Knowledge Society Institute

Open Access Statement

KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society is a Diamond Open Access journal. All scholarly articles published under the journal's current Open Access Policy are immediately available to readers worldwide, free of charge and without registration or embargo. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), allowing sharing, adaptation and reuse with appropriate attribution. Authors retain copyright, and no submission or publication fees are charged.



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HIGH TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

International Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Kiril Anguelov, Dr. Habil., Prof.

ISSN 1313-4787



For Authors












The editorial board of the journal invites the submission of scientific papers in:
Issue № 1 until 1 June of the current year.
Issue № 2 until 1 December of the current year.

Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Policy
Editorial assessment, independent review and publication integrity
KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society uses double-anonymous peer review for scholarly articles. Manuscripts are evaluated for originality, scholarly contribution, methodological quality, relevance and research integrity. All editorial decisions are made independently of authors’ affiliations, personal characteristics, financial considerations or relationships with the journal.
1. Scope and peer-review model
All original research articles, research reviews, conceptual and methodological studies, and scholarly case studies must undergo external peer review before they can be accepted for publication. This requirement applies equally to regular and special issues. Editorial notes, announcements and other non-research material may be subject to editorial assessment rather than external peer review; such material is identified by article type and is not represented as peer-reviewed research.
The journal operates a double-anonymous review system: reviewers are not informed of the authors’ identities, and authors are not informed of the reviewers’ identities. The editorial office prepares the version supplied to reviewers by removing identifying names, affiliations, acknowledgements and document metadata. Authors must also avoid unnecessary identifying details in the manuscript text. Complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed when authors have distributed identifiable preprints or when the research context makes authorship apparent.
2. Initial editorial assessment
Every submission undergoes an initial editorial screening for fit with the journal’s aims and scope, academic relevance, a clearly stated contribution, adequate research design, clarity, ethical compliance and adherence to the Author Guidelines. This includes the required author information and ORCID iDs, both UDC and JEL classifications, and APA 7 citation and reference formatting.
The handling editor may request technical corrections before review or decline a manuscript without external review when it falls outside the journal’s scope, does not meet essential scholarly standards, lacks an identifiable contribution or raises substantial integrity concerns. The corresponding author is notified of the outcome and its principal reasons. A manuscript is not accepted for publication on the basis of editorial screening alone.
3. Appointment and independence of reviewers
Every scholarly article accepted for publication must have been assessed by at least two independent external reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript. Reviewers are selected for subject competence and impartiality; they do not serve as members of the journal’s editorial team for the manuscript under consideration. The editor verifies reviewer identity and relevant qualifications and checks for possible conflicts of interest.
Reviewers must disclose relationships that could compromise independent judgment, including shared institutional affiliation, recent co-authorship or other close collaboration, supervisor–student relationships, joint funding, financial interests, personal relationships or academic disputes. A reviewer with a significant conflict is not appointed. Authors may suggest or identify unsuitable reviewers with reasons, but the journal retains full control over reviewer selection.
Where reviewers’ assessments materially disagree, specialist expertise is incomplete, or an important ethical or methodological concern requires further examination, the editor may obtain additional independent reviews. An additional opinion does not replace the requirement for two independent assessments before acceptance.
4. Reviewer responsibilities and confidentiality
Reviewers are expected to provide an objective, respectful and sufficiently detailed assessment of originality, relevance, engagement with prior scholarship, research design, analytical rigour, validity of conclusions, appropriate acknowledgement of sources and transparent reporting of limitations. Recommendations must be supported by clear reasoning and constructive comments.
Submitted manuscripts, reviewer correspondence, unpublished data and review reports are confidential. Reviewers must not disclose, distribute or use such material for personal or professional advantage, and must not delegate their review without prior written editorial approval. Reviewers must promptly notify the editor of any conflict of interest, lack of expertise, suspected ethical problem or inability to complete the review.
Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential submitted material to public or third-party generative-AI systems or use such systems to generate peer-review reports or editorial decisions. Any authorised automated checks are conducted with appropriate confidentiality safeguards and human verification. The journal retains human responsibility for all review and publication decisions.
5. Editorial decisions and revisions
After considering the independent review reports, the handling editor may recommend: acceptance; minor revision; major revision; or rejection. A revision request does not guarantee subsequent acceptance. The decision letter communicates the principal grounds for the outcome and, where applicable, the reviewers’ anonymised comments.
Authors invited to revise a manuscript must submit a revised text and a point-by-point response explaining the changes made or the reasons for not adopting particular comments. The handling editor checks the revision and may return it to reviewers or obtain further independent evaluation when necessary. A scholarly article is not accepted until at least two independent reviewer assessments have been completed and the editor considers the manuscript to meet the journal’s standards.
The Editor-in-Chief, or an authorised independent handling editor where a conflict exists, makes the final editorial decision. Reviewers provide recommendations but do not decide acceptance. The journal aims to conduct reviews without unnecessary delay; review duration depends on subject complexity, reviewer availability and the number of revision rounds.
6. Submissions from editors, reviewers and special-issue contributors
Submissions authored by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, editorial-board members, reviewers or persons with close editorial relationships receive no preferential treatment. An editor who is an author or otherwise has a conflict must not select reviewers, handle the confidential editorial assessment or participate in the decision. The review is managed from submission to final decision by an appropriately qualified, unconflicted handling editor.
The journal monitors editorial endogeny. In each of its two most recent issues, the proportion of published research articles with at least one author who is an editor, editorial-board member or journal reviewer must not exceed 25%. This calculation is based on research articles, rather than editorial announcements or other non-research content.
Special or themed issues follow the same peer-review standards as regular issues. Guest editors are appointed on the basis of expertise and are overseen by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent editorial-board member. Research articles submitted by a guest editor must be handled independently and must not exceed 25% of the content of the relevant special issue. An unconflicted editor is responsible for any decision concerning an article authored by a guest editor.
7. Research integrity, complaints and appeals
Potential plagiarism, redundant publication, fabricated or falsified results, manipulated figures, unethical research conduct, undisclosed conflicts of interest, compromised peer review and other integrity concerns are examined by the journal. Relevant authors and, where appropriate, other parties are given an opportunity to respond. The editorial office follows established principles of publication ethics and may consult applicable COPE guidance.
Authors may appeal a decision by writing to office@tksi.org and identifying a substantive factual or procedural error. An appeal is reviewed, where practicable, by an editor not involved in the original decision; complaints involving the Editor-in-Chief are referred to an independent and unconflicted editorial-board member. An appeal is not an automatic opportunity for a second peer-review round, and the journal communicates its decision with reasons.
When concerns are raised after publication, the journal evaluates the evidence and may publish a correction, an expression of concern or a retraction, as appropriate. Such notices are clearly identified and linked to the affected article. The published scholarly record is not silently altered.
8. Documentation and transparency
The editorial office maintains a confidential, traceable record for each manuscript, including the date of submission, initial screening, reviewer invitations and independence checks, review reports, editorial decisions, revised versions, author responses and final disposition. Records are stored with restricted access and handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements. The journal can verify its stated peer-review procedure from these records without publicly disclosing reviewer identities.
The dates of receipt, acceptance and publication are displayed for each published scholarly article. Reviewer identities and confidential reports are not published unless the relevant parties have expressly agreed and applicable confidentiality safeguards are met. This policy applies to manuscripts considered through the journal’s editorial process, irrespective of the technical platform used for submission.
Contact and professional guidance
Peer-review correspondence, ethical concerns and appeals: office@tksi.org
DOAJ — Guide to Applying: https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
COPE — Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers: https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.9
Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/


