Aim and Scope

The Orthodoxia journal is a peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to historical, philosophical and theological problems of Orthodoxy.

I. The Orthodoxia Journal's Focus and Critical Goals:

A) Publication of Original Research on Orthodoxy (history and theology of the Orthodox Church, ecclesiology, social philosophy, sociology of religion, comparative theology, Christian axiology, anthropology, religious philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, local Orthodox churches, the social role of Orthodoxy, etc.). Special attention is paid to research on the influence of cultural, social, economic, and political processes on Orthodoxy and the influence of Orthodoxy on these processes in different historical periods and in the modern world.

B) Development of the Russian Scientific School to Research Orthodoxy. The Orthodoxia journal strives to become a significant Russian center to research issues related to Orthodoxy and local Orthodox churches, making it their mission to unite international researchers dealing with issues relevant to the remit of the journal.

C) Formation of an International Scientific Dialogue and Communication Between Researchers of Orthodoxy. Such specialists work not only in traditional Orthodox countries, but also in other countries of the world (Russia, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Poland, Serbia, Greece, the Republic of Belarus, etc.).

II. Subject Areas

According to the All Science Journal Classification (ASJC), the research studies of world Orthodoxy published by the Orthodoxia journal in the subject area of Arts and Humanities include three categories: History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies.

According to the list of scientific majors under which academic degrees are conferred in Russia (State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles), the journal publishes articles in the following scientific majors:

• 5.6.1. Domestic History
• 5.6.2. General History
• 5.6.4. Ethnology, Anthropology and Ethnography
• 5.6.5. Historiography, Source Studies, Methods of Historical Research
• 5.6.7. History of International Relations and Foreign Policy
• 5.7.2. History of Philosophy
• 5.7.7. Social and Political Philosophy
• 5.7.8. Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Culture
• 5.7.9. Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies
• 5.11.1. Theoretical Theology (Research Field: Orthodoxy)
• 5.11.2. Historical Theology (Research Field: Orthodoxy)
• 5.11.3. Practical Theology (Research Field: Orthodoxy)

By reflecting the status and development of Russian and international scientific schools that research world Orthodoxy in the fields of history, philosophy and theology, the Orthodoxia journal focuses on a wide range of topics corresponding to these fields:

• History of the Orthodox Church
• Orthodox Ecclesiology
• Orthodox Dogmatic Theology
• Orthodox Axiology
• Orthodox Anthropology
• Orthodox Religious Philosophy
• Orthodox Aesthetics
• Orthodox Ethics
• Comparative Theology
• Parachurch Relations / Local Orthodox Churches
• Social Role of Orthodoxy
• State-Church Relations

The journal also addresses other topics related to the history and current status of world Orthodoxy in its various aspects. Research studies that do not engage Orthodoxy as a subject or target under the above topics are beyond the boundaries of the journal's topical area.

Each issue of the Orthodoxia journal deals with one topic, which is cross-cutting and unifying for this particular issue. Papers received by the editorial board shall be accepted for consideration only if their topic corresponds to the previously announced topic of the issue.

III. Geographical Coverage

The editorial board of the journal strives to expand the geographical coverage among the members of the editorial board, authors and reviewers, including countries such as Russia, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Poland, Serbia, Greece, the Republic of Belarus, etc. Articles are accepted in Russian and English.

Section Policies

KRAPIVENSKY 4 LECTURE HALL

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Publication Frequency

4 issues per year

Open Access Policy

Via the Internet, the Orthodoxia journal provides public access to all articles published therein. Articles become available to readers on the official website of the journal immediately after publication. All users are free to read, copy, distribute, print, refer to the texts of published articles and use them for any legitimate non-commercial purposes.

Archiving

• Russian State Library
• National Electronic Information Consortium
• Scientific Electronic Library (eLibrary.ru)

Peer-Review

All manuscripts submitted to the editorial board of the Orthodoxia journal and meeting the requirements set out in the Author Rules shall undergo mandatory double-blind peer review.

