Mineralia Slovaca

Chairman of Editorial Board

Radovan Piško

State geological institute of Dionýz Štúr, Bratislava

radovan.pisko@geology.sk

 

Scientific Editor

Zoltán Németh

Štátny geologický ústav Dionýza Štúra

Regionálne centrum Košice

Jesenského 8, 040 01 Košice

zoltan.nemeth@geology.sk

Phone: +421 55 6250043

 

Editorial Board Members

KLEMENT FORDINÁL, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Bratislava

ĽUBOMÍR HRAŠKO, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Bratislava

VLASTA JÁNOVÁ, Ministerstvo životného prostredia SR Bratislava

PETER MALÍK, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Bratislava

JOZEF MICHALÍK, Ústav vied o Zemi SAV Bratislava

ĽUBOMÍR PETRO, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Košice

DUŠAN PLAŠIENKA, Prírodovedecká fakulta UK Bratislava

MARIÁN PUTIŠ, Prírodovedecká fakulta UK Bratislava

IGOR SLANINKA, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Bratislava

JÁN SOTÁK, Ústav vied o Zemi Banská Bystrica

LADISLAV ŠIMON, Štátny geologický ústav D. Štúra Bratislava

PAVEL UHER, Prírodovedecká fakulta UK Bratislava

 

 

Editorial Staff

Head of the Department of Promotion and ŠGÚDŠ Publishers

Ladislav Martinský

Štátny geologický ústav Dionýza Štúra, Bratislava

ladislav.martinsky@geology.sk

Phone: +421 2 54773233

1. Geoscientific journal Mineralia Slovaca publishes scientometrically valuable original peer-reviewed scientific articles with a high citation potential. In the Highlights, Introduction and Conclusion of each article the author(s) must clearly declare, which innovative data the paper brings for the development of geosciences. The retrieval studies are published only exceptionally.

2. The articles for publishing (manuscripts) must be sent to Editorial Office by post (two printed copies and CD with editable files), or by e-mail (editable files plus complete preview version in PDF format).

3. Simultaneously with the article the Editorial Office must receive the author´s proclamation that no part of the manuscript was already published and figures and tables are original as well. Copied illustrations from other publications must contain a copyright. The articles are licenced in CC BY category within the Creative Commons Attribution, though also other levels of licencing are possible.

4. The extent of the manuscript for publishing is limited to 25 manuscript pages (MS Word, 12 points Times New Roman, line spacing 1.5) including figures, tables, explanations and references. In the case of contribution with a high scientific value, the longer manuscripts for publishing are exceptionally permitted.

5. Articles are published in English (preferable) or Slovak languages. The title, abstract, key words, graphical abstract, highlights, shortened text (resumé), as well as description to figures and tables in Slovak articles are published also in English. Articles published in English contain Slovak resumé.

 

Text 

1. The structure of the text incl. references must correspond to the recent structure of articles in the journal. Abstract briefly summarizing the article is limited to 200 words, no references are allowed. The maximum number of key words is 6.
   Text of the article has to contain the introduction, characterization (state) of investigated problem, applied methodology, obtained new data, discussion, conclusion and references. The obtained data must be distinctly separated from interpretations. All applied figures and tables must be referred in the text.

2. The hierarchy of headings in the manuscript must be indicated by a pencil note: 1 – highest level, 2 – lower, 3 – lowermost level.

3. In the case of references in the text the parentheses are preferred, e.g. (Dubčák, 1987; Hrubý et al., 1988). The form “according to Dubčák (1987)” should be used only exceptionally.
4. Position of figures and tables must be indicated in the manuscript. Editable text of manuscript sent to editorial office must be without figures and tables, though the preview PDF has to contain them in a correct position.

5. Greek letter in the text must be identified at the left margin of the text (e.g. sigma). The text should strictly distinguish the dash from hyphen. Symbols, mathematic signs, names of fossils, etc., which should be printed in italics, must be underlined by the wavy line in the manuscript.

 

Figures and tables

1. The high-quality figures and tables can be published either in maximum width of column (81 mm) or page (170 mm). The optimum size of letters and numbers in the camera-ready figure is 2 mm. Articles published in Slovak contain the Slovak descriptions in figures and tables, the tables headings and descriptions beneath figures and tables are in Slovak and English. English articles contain all texts in English. Maximum dimension of figures and tables in the journal is 170 x 230 mm. Larger (fanfolded) illustrations are published only exceptionally.

