Publication Ethics
Plan
Haut de pageThe journal Football(s). Histoire, culture, économie, société is published by Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté and supported by the Centre Lucien Febvre (UR 2273). Football(s) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal that brings together historians, anthropologists, economists, geographers, sociologists and literary scholars. It takes a multidisciplinary approach to the past and present of different forms of football (football, rugby, Gaelic football, etc.). It aims to report on the latest research devoted to these games. Although published in an academic setting, the journal also targets an informed audience through its aesthetic layout and concise, accessible articles.
The publication and reading of the journal in HTML format (Freemium programme) are free of charge and all content is licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
The statement of ethics and good practice of the journal Football(s). Histoire, culture, économie, société publication ethics and malpractice statement has been written in accordance with COPE general guidelines.
Publication decisions
The editor(s) of the Footballs are responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor(s) are guided in reaching their decision reviewers’ reports and may confer with reviewers and/or editorial board members in making this decision. They are also guided by the journal’s policies and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism.
It is the editors’ responsibilities to provide guidance to guest editors, authors, and reviewers about the peer-review processes and more generally about the expectations of the journal.
Fair play
All manuscripts will be reviewed based on intellectual content without regard for age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, country of origin, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
All manuscripts submitted for peer-review are kept strictly confidential. The editors 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 advisers, as appropriate. At no time will editors or reviewers utilize submitted materials without the consent of the authors.
Fundamental errors in published works
When a significant error or inaccuracy has been discovered in a published work (with or without the author notifying it), the journal editors will cooperate with the author to retract or correct the paper accordingly. If a correction is deemed appropriate, the editors reserve the right to correct the published material and include a dated erratum.
Complaints
It is the responsibilities of the editors to take reasonable responsive measures when ethical complaints are presented concerning a submitted or published manuscript. In cases of suspected misconduct, the editors consult with the Editorial Board and follow the COPE flowcharts, available online.
Editorial Board members’ responsibilities
Editorial board members undertake to regularly review submitted manuscripts, based on their area of expertise. Editorial board members also participate in soliciting manuscripts and identifying potential contributors, and strive to increase the visibility of Football(s) within their networks and institutions.
Editorial board members are required to respond appropriately if ethical complaints are brought to their attention concerning a submitted or published manuscript, and in cases of suspected misconduct, the editorial board follows the recommendations of COPE (see above).
Responsibilities of guest editors
Guest editors responsible for a special issue are responsible for:
-
defining the topic and role of each article in a thematic issue;
-
providing clear guidelines to authors regarding the topic and scope of their contributions and the overall design of the issue;
-
establishing a timetable for the submission of draft articles, revision and submission of the final article in consultation with the journal's editors, and ensuring that all deadlines are met;
-
submission with the journal editors, and ensuring that all deadlines are met;
-
writing the Introduction to the special issue.
Duties of authors
Multiple, or concurrent publication
Authors must guarantee that submitted manuscripts have not been published elsewhere, are not currently under review elsewhere, and have been submitted with the full knowledge of their institutional home. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.
Originality and plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Any manuscripts that do not meet originality requirements will be rejected without peer-review. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Acknowledgement of sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Copyright
Necessary permission must be obtained by the authors for the reproduction of any illustration or other material already published. Authors should ensure they hold the copyright to whatever image, pictures, text or material they reproduce in their articles. Football(s) will not be liable for any copyright breaches.
Authorship of the paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Fundamental errors in published works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editors and cooperate with them to retract or correct the paper.
Copyright
During the submission process the authors are asked to agree to the terms of the Creative Commons BY 4.0 International License Copyright Notice, which will apply to the submission if and when it is published by this journal.
Duties of Reviewers
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editors and excuse her/himself from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editors.
Standards of objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgement of sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editors’ attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and conflict of interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer-review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.