• Manuscripts submitted to the editorial board that do not meet the requirements set out in the Author Rules section shall not be accepted for review. Their author shall be informed of the refusal to publish such manuscripts with a message sent to the author's email).
• Manuscripts submitted to the editorial board that meet the requirements set out in the Author Rules section shall be sent for review to at least two anonymous reviewers from among both members of the editorial board and invited reviewers (including foreign scientists) specializing in the topic the submitted manuscript is devoted to. The decision on the choice of a reviewer for the expert review of the article shall be made by the editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief, scientific editor, chief editor. The review period shall make up 8 weeks, but it can be extended at the request of the reviewer.
• The reviewer has the right to withdraw from reviewing if there is an obvious conflict of interest affecting the perception and interpretation of the manuscript materials.
• Upon consideration of the manuscript, the reviewer has to make recommendations on the future of the manuscript (each reviewer's decision must be justified):

– Accept for publication as is

– Accept for publication after minor edits

– Recommended for publication after significant revision

– Not recommended for publication

• If the review contains guidelines for editing and finalizing the article, the editorial board shall send the text of the review to the author of the article with a proposal to take into account the reviewer's comments when preparing a new version of the article or to refute them (partially or completely). The revision of the article should not take more than 2 months from the date of sending an email to the authors about the need to make changes. The article finalized by the author shall be resent for review.
• If the author refuses to finalize the materials, they have to notify the editorial board in writing or orally of their refusal to publish the article. If the author has not sent a revised version of the article within three months upon sending the review, even if there is no refusal to publish the article on the part of the author, the editorial board shall withdraw the article from the publication schedule.
• If the author and reviewers have insoluble contradictions regarding the manuscript, the editorial board has the right to send the manuscript for additional review. In disputed situations, the decision shall be made personally by the editor-in-chief.
• The decision to refuse to publish the manuscript has to be made at the editorial board meeting in accordance with the guidelines of reviewers. The article that is not recommended for publication by the decision of the editorial board shall not be accepted for reconsideration. A message about the refusal to publish the paper shall be sent to the author by email.
• After the editorial board of the journal makes a decision on the admission of the article for publication, the editorial board shall inform the author about it and specify the publication dates.
• The presence of a positive review is not a sufficient reason for the publication of the article. The final decision on the publication shall be made by the editorial board. In disputed situations, the decision shall be made personally by the editor-in-chief.
• The original reviews shall be kept by the editorial board of the journal for 5 years.
• The editorial board of the journal is authorized to send copies of reviews to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation upon receipt of a corresponding request by the editorial board.

Publishing Ethics

The section is compiled based on the materials provided by Elsevier, the publisher of academic and medical literature http://elsevier.ru/, as well as the materials provided by the International Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

1. Introduction

1.1. The publication of materials in peer-reviewed journals is not only a simple way of scientific communication, but also makes a significant contribution to the development of the relevant area of scientific expertise. Thus, it is important to set standards for the future ethical conduct of all parties involved in the publication, namely: authors, editors of the journal, reviewers, publishers and the scientific society for the Orthodoxia journal.

1.2. The publisher not only supports scientific communication and invests in this process, but is also responsible for compliance with all modern recommendations in the paper to be published.

1.3. The publisher shall undertake an obligation for the strictest supervision of scientific materials. Our journal programs provide an unbiased report on the development of scientific thought and research. Therefore, we are also aware of the responsibility for the proper presentation of these reports as publications, especially from the perspective of ethical aspects set out in this document.

2. Editors' Duties

2.1. Decision on Publication

The editor of the Orthodoxia scientific journal is personally and independently responsible for making a decision on publication, often in cooperation with the relevant scientific society.  The reliability of the paper under review and its scientific significance should always be the basis of the decision for publication. The editor may be guided by the policy of the editorial board of the Orthodoxia journal, being limited by current legal requirements regarding libel, copyright infringement, legality and plagiarism.

The editor may confer with other editors and reviewers (or officials of the scientific society) in the course of making the decision on publication.

2.2. Decency

The editor has to assess the intellectual contents of manuscripts regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious views, origin, citizenship or political preferences of the authors.

2.3. Confidentiality

The editor and the editorial board of the Orthodoxia journal are obliged to keep the information about the accepted manuscript in confidence to all persons, except for the authors, reviewers, possible reviewers, other scientific advisers and the publisher.

2.4. Disclosure Policy and Conflict of Interest

2.4.1 Unpublished data on file obtained from submitted manuscripts cannot be used in personal research studies without the written consent of the author. Information or ideas obtained during the review and related to possible benefits must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.