2. For figures drawing the editorial office recommends the vector graphics editors (Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, etc.). The very thin lines (hair lines), the pre-defined software or raster fillings of polygons (e.g. in Corel Draw) are not allowed. The filling must consist from separately set objects.

3. Each illustration including photographs must contain graphic (metric) scale, eventually the dimensions of visualized objects have to be stated in the describing text to figure. Maps and profiles must contain also the azimuth orientation, their detail explanations are stated at the first figure. Grouped figures, e.g. photographs and diagrams, are compiled as one figure with separate parts designated by letters (a, b, c, etc.).

4. The photographs sent as JPG of TIF files are required for having minimum 600 DPI resolution. Editorial Office reserves the right to return the graphic supplements back to author after language correction, resp. request him to replace them for the better quality ones. Publishing of colour illustrations can be charged by a fee.

 

References 

1. Minimum 50 % of referred works must represent contemporary publications after 2000. The references in alphanumeric order encompass only literature cited in the article. 

2. Examples of referring:

Book: Gazda, L. & Čech, M., 1988: Paleozoic of the Medzev nappe. Alfa, Bratislava, 155 p.

Journal: Vrba, P., 1989: Shear zones in the metapelite complexes. Miner.Slov., 21, 135–142.

Anniversary volume: Návesný, D., 1987: High-potassium rhyolites. In: Romanov, V. (ed.): Stratiform deposits of Gemericum. Spec. publ. Slov. geol. soc., Košice, 203–215.

Manuscript: Radvanský, F., Slivka, B., Viktor, J. & Srnka, T., 1985: Vein deposits of the Jedľovec nappe of Gemericum. Final report from the project SGR-geophysics. Manuscript. Archive Št. Geol. Úst. D. Štúra, Spišská Nová Ves, 28 p.

 

3. The article with more than two authors is referred by the name of the first author with the amendment et al., but the list of references contains names of all authors.

Further information: mineralia.slovaca@geology.sk; zoltan.nemeth@geology.sk

A brief look into the history of the journal:

Five decades of existence of the magazine can be characterized in following periods:

1. The founding of the geological journal Mineralia Slovaca in the 1960s was a result of the development of geological disciplines in Slovakia and the amount of until unpublished new data gained by the geological and research organizations. The foundation of Mineralia Slovaca in 1967 was initiated by J. Bartalský, P. Grecula and J. Slávik. The journal was initially covered by the Slovak national enterprise Geologický prieskum (Geological Survey). Later it became an information medium of organizations and institutions grouped in the Association of Publishers of the journal Mineralia Slovaca, incl. Slovak Geological Office, Slovak Geological Society, Geological Survey, Engineering-Geological and Hydrogeological Enterprise Žilina, Slovak Oil Plants Gbely, Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr Bratislava, Geofond Bratislava and Geophysics Brno. P. Grecula became the first scientific editor (within the period 1968-2006). The international appreciation of the magazine can be documented since its initial period by sending it to fifty-two countries worldwide on the inter-library exchange basis.
2. Within the years 1992-2002, thanks to the effort of A. Panáček, the journal has continued to be published by the Geocomplex Comp. Bratislava. The Mineralia Slovaca Association that time encompassed ten leading Slovak co-financing organizations.
3. In 2002, as a result of the legislative changes, the geological organizations ceased the co-financing of the journal. Owing to the permanent interest of the professional geological public, professional organizations and the Slovak Geological Society, the Slovak Geological Council has decided to include the magazine into the Dionýz Štúr Publishing House from 1 January 2003. In 2006, Z. Németh became a new scientific editor. More detailed information about the major milestones of the magazine is available in the contributions written by the first scientific editor P. Grecula (Mineralia Slovaca, 11 (1979), 5, 385–387; 21 (1989), 1, 1–2 and 34 (2002), 5–6, Geovestník, p. 1).
4. The current period of the magazine is characterized by advanced information technologies for the distribution of articles and their information. The presence and viability of the magazine for the next years are briefly characterized by the introductory chapters of this text.

