In its editorial policy the Annual Book of University of Economics - Varna upholds the international standards for publication ethics, laid down in the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Ethical norms apply to all participants in the publication process: editors, reviewers, authors/contributors and publishers.

The core principles of the editorial board's work are objectivity, impartiality, confidentiality and observance of scientific ethics.

The following are considered inconsistent with scientific ethics:

1. Plagiarism;
2. The listing as an author of a person, who has no contribution to the development of the scientific problem;
3. The listing as an author of a person without their consent;
4. The manipulation of data and results, the use of falsified data and conclusions based on the latter;
5. The submission for publication of a scientific work which has already been published or has been sent for publication to another publisher.

The duties of the members of the Editorial Board are:

1. To be objective and to evaluate the submitted studies on the basis of their scientific merit, regardless of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity and political views of the authors;
2. Not to discuss the submitted studies with other people;
3. Not to use the ideas and the data in the unpublished manuscripts for their own publications;
4. To notify immediately the editor-in-chief should there arise any suspicions of violation of scientific ethics on the part of authors or reviewers.

The duties of the reviewers are:

1. To be objective and to evaluate the submitted studies on the basis of their scientific merit, regardless of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity and political views of the authors;
2. Upon doubts about their own competence in the themes of the submitted manuscript or upon inability to submit the review within the deadline to notify the Editor-in-chief immediately;
3. Not to discuss the submitted studies with third parties;
4. Not to use the ideas and the data in the unpublished manuscripts for their own publications;
5. To notify immediately the Editor-in-chief, if for any reason they learn who the author of the study being reviewed by them is;
6. To notify immediately the Editor-in-chief should there arise any suspicions of violation of scientific ethics on the part of the authors.

The duties of the authors/contributors are:

1. To base their conclusions upon objective and current data, correct calculations and scientific arguments;
2. To keep the data they have used long enough and to provide it upon request for reproduction of the study;
3. To submit only their own original manuscripts which have not been published elsewhere. In cases when they develop further their own ideas or use parts of their previous publications, to cite those correctly;
4. To cite all sources of data, ideas, methods, etc. that are used for substantiation of the propositions in the submitted study;
5. To indicate the likelihood for the emergence of suspicions of existing conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is understood to be a situation where members of the editorial board have a private interest within the meaning of the Conflict of Interest Prevention and Ascertainment Act in respect of the author(s).

Upon forwarding a manuscript of the study to the editorial office of the Annual Book (in writing or by e-mail), the person sending the manuscript:

1. Grants the right of disclosure within the meaning of the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act of their work to the publisher of the Annual Book;
2. Declares that the manuscript shall not be sent for publication to another scientific journal/publisher;
3. Assumes responsibility for the correct specification of all authors and co-authors. Correct specification is understood to mean the inclusion in the list of authors only of persons, who have contributed to obtaining the scientific results. It is inadmissible to name persons, who have participated only in the technical layout of the study or have been included in the list only on account of their scientific authority.

Duties of the publisher:

1. To guarantee that advertising, reprinting or other commercial activities do not affect editorial decisions;
2. To facilitate communication with other journals and/or publishers, if it promotes publication activity;
3. To cooperate with other publishing houses and organizations in setting the standards for publication ethics;
4. To provide in due time each issue of the Annual Book with all the required requisites to the National Library;
5. To notify the editor-in-chief should there arise any suspicions of violation of ethical policy.