Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies


Editorial Policy and Ethical Guidelines


The scientific and theoretical journal “Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflict Studies” is a periodical publication that informs the scientific community about the latest research in the field of traditional philosophical disciplines—ontology, theory of knowledge, logic, ethics, aesthetics, history of philosophy, philosophy of culture, philosophy of religion, philosophy and methodology of science—as well as the latest developments in the field of conflict studies, philosophy of politics and law, and social philosophy.

The variety of the listed philosophical disciplines sheds light on contemporary fundamental topics and strives to reflect the current state of philosophy with the greatest possible objectivity. The journal is aimed at a professional audience of philosophers, conflict studies theorists, social scientists, as well as a wide range of readers interested in the latest theoretical approaches in the humanities.


The journal’s chief aims are:
• To preserve and foster the best traditions of Russian humanities, as well as to cultivate new areas of philosophical and conflict resolution research capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century.
• To conceptualize emerging fundamental and ethical issues, to nurture the spirit of humanity, professionalism, and responsibility in science.
• To broaden its accessibility to prospective authors from different regions and countries.
• To increase the theoretical level of the published materials in order to integrate into the sphere of Russian and international publications.
• To contribute to the prestige of the Saint Petersburg University schools of thought.

The journal provides a space for unrestricted scientific discussions among members of the international philosophical community. It traditionally focuses on a productive dialogue in the trans- and interdisciplinary areas charted by the mobile boundaries of philosophy as the primary matrix of knowledge. In accordance with the charter of the journal, original, independent, analytical studies in Russian and English, as well as book reviews and well-reasoned and ethically appropriate polemical speeches, are submitted for consideration by representatives of diverse fundamental philosophical positions. The relationship between the author and the publisher is governed by the license agreement. There is no publication fee.
The originality of the journal consists in the publication of materials that deal with the ongoing theoretical challenges of philosophy and Conflict Studies in all their diversity and historical forms, as well as related topics and issues that lie at the border of philosophy and Conflict Studies. These may include topics relating to anthropology, ontology, epistemology, the social philosophy of conflict and conflict resolution, the history of conflict philosophy, as well as social dialectics and philosophical polemics, the contradictions in the development of consciousness and self-awareness, the philosophy of revolution, state and law, and gender studies. This allows us to discover new aspects of social communication and the formation of the spiritual world of the individual, the relationship of personal, class, national and ethnic consciousness in the global culture of our time.
The editorial board is composed of respected Russian and foreign specialists in the various thematic areas of the journal and related disciplines to ensure the scientific objectivity, independence, and veracity of the published materials.


The History of the Journal
Despite ideological pressures, the philosophical periodicals of the Leningrad State University (later to become the Saint Petersburg University) have an uninterrupted tradition. The creation of its own university journal in 1946 led to the subsequent diversification of covered subject areas. These subject areas are separated into thematically distinct periodical ‘series’ and published as distinct branches of the ‘Vestnik’. In 1952, a series on the social sciences appeared in the Vestnik of the Leningrad State University, and in 1956, a series on "Economics. Philosophy. Law." was launched. In these years, the Vestnik published articles by notable philosophers, such as representatives of the Leningrad ontological school of V.P. Tugarinov, V.V. Svidersky, F.F. Vyakkerev, V.P. Bransky, and M.I. Shakhnovich, one of the founders of the philosophical study of religion. Within the framework of the sixth series, titled "Philosophy, political science, sociology, psychology, law, international relations", from 1985 to 2012, M.S. Kagan, the widely known theorist of aesthetics and culture, and outstanding researchers of the history of philosophy A.A. Galaktionov, P.F. Nikandrov, Y.V. Perov, K.A. Sergeev saw publication in the journal. From 2013 to 2016, interdisciplinary research in the philosophical field was presented in series seventeen: "Philosophy. Conflictology. Culturology. Religious studies". Since 2017, the series has been renamed to "Philosophy and Conflict Studies".