2.4.2 Editors must recuse from considering manuscripts (namely, either request a сo-editor, an assistant editor, or cooperate with other members of the editorial board when considering the paper instead of personally reviewing and making a decision at their sole discretion) in case of conflicts of interest due to competitive, joint and other interactions and relations with authors, companies and possibly other organizations related to the manuscript.

2.5. Supervision of Publications

The editor, who has provided convincing evidence that the statements or findings stated in the publication are erroneous, must inform the publisher (and/or the relevant scientific society) about this in order for them to notify of changes, withdrawal of the publication, expressions of concern and other relevant statements as soon as possible.

2.6. Engagement and Collaboration in Research

The editor, together with the publisher (or the scientific society) should take adequate countermeasures in case of ethical claims concerning the reviewed manuscripts or published materials. Such measures generally include interaction with

the authors of the manuscript, the introduction of arguments in support of the relevant complaint or claim, and may also imply the interaction with relevant organizations and research centers.

3. Reviewers' Duties

3.1. Influence on the Decisions of the Editorial Board

Reviewing helps the editor to make a decision for publication and, through appropriate interaction with the authors, can also help the author to improve the quality of their paper. Reviewing is a necessary link in formal scientific communications, located at the very "heart" of the scientific approach. The publisher shares the opinion that all scientists who want to contribute to the publication are obliged to do substantial work on reviewing the manuscript.

3.2. Duty Performance

Any selected reviewer who feels underqualified to review the manuscript or does not have enough time to perform the work promptly should notify the editor of the Orthodoxia journal and request to exclude them from the review process of the corresponding manuscript.

3.3. Confidentiality

Any manuscript received for review must be treated as a confidential document. This paper cannot be opened and discussed with any persons who were not authorised to do so by the editor.

3.4. Requirements for the Manuscript and Objectivity

The reviewer is obliged to give an objective assessment. Personal criticism of the author is inadmissible. Reviewers should clearly and argumentatively express their opinion.

3.5. Recognition of Primary Sources

Reviewers should identify significant published papers that correspond to the topic and are not included in the list of bibliographical references of the manuscript. Any statement (observation, finding or argument) published earlier must have a corresponding bibliographical reference in the manuscript. The reviewer must also draw the editor's attention to cases of significant similarity or coincidence between the manuscript under review and any other published paper within the reviewer's scientific competence.

3.6. Disclosure Policy and Conflict of Interest

3.6.1 Unpublished data on file obtained from submitted manuscripts cannot be used in personal research studies without the written consent of the author. Information or ideas obtained during the review and related to possible benefits must be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.

3.6.2. Reviewers must not participate in the review of manuscripts in case of a conflict of interest due to competitive, joint and other interactions and relationships with any of the authors, companies or other organizations associated with the submitted paper.

4. Authors' Duties

4.1. Requirements for Manuscripts

4.1.1 The authors of the original research report should provide consistent results of the work done, as well as an objective discussion on the significance of the research. The data being the basis for the paper have to be presented accurately and faultlessly. The paper should contain enough details and bibliographical references for possible reproduction. False or knowingly erroneous statements shall be perceived as unethical behavior and are inadmissible.

4.1.2. Reviews and scientific articles should also be accurate and objective. The editorial board's point of view should be clearly indicated.

4.2. Data Access and Storage

The authors may be asked for original raw data related to the manuscript for review by editors. Authors should be ready to provide open access to this kind of information (according to the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and in any case be ready to keep these data for an adequate period of time after publication.

4.3. Originality and Plagiarism

4.3.1 Authors should make sure that they have submitted a fully original paper. In case of using the papers or statements by other authors, they should provide appropriate bibliographical references or excerpts.

4.3.2 Plagiarism can exist in many forms, from claiming someone else's paper as the author's paper to copying or paraphrasing essential parts of someone else's paper (without affiliation) and to claiming one's own rights to the results of someone else's research. Plagiarism in all its forms is unethical and unacceptable.

4.4. Multiplicity, Redundancy and Simultaneity of Publications

4.4.1 In general, the author must not publish a manuscript, mostly devoted to the same research, as an original publication in more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time shall be perceived as unethical, improper and unacceptable behavior.

4.4.2. In general, the author must not submit a previously published article for consideration in another journal. 

4.4.3. The publication of a certain type of articles (for example, clinical practice guidelines, translated articles) in more than one journal is ethical in some cases if certain conditions are met. Authors and editors of interested journals have to agree to a secondary publication that must present the same data and interpretations as in the paper that was published first.

