Publishing Policies |

Open Access Policy

This is an open access journal which means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.

Author's Agreement of Publication

LUMEN requires the author as the rights holder to sign an Agreement of Publication for all articles we publish. Author’s Agreement of Publication is a licence agreement under which the author retains copyright in the work, but grants LUMEN the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than LUMEN. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society.

A further re-publication entirely or partially, including in derivative works, could be possible only with the mention of the first publication in LUMEN Journals/Proceedings. Republish without the mention of first publication could be considered a licence agreement violation or/and self-plagiarism.

What could be useful for author to understand?

  • Why does LUMEN require an exclusive license agreement?

We do our best to bring each author’s contribution to the widest possible readership. An exclusive license helps us ensure adequate protection against infringement of copyright protected material through breach of copyright or piracy anywhere in the world. The exclusive license agreement also ensures that requests by third parties to reprint or reproduce a contribution, or part of it in any format, are handled efficiently in accordance with general policy. This practice will further encourage dissemination of knowledge inside the framework of copyright.

  • When do I need to submit my signed Author’s Agreement of Publication?

Each author will receive a contributor Agreement of Publication upon acceptance of his/her article which should be signed and returned as soon as possible to prevent any delays in the production process for the article. Without the signed form we will be unable to publish the article.

Geographical diversity on scheduling & publication policy

LUMEN editorial and ethics policies aim at respecting the researchers' fairness in accessing our journal, by allowing the paper submission to as many researchers as possible, from diverse regions of the world, whose research main interests are related to topic of the journal:

  • Geographical diversity of the researchers affiliated to research institutes/ research and educational centres/ universities etc.  - aims at giving the opportunity to as many researchers as possible from diverse regions of the world, to submit and publish their research results with our journal. Moreover, in accordance with Web of Science principles, the authors must have affiliations, geographic diversity, and publication records that validate their participation in the scholarly community associated with the stated scope of the journal. (Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics).
  • The articles’ scheduling generally takes into account the date of the article’s final acceptance, but due to the needs of geographical diversity and the nominal diversity of the authors, the scheduling of articles in each issue will be performed by the editor in charge, respecting our editorial policies, and considering the international standards for publication.
  • At the moment of acceptance, we cannot specify exactly when the article will appear, but LUMEN ensures to respect the Manuscript Procedure Time declared.
  • For editorial reasons, authors who have been actively involved in the activity of LUMEN association - participation in conferences, publications in several journals, including those that the publishing house wants to develop - will have priority, only in accordance with the editorial criteria mentioned above.

Corrections & Good for Publishing Policies

Good for Publishing Policy

We do our best for the articles already accepted for publication to be published in a most accurate, complete and citable version. Therefore, prior publication we invite each author of the ready to be published article to last check and revise its last edited version of the article. Each author receives a final edited version of the article and is invited to confirm "Good for Publishing" to the editor in charge, only after he/she double checked all the content and format of the PDF material:  title of the article, authorship, contact for each author, abstract, keywords, article's body - contents, images, figures, tables, acknowledgments - if the case, references chapter, citations in the text. This last check with the author/s ensures a ready to be published version and the article will be published and ready for further indexing by the international data bases. Once the article is confirmed by the authors and is a "Good for publishing" version, no modifications are allowed. 

Corrections prior to the Good for Publishing Version

Because articles can be read and cited as soon as they are published any changes thereafter could potentially impact those who read and cited the earlier version. LUMEN provides authors with an opportunity to review article proofs prior to publication with the express goal of ensuring accuracy of the content. Publishing an erratum or corrigendum increases the likelihood readers will find out about the change and also explains the specifics of the change.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests Policy

Though this policy our journal requires a conflict-of-interest statement or conflict of interest disclosure from any submitting or publishing author.

In accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) statement, “conflicts of interest comprise those which may not be fully apparent and which may influence the judgment of author, reviewers, and editors. They have been described as those which, when revealed later, would make a reasonable reader feel misled or deceived. They may be personal, commercial, political, academic or financial. “Financial” interests may include employment, research funding, stock or share ownership, payment for lectures or travel, consultancies and company support for staff” (COPE, 2017)

As many scholars, researchers and professionals may have potential conflicts of interest, that could have an effect on their research, LUMEN journals require a formal declaration of conflicting interests enabling a statement to be carried within the paginated published article.

Manuscripts will be evaluated fairly and will not necessarily be rejected when any competing interests are declared.

Here are some examples of conflicts of interest:

Having received fees for consulting.

Having received research funding.

Having been employed by a related company.

Holding stocks or shares in a company which might be affected by the publication of your paper.

Having received funds reimbursing you for attending a related symposium, or talk. (Note: it is not expected that details of financial arrangements be disclosed when a competing interest is declared.)

Any other interests which the reasonable reader might feel has affected the research author may also wish to declare them.

Author obligations regarding conflicting interests

Prior submission, author will be asked to certify that:

All forms of financial support, including pharmaceutical company support (if the case), are acknowledged in the author’s contribution.

Any commercial or financial involvements that might present an appearance of a conflict of interest related to the contribution are disclosed in a covering letter accompanying the contribution and all such potential conflicts of interest will be discussed with the Editor as to whether disclosure of this information with the published contribution is to be made in the journal.

That you have not signed an agreement with any sponsor of the research reported in the contribution that prevents you from publishing both positive and negative results or that forbids you from publishing this research without the prior approval of the sponsor.

That you have checked the manuscript submission guidelines to see whether the journal requires a Declaration of Conflicting Interests and have complied with the requirements specified where such a policy exists.

