About the Journal
Focus and Scope
The journal focuses on issues associated with the evolution of industry and services as well as their surroundings during the transition from an industrial economy to a post-industrial and information-based economy (knowledge-based). It is designed to serve as a forum for researchers at domestic and foreign institutions studying spatial changes and functional changes in industrial and service sectors experiencing globalization and the associated process of European integration. The journal accepts papers on the behaviors of various enterprises and the effectiveness of their functioning as well as papers on models designed to assess mechanisms of industrial growth and the evolution of contemporary near-industrial areas. The use of such mechanisms in applied papers designed to create growth strategies at a variety of spatial scales is also of interest. The research results published in the journal are often used in applied projects run by business entities and local governments. This is especially true of modernization projects and the creation of development strategies for spatial, social, economic, and cultural projects.
Special attention is given to the following research issues:
- creation of problem-solving methods for the geography of industry and services
- changes in industry and the service sector as part of general economic development, with a special focus on the knowledge-based economy
- restructuring of domestic and foreign industrial and service enterprises during the transition from communism to capitalism, European integration and increasing globalization
- changes in the production potential and structure of industry and the service sector at a variety of spatial scales in Poland and abroad
- evolution of international corporations, global production networks, and increasingly global ownership, organizational, investment, capital, trade and information linkages
- spatial concentration of industrial centers, districts, and areas
- level of effectiveness and competitiveness of industrial production and services
- evolution of high-tech industries and the IT sector
- transition from industrial to service-oriented firms
- deindustrialization, relocation of industrial plants and changes in business location factors
- role of higher education and research and development in social and economic development; effect on business innovation at different spatial scales
- multiplier effects in regional development
- role of different branches of industry and the service sector in the development of national, regional and local systems; focus on the transport and tourism industry
- revitalization of post-industrial areas
The journal also accepts case studies on the formation and functioning of industrial and service-oriented enterprises and their effect on the spatial structure of industry (industrial centers, industrial district, special economic zones, technopoles, industrial clusters, technology parks) as well as the transformation of selected branches of industry and the service sector in spatial system of varying size.
We are interested in introducing new areas of research. You are invited to publish with us. We focus on both empirical papers on the behavior of different types of enterprises and theoretical papers leading to new theories in industrial geography.
Peer Review Process
Procedure and criteria of review
Only previously unpublished papers will be accepted. Your paper must describe new research results and not simply discuss already published data. The first stage of the review process consists of the editor-in-chief issuing an opinion. This opinion may alternatively be issued by another member of the editorial council. The editor-in-chief or another member of the editorial council will make a preliminary decision to either accept the paper for further review or reject the paper. The author will be notified of the decision as soon as possible. In certain situations, this decision will be made following consultation with a member of the editorial council specializing in a given area of research. The next stage of the review process involves the drafting of at least two independent reviewers not associated with the author’s parent institution. In the case of papers written in a foreign language, at least one of the reviewers will be affiliated with an institution from outside of the author’s home country. Reviews are conducted using a double-blind review process. This process is based on the rule that the author does not know the identity of the reviewer and vice versa. Each review is issued in written form and ends with an unambiguous recommendation to publish the paper without changes, publish only if certain changes are made or not publish.
Paper is accepted for publication without changes only in case at least 7 out of 13 criteria were evaluated positive and no criterion was evaluated negative. Paper is not eligible for publication which is obligatory in case at least 7 out of 13 criteria were evaluated negative. In other cases the reviewer qualify article to a correction.
In addition to the recommendations made by reviewers, the author may receive additional suggestions from the editor-in-chief, another editor appointed by the editor-in-chief, volume subject editor or statistics editor if the paper contains statistics. Every paper due to be printed is also reviewed by a language editor.
Open Access Policy
The journal is published on the principles of open access, to be able to free to use the of itsresources, while maintaining respect for copyright creators, so the readers are required to applygeneral principles of relying on the source, as in the case of publication in printed form.
Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement
Our journal publishes peer-reviewed articles. We uphold the best standards of publication ethics and take all possible measures against publication malpractices.
Our ethic statements are based on Elsevier recommendations and on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.
Publication decisions
The editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.
Fair play
An editor at any time evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.
Confidentiality
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.
Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.
DUTIES OF REVIEWERS
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.
Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.
Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.
Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.
DUTIES OF AUTHORS
Reporting standards
Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.
Data Access and Retention
Authors may be asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.
Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.
Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
An author should not in general 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 publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.
Acknowledgement of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.
Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.
Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript (statement - login request: doc, pdf). All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed in statement (login request): doc, pdf.
Fundamental errors in published works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.
Steps designed to prevent unethical practices in science including “ghostwriting” and “guestauthorship”.
The editors wish to make sure that readers can be certain that authors are presenting their research results in a manner that is transparent and ethical. This is especially true of co-authored papers. We pay particular attention to information on entities responsible for the publication. This includes both scientific and financial input. Practices such as ghostwriting and guest authorship are considered unethical. Ghostwriting is defined as the practice where someone contributes substantially to the creation of a paper but is not listed as one of the authors or not mentioned in the acknowledgments section. Guest authorship or honorary authorship is defined as the practice where someone does not meaningfully contribute to a paper or does not contribute at all but remains listed as the main author or co-author of the publication. In light of the above, authors wishing to publish are required to follow this procedure:
1. Must reveal the amount of input from each co-author (list affiliation and describe contribution– who authored the main idea, key assumptions, key methods, etc…). Please note that the corresponding author bears most of the responsibility. Statement 1 (login request): doc, pdf.
2. Must reveal sources of financing, contribution from research institutions and associations (financial disclosure) as well as other entities. Statement 2 (login request): doc, pdf.
3. If ghostwriting, guest authorship or other types of unethical behavior (violations of commonly accepted ethics rules in science) are detected, the authors’ employers will be notified.
ISSN (printed version): 2080-1653
ISSN (on-line): 2449-903X
