Editorial policy

Editorial policy

Editorial policy



Peer Review Process

All submissions are subject to a double-blind peer review process.

Only contributions that have not been previously published are considered. The originality of the submissions is verified through anti-plagiarism software. All articles received are evaluated by two anonymous referees appointed by the editorial board responsible for managing the peer review procedures. Submissions must be made exclusively after registration on the journal’s website.

 

Double-Blind Peer Review

Reviewers are initially required to assign a score from 1 to 5 (where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent) to the following aspects:

  • Relevance of the topic;
  • Originality of the contribution;
  • Soundness of the conceptual framework;
  • Methodological rigor;
  • Significance of the empirical analysis (if applicable);
  • Clarity of presentation;
  • Interest for the journal’s readers (academics and practitioners).
  • Reviewers are then asked to provide a detailed evaluation regarding:
    - The main strengths of the article;
    - The weaknesses of the article;
    - Additional suggestions and revisions.

Finally, reviewers must give an overall recommendation by selecting one of the following options:

  • Accept;
  • Accept with minor revisions;
  • Major revisions required;
  • Reject.

To submit a manuscript to the editorial office, users must register on the website and click on “New Submission” in the “Dashboard” section. This will start a guided submission process. The procedure requires the indication of the “journal section” to which the article is submitted, the “language of the submission”, a series of “submission checklist” items, and the upload of the anonymized article in a single file, organized according to the editing guidelines provided below. Only one file must be uploaded, including text, tables, figures, and any other necessary material. Any anonymous letters to the referees, following the peer review process, may be uploaded as separate files.
In addition to the author information (name, surname, email address, and university affiliation), the guided submission process requires the entry of the following article details: title, authors, abstract in English, references, and keywords. These data represent the metadata that will be used for DOI registration. The author initiating the guided submission process is responsible for managing the metadata throughout the entire submission, particularly the title and the author names. Author names may only be modified before the official communication of acceptance. Modifications can only be made by the submitting author, through the “edit metadata” section of the submission area. Furthermore, only the submitting author can monitor the progress of the submission and upload revised versions or additional files.
The submitting author will also be identified as the “corresponding contact with the editorial office.” Adherence to this procedure ensures the blind peer review process while maintaining effective management of the submission, as the manuscript and author information remain separate and accessible only to the journal’s editorial office.

Timeline and Publication Process

The journal guarantees authors compliance with the following timelines for managing the editorial process:

  1. Editorial assessment and communication of acceptance or desk rejection in case of misalignment with the journal’s mission (within 2 weeks from submission);
  2. Blind assignment to two reviewers (by a section editor);
  3. First round of peer review (within 8 weeks of the editorial assessment);
  4. Communication to the author of the peer review outcome;
  5. Time allotted to the author for revisions (up to 4 months from the reviewers’ request). When submitting a revised version, the author must include an analytical and detailed letter to the reviewers explaining how the suggested changes have been addressed;
  6. Review of the revised version by the reviewers (within 4 weeks of receiving the revised manuscript);
  7. Final editorial decision (within 2 weeks of receiving the final reviewers’ feedback).

In case of conflicting reviewer opinions, the final decision regarding the publication of the submission lies with the Editor-in-Chief, who may consult the section editor or the editorial board, or submit the article to additional reviewers for further evaluation.

Publication Frequency

The Journal is published in three issues annually, with the possibility of publishing special issues dedicated to scientific conferences or specific thematic topics.

Open Access Policy

Piccola Impresa / Small Business fully adheres to the principles set out in the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003), which are also reflected in the CRUI guidelines for open access journals.

The term "open access" refers to the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) definition of Open Access, meaning the right for anyone to download, reuse, republish, modify, distribute, or copy the published papers: http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read

The journal provides open access content online under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 License (Attribution - Share Alike).

 

Ethical Code

Piccola Impresa / Small Business is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that follows the COPE Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

It is essential that all parties involved in the editorial process - authors, editorial board members, and reviewers - are aware of and adhere to the following ethical principles.

 

Editors’ Duties

  • Publication Decisions

The editorial board of Piccola Impresa / Small Business is responsible for making final decisions regarding the acceptance or rejection of submitted articles. These decisions may be made in consultation with the reviewers.

  • Fairness

Editors evaluate submitted manuscripts exclusively on the basis of their content, without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views of the authors.

  • Confidentiality

Editors handle submitted manuscripts confidentially and ensure they are not disclosed to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, or publisher.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure

Editors commit not to use the content of submitted articles in their own research without the explicit written consent of the authors.

Reviewers’ Duties

  • Contribution to Editorial Decisions

The peer review process assists editors in making editorial decisions and helps authors improve their contributions.

  • Timeliness

Reviewers who feel unqualified to evaluate a manuscript or unable to complete the review within the specified timeframe must promptly notify the journal’s editors.

  • Confidentiality

All manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shared or discussed with others without explicit authorization from the editors.

  • Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively, providing clear and well-supported evaluations. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate.

  • Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers must identify any relevant published works that the author has not cited. They are also required to inform the editors of any substantial similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and other works known to them.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure

Confidential information or ideas obtained during the peer review process must be kept confidential and must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or their institutions.

 

Authors’ Duties

  • Reporting Standards

Authors of original research studies are required to present an accurate account of the work performed, along with an objective discussion of its significance. The underlying data should be clearly and comprehensively presented in the manuscript. The manuscript must contain sufficient detail and references to allow others to replicate the study. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

  • Data Access and Retention

When deemed necessary by the editors, authors must make available the raw data of their research so that they can be retained for an appropriate time after publication and made accessible if required for verification purposes.

  • Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must guarantee that the work submitted is entirely original and that all sources and citations have been properly acknowledged.

  • Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publications

Authors should not submit the same research manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is unacceptable.

  • Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must accurately cite all sources and contributions mentioned in the article.

  • Authorship

Authorship must be correctly attributed, including as co-authors all individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research. Other contributors who have participated in certain substantial aspects of the project must be explicitly acknowledged.

In the case of manuscripts with multiple authors, the corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all listed co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission for publication in Piccola Impresa / Small Business.

  • Conflict of Interest and Disclosure

All authors are required to declare explicitly any potential conflicts of interest that could have influenced the results or interpretations presented in the manuscript. Additionally, they must indicate any funding bodies or institutions that supported the research or project from which the article derives.

  • Errors in Published Works

If an author identifies a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they are required to promptly notify the journal editors and provide all necessary information for the correction to be made and published as an erratum.

Publication Charges

The journal does not charge authors any fees for manuscript submission, peer review, or publication.