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

(In compliance with the principles stated by Elsevier and the COPE – Commission for Publication Ethics.)

The peer-reviewed geoscientific journal Mineralia Slovaca, publishing original papers, and exceptionally also review papers in the case of their high scientific value, is issued by the State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr (ŠGÚDŠ Publishers), Slovakia. Mineralia Slovaca is an open-source journal – published papers are freely downloadable from the web site of the journal in the form of the full-text pdf files.

The journal strictly follows the ethical standards cogent for all parties involved in the publishing process: the authors, the journal editors, the peer reviewers, the publisher and the geoscientific society. The State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr (ŠGÚDŠ Publishers) takes its duties of the guardianship over all stages of the publishing and publication ethics very seriously.

1. Publication and authorship

Publishing papers in the journal Mineralia Slovaca is a reflection of the scientific creativity of the authors and institutions supporting their research. By submitting a manuscript for publishing authors express their agreement upon standards of ethical behaviour valid in Mineralia Slovaca, which fully correspond with the principles stated by Elsevier and the Commission for Publication Ethics (COPE).

The authorship of the paper is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, as well as obtaining of primary data, realization of investigation, and/or interpretation of results. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. If there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The first author in the list of authors ensures that all co-authors are included in the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its publication.

Published papers must have clearly stated who has funded research leading to results which are reported in the paper. In the journal Mineralia Slovaca it is usually stated in Acknowledgement at the end of the paper.

When submitting their manuscript, the authors should disclose any financial or other substantive conflicts of interest that might influence the results or interpretation stated in their manuscript. The potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed at the earliest possible stage of the publication process.

Authors of papers, summarizing the results of original research, should present an accurate account of the work performed, as well as objective discussion of its significance. A paper should contain sufficient details and references to permit others to replicate the research steps.

The original papers, as well as in the journal exceptionally published review papers, should be accurate and objective in provided information. The plagiarism, fraudulent data or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable. Authors may be asked by editors to provide the primary raw data in connection with a manuscript submitted for editorial review. Even after publishing the authors are demanded to retain such data for a reasonable time due to the eventual later accusation of plagiarism or unethical behaviour, and the need of appropriate defence of the data existence and truthfulness.

The authors should ensure by a written statement that they have submitted for publishing the results of their own original research, and if used the work and/or words of others, this has been correctly cited and occurs in the list of references. The plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behaviour and is unacceptable.

Authors should not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical behaviour and is unacceptable. If some already published principal data are provided again in the manuscript, the primary authors and editors concerned must agree with their implementation in the second publication. The primary reference must be quoted properly in this secondary publication.

The criticism of other published work can be published, unless Editors have convincing reasons why it cannot be. Studies that challenge previous work published in this or other journals should be given by a sympathetic way. Editors should seek a response from those being criticized. Authors of criticised material will have given an opportunity to respond. Studies reporting negative results are also allowed.

There is strictly emphasized that the authors’ copies of the paper, being distributed to authors’ colleagues or elsewhere (open-source journal), must be distributed as they occur in the journal unless any modifications or corrections are added.

2. Authors’ responsibilities

In the case of several authors of the manuscript, it is expected that they all have significantly contributed to the primary research. The prompt communication of authors with the editor(s) and after publishing of the paper the communication of authors with the geoscientific community are guaranteed by the corresponding author. It is not inevitable that the corresponding author is the first author of the paper, though he/she has to be delegated to this position by the first author of the paper. In the peer review process there is requested the participation of all authors, though communication with editor(s) provides the corresponding author.

The declaration that all data in the article are real and authentic is signed by the first author of submitted manuscript with his personal guarantee of contribution of all authors.

If the research which results are reported in the manuscript involved chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any hazards inherent in their use, the author(s) must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

All authors are obliged to participate in the peer review process and provide retractions or corrections of mistakes appearing during the editorial processing of the prepared paper.

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her work being already published, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and to cooperate in retraction or correction of the paper, applying the Errata. If the editor or the publisher learns from a third party that a published work contains a significant error, it is the obligation of the author to promptly correct the paper and send Errata for publishing, or to provide evidence to the editor about the correctness of the original paper.

