days of receipt of the official decision.
The complaint must clearly state the grounds for the appeal and be supported by relevant arguments and evidence demonstrating why the author considers the decision to be unjustified.
Authors should provide any additional documentation that may assist in the evaluation of the complaint.
Receipt of the complaint will be acknowledged in writing by the editorial board within 7 working days.

Handling of Complaints

Complaints are handled confidentially in order to protect the privacy of all parties involved.
Each complaint is assessed by at least two members of the editorial board within 14 working days.
The editorial board may request additional information from the author or other relevant parties.
A decision on the complaint is made within 30 days of its receipt.
The author is informed of the decision in writing, with a detailed explanation of the reasons.
The editorial board is committed to addressing complaints fairly and in a timely manner.
Where a complaint is justified, the editorial board will take corrective action without delay.

Appeals

If the author disagrees with the decision, they have the right to submit an appeal within 30 days.
A reasoned appeal must be submitted in writing, including by email, to the responsible editor.
Appeals are considered by an independent appeals committee composed of at least three members of the journal’s editorial board.
The decision of the appeals committee is final and not subject to further appeal.

These procedures ensure that complaints and appeals are handled professionally, impartially, and in a timely manner. The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to resolving all issues raised by authors and to ensuring a transparent and fair publication process.

Corrections and Retraction Policy

If errors or breaches of publication ethics are identified after publication:

A correction may be issued as a separate notice in the next issue of the journal and/or on the journal’s website, indicating the bibliographic details of the article concerned, a description of the error, and the corrected text. Where possible, the electronic version of the article is updated, and a clear notice is provided on the article’s webpage indicating that a correction has been made, together with a link to the correction notice.
In cases of serious misconduct, the article may be retracted.
Retractions are announced publicly while preserving the bibliographic record of the publication. The article is clearly marked as retracted, and a link to the retraction notice is provided.

The decision to retract an article is taken by the editorial board in consultation with subject experts and, where appropriate, with the author(s) or relevant institutions.

Archiving

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is committed to preserving the published content of the journal. The digital preservation of published material ensures long-term access to content in electronic formats.

Long-Term Preservation Policy

All electronic content of the journal is stored on multiple servers. Content hosted on one of the Library’s servers is accessible to readers, while a backup copy is maintained on a separate server. In the event of server failure, the content can be restored from the backup within 24 hours.
Authors may also deposit their published articles in an institutional repository.
In the event that the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences is forced to discontinue publication due to unforeseen circumstances, all published articles will remain archived online and accessible to readers for at least ten years.