Revista Economică is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and quality. We take all possible measures to prevent publication malpractice and ensure integrity in scholarly publishing. The publication of an article in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential element in the development of a respected and coherent body of knowledge. It directly reflects the quality of the authors’ work and their supporting institutions. Peer-reviewed articles support and embody the scientific method. Therefore, it is vital to establish agreed standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the publishing process: authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers.

This statement is based on internationally recognized ethical guidelines, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Best Practice Guidelines and the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK) by Elsevier. Revista Economică adheres to these principles and encourages all contributors to maintain the highest ethical standards.

Duties of Editors

Accountability and Responsibility: The editor of a peer-reviewed journal is responsible for determining which submitted articles should be published and is accountable for everything published in the journal. In making decisions, the editor may consider the journal’s editorial policies and legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, and plagiarism. The editor may consult other editors or reviewers when making publication decisions.

Fairness and Confidentiality: Editors evaluate manuscripts based on their intellectual merit, regardless of the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy. The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisors, and the publisher as appropriate.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor’s own research without the explicit written consent of the author. Editors should ensure that advertising, reprints, or other commercial revenue do not influence editorial decisions. Editors should recuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any authors, companies, or institutions related to the submission.

Investigation and Integrity: Editors should take reasonable measures to respond to ethical complaints regarding a submitted or published manuscript. They should issue corrections, retractions, and apologies when necessary and pursue suspected or alleged misconduct.

Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions: Peer review assists editors in making editorial decisions and, through editorial communication with authors, helps improve manuscripts.

Promptness and Confidentiality: Reviewers who feel unqualified to review a manuscript or unable to provide a timely review should notify the editor. Reviewers must treat manuscripts as confidential documents and must not disclose or discuss them with others unless authorized by the editor.

Objectivity and Acknowledgment of Sources: Reviews should be conducted objectively, without personal criticism. Reviewers should provide clear and reasoned feedback. They should identify relevant published work not cited by the authors and report any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under review and other works they know.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must remain confidential and not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not evaluate manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any authors, companies, or institutions related to the submission.

Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards and Transparency: Authors should present an accurate and objective account of their research. Underlying data should be represented truthfully. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior. Authors are encouraged to make their raw data, analysis codes, and research materials available in a trusted repository for verification and replication.

Pre-registration of Studies: To enhance research credibility and reduce questionable research practices, authors are encouraged to pre-register their studies and analysis plans in a public registry before data collection. Pre-registration involves detailing hypotheses, methodologies, and analysis plans to ensure transparency and objectivity in scientific research.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication: Authors should not submit the same research manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Publishing the same research in multiple journals constitutes unethical behavior.

Acknowledgment of Sources and Authorship: Proper acknowledgment of other works must always be given. Authorship should be limited to those who made significant contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the study. All co-authors must approve the final manuscript and agree to its submission.

Publication of Replication Studies: Recognizing the importance of replication in validating scientific findings, the journal encourages and accepts manuscripts that replicate previous studies, whether the results are positive or negative. This commitment enhances the reliability and robustness of knowledge in economics.

Corrections and Retractions Policy: The journal has clear procedures for issuing corrections and retractions to address any inaccuracies or ethical concerns. This includes publishing errata, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary to maintain the integrity of the scientific literature.

Advertising and Sponsored Content Policy: To prevent conflicts of interest, the journal maintains a strict separation between editorial content and advertisements or sponsored supplements. Sponsored content will be clearly marked and no commercial influence on editorial decisions will be permitted.

Hazards and Ethical Considerations: If a study involves hazardous chemicals, procedures, or equipment, authors must clearly identify these risks in the manuscript.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest: All authors should disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. All sources of financial support should be disclosed.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works: If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly inform the journal editor or publisher and cooperate to correct or retract the paper.

Duties of the Publisher

In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, fraudulent publication, or plagiarism, the publisher, in close collaboration with the editors, will take appropriate measures to clarify the situation and amend the article in question. This includes publishing an erratum or, in severe cases, retracting the affected work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Scholarly Publishing

Revista Economica recognizes the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in scholarly publishing. While AI-based tools can assist in research, writing, and editorial processes, the following ethical guidelines must be adhered to:

• AI-generated content must not be submitted as an original manuscript. Any AI assistance in writing or data analysis must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript.
• AI tools cannot be credited as authors, as authorship implies accountability, which AI lacks.
• AI-generated text must be reviewed, verified, and appropriately referenced if used for data analysis, summaries, or manuscript preparation.
• Peer reviewers and editors should use AI-assisted tools responsibly and ensure their use does not compromise confidentiality, fairness, or intellectual rigor.

Revista Economica follows the latest COPE recommendations regarding AI use in publishing and encourages ethical AI practices to maintain the integrity of academic research.