3. Reviewers’ responsibilities

The main role of reviewers is to contribute to the decision-making process, and to assist in improving the quality of the published paper by reviewing the manuscript objectively, in a timely manner.

Each manuscript received for review is treated as a confidential document. 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 advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate. The manuscript will be forwarded to two reviewers, which will remain confidential for authors all the time. The only exception is if reviewer wishes to be known. Selection of appropriate reviewers is done by the Scientific Editor of the journal, or on his request by appropriate members of Editorial Board, being experts in submitted specialized scientific topic. Besides above mentioned, the reviewed manuscript must not be shown to or discussed with others, except those authorized by the Scientific Editor. There is incurred utmost effort for the objectiveness of the reviews. The reviewers should have no conflict of interest with respect to the research performed, the authors and/or the research funders.

Any selected reviewer, who feels unqualified to review particular research, reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review submission will be impossible, should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in a reviewer’s own research without the written consent of the author. Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer the review must kept confidential and not use for personal advantage.

Personal criticism of the author by any reviewer is inappropriate. Reviewers should express their views clearly with supporting arguments, as well as to point out relevant published work(s) if missing in the manuscript.

In the case of objections of author(s) against some statements in the reviews, Mineralia Slovaca has developed mechanism for authors to appeal against the particular reviewer or Editorial decisions. It allows authors to write their objections and send them to Scientific Editor of the journal. The final decision about acceptance of an objection will depend on his assessment of arguments of both sides, or it will be forwarded to judgement for appropriate members of the Editorial Board, being experts in discussed scientific topic.

4. Editorial responsibilities

Editors constantly improve the journal by ensuring the quality of material published and maintaining a high standard of scientific integrity. No commercial needs can be reflected in the papers published in the journal.

Editors have complete responsibility and authority to reject/accept manuscript for publishing. This decision must be based on a high certainty on the importance, originality, and clarity of the manuscript, and the study’s relevance to the scope of the journal. There is strictly requested that the editors should have no conflict of interests with respect to manuscripts they reject/accept.

Editors are requested to preserve anonymity of reviewers and to respond promptly to complaints. Editors are willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies when needed.

Editors have a duty to act if they suspect misconduct. This duty extends to both published and unpublished papers. Whenever it is recognized that significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distorted report have been published, it must be corrected promptly and with due prominence. In the case when after an appropriate investigation an item proves to be fraudulent, it should be retracted. The retraction should be clearly identifiable to readers and indexing systems.

The relationship of particular editors to ŠGÚDŠ Publishers, issuing the journal Mineralia Slovaca, is based on the principle of editorial independence. Editors make decisions about appropriateness of publishing of articles exclusively on quality and the scientific topic, being adequate with the scientific content of this journal.

5. Publishing ethics issues

The ŠGÚDŠ Publishers, issuing the journal Mineralia Slovaca, ensure that good practices are maintained to the standards outlined above. The monitoring and safeguarding of the publishing ethics is the utmost duty of the Mineralia Slovaca Editorial Board and the ŠGÚDŠ Publishers. Both make every effort to maintain the integrity of academic record and preclude the business needs from compromising the intellectual and ethical standards.

Articles are considered and accepted solely on their academic merit and without commercial influence. The maximum effort is given to restrain plagiarism and fraudulent data.

Misconduct and unethical behaviour may be identified and brought to the attention of the editors and the ŠGÚDŠ Publisher at any time and by anyone. Whoever informs the editor or Publisher of such conduct, he/she should provide sufficient information and evidence in order the investigation to be initiated. All allegations will be taken seriously and treated in the same way, until a successful decision or conclusion is reached.

Minor misconduct can be solved without the need to consult more widely. In any event, the author should be given the opportunity to respond to any allegation. Serious misconduct is solved by (1) informing the author or reviewer where there appears to be a misunderstanding or misapplication of acceptable standards. (2) A more strongly worded letter to the author or reviewer covering the misconduct warns to such behaviour in the future. (3) Publication of a formal notice detailing the misconduct. (4) Publication of an Editorial, detailing the misconduct. (5) Formal retraction or withdrawal of a paper from the journal, in conjunction with informing Abstracting & Indexing Services and the readership of the publication. (6) Imposition of a formal embargo on contributions from an individual author for a defined period.