Open Access Policy


Immediate access, Diamond publishing and unrestricted scholarly dissemination
KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society is a peer-reviewed, Diamond Open Access scholarly journal published by the Knowledge Society Institute, Bulgaria. All scholarly articles first published under this policy are freely and immediately accessible to everyone under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Readers pay no access fees, and authors pay no submission or publication fees. The journal supports the lawful sharing, reuse and long-term availability of published research.
1. Open access commitment and scope
The journal provides immediate open access to the full text of scholarly articles published under this policy, including research articles, reviews, conceptual and methodological studies and scholarly case studies. The same access and licensing conditions apply to regular and special issues. No subscription, payment, institutional affiliation or personal registration is required to read or download published articles.
Open access means more than free reading. The rights holder grants the public permission, through an open licence, to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, index, analyse and otherwise lawfully reuse the licensed article. Material not covered by an article’s open licence, such as clearly identified third-party material, is subject to its separately stated rights.
2. Immediate availability and permitted use
The published full text is accessible from the date of publication without an embargo period. The journal does not operate a hybrid or subscription-based publication route for articles governed by this policy. Access to the published scholarly record is not made conditional on payment, account creation or a request for individual permission.
Readers and automated scholarly services may search, link to, crawl and index publicly available article pages and full texts and may undertake lawful text and data mining within the applicable licence and other legal rights. The publisher does not impose additional contractual or digital-rights-management restrictions on uses permitted by CC BY 4.0. Normal security and service-protection measures must not negate meaningful open access.
3. Diamond Open Access funding and author charges
The journal follows the Diamond Open Access model: there are no charges to readers or authors. Authors are not charged fees for manuscript submission, peer review, editorial processing, article processing or publication, page length, or the use of colour figures and illustrations. The journal does not require any other payment as a condition of manuscript acceptance or publication; therefore, author-fee waivers are not applicable.
The costs of editorial management, production, website maintenance and publication are covered by the publisher, the Knowledge Society Institute. The journal does not rely on article processing charges (APCs) or other author payments as a source of publishing revenue. Editorial evaluation and publication decisions are based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance and research integrity, not financial considerations. Full fee and funding information is also provided in the journal’s Publishing Model and Financial Support and Publication Fees pages.
4. Copyright, licensing and attribution
Authors retain copyright in their original contributions unless a different legal copyright holder must be identified. The publisher receives a non-exclusive right of first publication and the other non-exclusive permissions necessary to disseminate and preserve the work. Each scholarly article first published under this policy is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
CC BY 4.0 allows sharing, redistribution, translation, adaptation and commercial reuse when users provide appropriate credit, link to the licence and indicate changes, without implying endorsement. The journal does not add restrictions inconsistent with this licence. Copyright and licence notices are shown on the individual article page and in the published full text, with any third-party exceptions clearly identified. The complete terms are set out in the journal’s Copyright and Licensing Policy; the article licence does not automatically extend to the publisher’s logo or website design.
5. Author sharing and self-archiving
Authors may make available and deposit the preprint, the author-accepted manuscript and the published version of record in institutional or disciplinary repositories, on personal or institutional websites and on other lawful scholarly platforms. No embargo is imposed and no additional permission from the journal is required. Preprint sharing does not, in itself, disqualify a submission, subject to the journal’s Author Guidelines and Publication Ethics.
When disseminating the published version, authors are encouraged to provide the journal citation, a link to the article’s original publication page and the DOI, if assigned. Repository deposits and subsequent reuse must respect third-party rights and must not disclose confidential editorial or peer-review material.
6. Article access, metadata and discoverability
Each scholarly article is made available individually through a stable, unique webpage with freely accessible full text in PDF or HTML, at a minimum. The article page provides clear bibliographic information, including title, authors, affiliations, abstract, keywords, journal and issue details, and the applicable copyright and licence notices. UDC and JEL classifications are required for new scholarly articles under the journal’s Author Guidelines.
The dates of manuscript receipt, acceptance and publication are displayed on the article page and in the published article. Persistent identifiers, including a DOI where assigned, and the licence URL are included in article-level metadata where supported by the publishing platform. The journal supports discoverability through accurate, openly accessible metadata, indexing and lawful automated harvesting of its public scholarly content.
7. Continued availability and the scholarly record
The publisher is responsible for maintaining public access to the journal’s published content and for implementing appropriate backup, preservation and continuity arrangements. The specific technical measures, repository services and long-term preservation arrangements are described in the separate Digital Preservation and Archiving Policy. Any named external preservation service is identified as active only when the relevant arrangements have been implemented.
Published articles remain part of the scholarly record. If a correction, expression of concern or retraction is necessary, the journal issues a clearly identified and linked notice according to its Corrections and Retractions Policy. Such action does not silently withdraw the work or revoke a CC BY licence already validly granted to users complying with its terms.
8. Earlier publications, implementation and transparency
This policy applies to scholarly articles first published on or after 1 January 2026. Earlier publications retain their applicable historical copyright and reuse conditions; being freely available to read does not, by itself, place an older article under CC BY 4.0. Any retrospective open licensing requires appropriate authorisation from the relevant rights holders.
The journal communicates its open access model, author charges, licensing terms and effective date openly on the website and at article level. Changes to this policy are published transparently and applied prospectively without unilaterally changing licences already granted to published articles. Questions about access, reuse and publication terms may be addressed to the editorial office.
Contact and professional guidance
Open access and publishing-policy enquiries: office@tksi.org
DOAJ — Guide to Applying: https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
DOAJ — Licensing & copyright: https://doaj.org/apply/copyright-and-licensing/
Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/