Editorial Policy and Ethical Guidelines

The editorial board and all persons who have a direct or indirect relation to the formation and publication of the journal, including authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, distributors and readers, must follow the ethical, scientific and publishing standards of the international scientific community.
The scientific and ethical standards adopted by the editorial board cannot be changed in order to serve commercial or business interests.

The editor-in-chief, editorial board, authors and reviewers of the journal are guided by the following ethical guidelines:
• Scientific objectivity and impartiality in the selection of research to be published.
The decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of articles occurs solely on the basis of relevance, scientific significance, the originality of the submitted materials, as well as their compliance with the outlined requirements and the specificity of the subject area. Discrimination of authors based on race, nationality, culture, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, citizenship, social status or political opinion is inadmissible. The editorial board guarantees the possibility of publishing materials that reflect different scientific- and socio-political views.
• Competence and integrity during the scientific review and the preparation for publication.
All materials that are being considered for publication undergo a mandatory check for plagiarism, in addition to a double-blind peer review. Articles containing insults, slander and ad-hominem attacks are rejected without review. If the editorial board has sufficient grounds to believe that the submission is not the result of independent work conducted by the author(s), it is likewise rejected.
• Confidentiality.
Scientific ideas and materials presented in submissions that are either being considered for publication or have been rejected after a review cannot be used in the work of the members of the editorial board or third parties without the written permission of the authors. Confidential information obtained over the course of the review cannot be disclosed and used for personal gain.
• Collegiality and mutual respect.
All members of the editorial board participate in the formation of the content of the scientific publication on equal terms and bear equal responsibility for the quality of the published materials. The editorial board must consistently strive to prevent conflicts between academic and personal interests in the decision-making process regarding the publication of materials, resolving possible conflict situations on the basis of the charter of the journal and existing legislation.
• Transparency and responsibility.
All members of the editorial board maintain close and open cooperation with the authors, reviewers and readers of the journal, and are ready to acknowledge mistakes made during the publication of the materials and, if necessary, publish corrections, clarifications, errata and apologies in order to ensure the continuous improvement of the journal and enhance its reputation in the scientific community. The editorial board, together with the publisher, are obliged not to leave concerns regarding the examined manuscripts or published materials unanswered. In cases of conflict, all necessary measures are taken to address any infringements of the rights of the author.

The editor-in-chief bears responsibility for:
• Managing the review process and communication with the authors—as well as members of the editorial board—in order to facilitate the publication of the journal on a quarterly basis.
• The final decision on the publication of the received material, taking into account the opinions of reviewers and members of the editorial board.
• Providing the documents pertaining to the preparation of the article for publication (reviews, protocols of editorial board meetings, etc.)—which are stored for at least five years from the date of receipt at the editorial office—upon request from the publisher, founder or other authorized third parties (including representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation).

Reviewers are responsible for:
• The scientific accuracy and independence of the conducted review. The evaluation of peer-reviewed materials should be objective and supported by sound arguments. Subjective ad-hominem attacks on the author are unacceptable.
• The review is carried out taking into account the current state of philosophical and conflictological research and the diversity of existing points of view on the issues discussed in the article.
• Materials received for review cannot be used by the reviewer for personal purposes or transferred to third parties. The reviewer has the right to decline to participate and notify the editor-in-chief about any conflicts of interest.

Authors who submit materials for publication to the journal are responsible for:
• The scientific validity, novelty, sound theoretical reasoning and ethical propriety of the conducted research. Articles and other materials proposed for publication must be original, that is, previously unpublished.
• All external provisions and statements by other persons used in the materials must be formatted in accordance with copyright and citation requirements.
• The articles written in co-authorship should reflect the contribution of all persons who participated in the work and influenced its course. Co-authors of publications cannot be persons who have provided only technical, consulting, organizational, moral or material support.
• If errors or inaccuracies are found at the material review stage, the author must immediately notify the editorial board of the journal of their presence.
The editorial board and the publishing house have the right to reject any materials that violate the above principles.