The list of bibliographical references of the primary paper must also be presented in the secondary publication. More detailed information about the acceptable forms of secondary (repeated) publications can be found on the page www.icmje.org .

4.5. Recognition of Primary Sources

It is always necessary to recognize the contribution of others. Authors should refer to publications that are relevant to the performance of the submitted research. Data obtained privately, for example, during a conversation, correspondence or in the process of discussion with third parties, must not be used or submitted without the explicit written permission of the original source. Information obtained from confidential sources, such as the assessment of manuscripts or the provision of grants, must not be used without the express written permission of the authors of the paper related to confidential sources.

4.6. Authorship of the Publication

4.6.1 Only the persons who have made a significant contribution to the formation of the research concept, its development, performance or interpretation of the submitted research can be listed as the authors of the publication. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. In cases where research contributors have made a significant contribution in a particular line of a research project, they should be listed as persons who have made a significant contribution to this research.

4.6.2. The author should make sure that all contributors who have made a significant contribution to the research are listed as co-authors, while those who did not participate in the research are not listed as co-authors and all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the paper and agreed to submit it for publication.

4.7. Risks, People and Animals Being Objects of the Research

4.7.1 If the paper involves the use of chemical products, procedures or equipment, during the operation of which any unusual risk is possible, the author must clearly indicate this in the manuscript.

4.7.2 If animals or humans are supposed to participate in the research as its objects, the authors should make sure that the manuscript indicates that all stages of the research comply with the legislation and regulatory documents of research organizations, as well as approved by the relevant committees. The manuscript should clearly

state that informed consent was received from all people who became objects of the research. The right to privacy must be always observed.

4.8. Disclosure Policy and Conflict of Interest

4.8.1 All authors are required to disclose in their manuscripts financial or other existing conflicts of interest that might be perceived as having influenced the findings or conclusions presented in the paper.

4.8.2 Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include employment, consulting, joint-stock property, fee earnings, providing expert opinions, patent application or patent registration, grants and other financial support. Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed as early as possible.

4.9. Significant Errors in Published Papers

If the author detects significant errors or inaccuracies in the publication, they have to inform the editor of the Orthodoxia journal and interact with the editor in order to withdraw the publication as soon as possible or to correct the errors. If the editor (or publisher) has received information from a third party that the publication contains significant errors, the author shall be obliged to withdraw the paper or correct the errors as soon as possible.

5. Publisher's Duties

5.1 The publisher must follow the principles and procedures that facilitate the performance of ethical duties by editors, reviewers and authors of the Orthodoxia journal in accordance with these requirements. The publisher has to be sure that the potential profit from advertising or reprinting has not influenced the editors' decisions.

5.2. The publisher should support the editors of the Orthodoxia journal in considering complaints against the ethical aspects of published materials and help to cooperate with other journals and/or publishers, if this contributes to the fulfillment of their duties by the editors.

5.3. The publisher should promote good research practices and implement industry standards in order to improve ethical guidelines, withdrawal procedures, and error correction processes.

5.4 The publisher has to provide the appropriate specialized legal support (opinion or advice), if necessary.

Founder

• Autonomous Non-Profit Organization for Social and Creative Development, Russian Expert School

Publication Fee

Authors are published in the Orthodoxia journal for free.

The editorial board does not charge the authors for the preparation, disposition and printing of materials.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest

Unpublished data on file obtained from submitted manuscripts cannot be used in personal research studies without the written consent of the author. 

Information or ideas obtained during the review and related to possible benefits should be kept confidential and not used for personal gain.

Reviewers must not participate in the review of manuscripts in case of a conflict of interest due to competitive, joint and other interactions and relationships with any of the authors, companies or other organizations associated with the submitted paper.

Borrowing and Plagiarism

When considering an article, the editorial board of the Orthodoxia journal can check the material using the Anti-plagiarism system. In case of detection of numerous borrowings, the editorial board shall act in accordance with the COPE rules.

Preprint and postprint Policy

In the course of submitting the article, the author has to confirm that the article has not been published or has not been accepted for publication in another scientific journal. When referring to the article published in the Orthodoxia journal, the publisher kindly asks to post a link (the article's full URL) to the official website of the journal.

Articles previously published by the authors on personal or public websites that are not related to other publishers shall be allowed for consideration.

Sources of Income

The journal is funded by the founding organization.