Digital Preservation and Archiving Policy


Secure backups, independent preservation and continuity of the scholarly record
KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society, published by the Knowledge Society Institute, Bulgaria, is committed to the long-term integrity, accessibility and preservation of its scholarly record. Digital preservation is distinct from ordinary website hosting: published content must remain recoverable in the event of data loss, technological change, platform migration or discontinuation of the journal. This policy establishes the journal’s responsibilities, preservation measures and continuity arrangements without representing an unverified external archiving service as active.
1. Purpose and scope
The preservation programme covers published scholarly articles and their versions of record, article-level bibliographic and licence metadata, complete issue files, and published corrections, expressions of concern and retraction notices. It also covers supplementary files when these are hosted and distributed by the journal. Where available and lawful to retain, the publisher may preserve relevant production files and earlier digitised issues to support future recovery and format migration.
The journal’s objective is to keep this material identifiable, authentic, usable and accessible over time. Preservation does not change the copyright or licence applicable to any publication. Material issued before the current Open Access Policy retains its historical rights and reuse conditions unless the relevant rights holders subsequently authorise a change.
2. Publisher responsibility and secure backups
The Knowledge Society Institute is responsible for maintaining the authoritative published files and an organised preservation inventory. The journal shall maintain secure backup copies separate from its live website, including at least two copies stored in distinct locations or technical environments. Copies are updated following publication of new content and through a scheduled backup process at least monthly.
Access to backup systems is limited to authorised personnel. The publisher shall periodically check that backup files can be retrieved and restored and, where technically practicable, use file-integrity checks to detect corruption or unintended alteration. Backups of public articles and metadata are managed separately from confidential submissions, reviewer reports and personal information, which remain subject to the journal’s confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
3. Preservation formats, metadata and identifiers
The preservation record should contain the final published full text, normally as PDF, together with accessible article metadata. Where practical, the journal will also retain preservation-friendly or structured formats, such as PDF/A or XML, and the editable production source. File formats will be reviewed as technologies change; necessary migrations should maintain readability, content integrity, bibliographic identity and clearly recorded version information.
Preserved metadata should include article title, authors, affiliations, publication and issue details, abstract, keywords, UDC and JEL classifications for articles subject to the current Author Guidelines, the dates of receipt, acceptance and publication, copyright holder and licence, and the DOI where assigned. Each article will retain a stable, unique journal URL. Persistent identifiers improve discovery and linking but do not, on their own, constitute independent long-term preservation.
4. Independent long-term digital preservation
Beyond publisher-controlled backups, the journal will pursue independent long-term preservation through an appropriate archival service or repository capable of retaining scholarly content even if the journal website becomes unavailable. Options may include a recognised preservation agency listed in the Keepers Registry, a suitable national or institutional library programme, or an appropriate deposit with the Internet Archive. Platform-dependent services, including the PKP Preservation Network, will be considered only where technical and eligibility requirements are met.
An external archiving service will be identified on the journal website as active only after the relevant arrangements have been established and actual content deposits have been verified. Registration, expressions of interest, ordinary hosting and DOI registration are not presented as evidence of preservation. Until independent preservation is operational, the publisher will clearly distinguish its internal backup arrangements from external archival coverage and will update the public preservation statement when the status changes.
5. Public access and author self-archiving