Prior Publication Policy

Submission to a LUMEN journal

LUMEN follows the COPE Guidelines in addressing potential Redundant (Duplicate) Publication. https://publicationethics.org/files/duplicate-publication-submitted-manuscript-cope-flowchart.pdf

In order to avoid the need for corrective action after publication, author is kindly asked to disclose any prior publication or distribution of his/her manuscript to the Editor when submitting his/her manuscript to the journal. It is very important to ensure appropriate attribution to his/her prior publication of the material is included in the manuscript and that any quoted materials are identified as quotes so that readers of his/her article may reference the original work.

LUMEN journals accept only original contribution for publication and must not have been submitted to any other publication. If a substantial portion of your manuscript has been previously published, it means your manuscript will generally not be acceptable for publication in a LUMEN journal. In specific cases, in accordance with each journal’s policy, there are certain circumstances where material that has been publicly distributed may be considered for publication. Here are some examples of prior distribution that may be acceptable:

  • Working papers or versions of the paper posted on a preprint server or a scholarly collaboration network (SCN)

While LUMEN generally supports the early dissemination of research through preprints (the pre-peer review version of the paper, also referenced as a “working paper”), including ResearchGate and Academia.edu, some journals will not consider submissions that have been shared as a preprint prior to submission.

  • Most dissertations and theses posted in institutional archives

Excerpts or material from your dissertation that have not been through peer review will generally be eligible for publication. However, if the excerpt from the dissertation included in your manuscript is the same or substantially the same as any previously published work, the editor may determine that it is not suitable for publication in the journal.

  • Conference abstracts, posters and presentations

Specific manuscripts based on papers that have been presented at conferences may be considered for publication, as long as they have not been published and provided that you still retain the rights to the manuscript.

In this case the editor in charge may review whether the version of the article considered for publication is materially different from the work the author presented at a conference and/or whether publication in the journal will enable the article to reach an audience that the conference paper did not previously reach.

Prior publication of an abstract or poster presented at a conference will generally not impact the manuscript's eligibility for publication.

NOTA BENE | What author/s should know! LUMEN journals use a double-blind peer review process and that by posting their article on a preprint server or on a scholarly collaboration network such as ResearchGate, their article and the author list may be discovered by reviewers.

After submission to a LUMEN journal

After submission to the journal, the author will be asked to refrain from posting updated versions of his/her paper until a publication decision is made. Upon acceptance of your paper to a LUMEN journal, you may post your article in accordance with the terms applicable to the journal.

The final published version of the article (the formatted PDF) should not be used when posting a paper on any open/unrestricted website, including preprint servers, author's own website, subject repositories, or any other scholarly collaboration networks (SCNs) or article-sharing networks (such as ResearchGate or Academia.edu), unless a license allowing such posting is in place.

Complaints and Appeals Policy

Appealing the Editorial Decision

LUMEN trusts in its editors and entitles them for a transparent and ethical activity. Editors of LUMEN journals have broad discretion in determining whether a submission is an appropriate fit for their journal. In many cases, submissions are declined administratively, without external review with a very general statement of the rejection decision. These decisions are not eligible for formal appeal.

In cases where the author believes the decision to reject the submission was not in accordance with journal policy and procedures, the author may appeal the decision by providing the Editor with a detailed point by point response to reviewer and editor comments. Further, the Editor will review the peer review process undertaken for the submission. The editor fulfils the role of advocate, therefore after the analysis is made, if the decision was made in line with editorial criteria, the editor’s decision to reject is final.

If the author is dissatisfied with the way the Editor has handled their appeal, they may contact LUMEN at redactia@edituralumen.net

Appealing Corrective Action taken Post Publication

Where a published article raises concerns, the editor in charge, following the guidance published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including COPE’s retraction guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/files/cope-retraction-guidelines-v2.pdf ) and in consultation with LUMEN, will establish whether a published article needs to be retracted or that other corrective action or notification needs to be made to the published article.

General Concerns or Complaints

Anybody wishing to raise a concern or make a complaint about any aspect of being published in a LUMEN journal, or working with LUMEN may email redactia@edituralumen.net

How LUMEN handle Complaints and Appeals

LUMEN will follow the below principles when analysing complaints and appeals:

Principle of Fairness: all parties involved in a complaint will be approached fairly and we will do our best for the bias in process or outcome to be avoided. Furthermore, the conflicts of interest will be avoided.

Principle of Confidentiality: LUMEN will respect the GDPR regulations, and disclose only the information necessary to resolve a complaint.

Principle of Clarity and Transparency: LUMEN will bring clarity and transparency in all its communication, considering the needs of those we are communicating with and providing with transparent information on request.

Principle of Responsiveness: LUMEN will do its best to bring solutions to complaints as fast as possible. 

Timing & Process

LUMEN will acknowledge receipt of an email sent to redactia@edituralumen.net within at most 10 business days. A representative of LUMEN Research & Publication Ethics Committee will conduct the investigation following COPE guidelines. The case analysis will determine whether the fair procedures have been followed and assess whether the author’s concerns have been addressed fairly and without prejudice. LUMEN will analyse the paper’s peer review history and any correspondence between the author, editor and reviewers. Moreover, LUMEN may also contact the parties involved to obtain further information where necessary and in accordance with GDPR regulations.

The involved author will be invited to reply in writing. We aim to come with fair solution as quickly as possible or within eight weeks, though please note sometimes investigations can take several weeks or more depending on the nature of the concern or complaint, the availability of relevant data and information, whether multiple authors and papers are involved, and possible involvement of the author’s institution or other external parties.

If the author wishes to pursue their complaint further, they may contact COPE directly. Information can be found on the COPE website: Facilitation and Integrity Subcommittee | COPE: Committee on Publication Ethics https://publicationethics.org/facilitation-and-integrity-subcommittee

Privacy Statement 

LUMEN respects the GDPR regulations. The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.