Articles first published under the journal’s Open Access Policy are available immediately without payment, registration or embargo and are licensed under CC BY 4.0, subject to clearly identified third-party exceptions. The journal maintains individual article pages with freely accessible full texts and accurate publication metadata. Public access and preservation arrangements should support lawful indexing, retrieval and scholarly reuse.
Authors may deposit the submitted version (preprint), the author-accepted manuscript and the published version of record in institutional or subject repositories and on other lawful scholarly platforms without embargo or additional permission from the journal. Authors are encouraged to cite and link to the version of record and its DOI, where one exists. Author self-archiving strengthens dissemination but is not presented as a substitute for a verified independent preservation arrangement.
6. Integrity of the published record
Published articles are preserved as part of a traceable scholarly record. Corrections, expressions of concern and retractions are issued and linked in accordance with the journal’s Corrections and Retractions Policy. When a notice affects an article, the journal maintains an appropriately identifiable record of the published version and the associated notice rather than silently replacing or removing the scholarly record.
Public access to particular material may be restricted only where justified by applicable law, safety, privacy or a comparably serious legal or ethical requirement. Any restriction is documented as far as appropriate. Such action does not retroactively cancel a valid CC BY 4.0 licence already granted to users who comply with its terms.
7. Continuity, platform migration and cessation of publication
If the journal changes its publishing platform, domain or technical service provider, the publisher will plan and verify transfer of article files, metadata, links and preservation copies before retiring the previous system. Redirects will be maintained where feasible, and DOI landing-page information will be updated when DOIs have been assigned. The editorial office will document the migration and test the accessibility of representative archived articles.
If publication is suspended or the journal or publisher ceases operations, the publisher will seek to preserve continued public access through an independent archive, a suitable successor institution or another lawful long-term repository. Any transfer will include available published full texts, associated metadata and correction or retraction notices, while preserving the applicable copyright and licensing terms. The purpose of an external preservation arrangement is to reduce dependence on the survival of the journal’s own website.
8. Effective date, review and transparency
This policy takes effect on 1 January 2026. It governs preservation planning and arrangements from that date and covers newly published material. The journal will seek to extend preservation coverage to earlier issues where technically feasible and legally permitted, without automatically changing their copyright or reuse conditions.
The publisher will review its preservation arrangements at least annually and after any significant platform change. The journal website will state the actual status of its backup and external archiving arrangements and name an external service only when content deposit is active and verifiable. Significant policy revisions will be dated and published transparently. The editorial office retains records sufficient to demonstrate the measures described in this policy.
Contact and professional guidance
Digital preservation and archival access enquiries: office@tksi.org
DOAJ — Guide to Applying: https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
DOAJ — Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/
ISSN International Centre — Keepers Registry: https://keepers.issn.org/
DOAJ — JASPER preservation service: https://doaj.org/preservation/


Publication Ethics


Research integrity, responsible authorship and independent editorial conduct
KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society, published by the Knowledge Society Institute, Bulgaria, is committed to responsible scholarly publishing and a reliable research record. This policy defines the ethical responsibilities of authors, editors, reviewers and the publisher, and sets out how concerns are reported and assessed. It is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, and is read together with the journal’s Peer Review Policy, Copyright and Licensing Policy, Open Access Policy and Corrections and Retractions Policy.
1. Ethical standards and editorial independence
All submissions are assessed according to scholarly merit, originality, methodological soundness, relevance and research integrity. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by nationality, institutional affiliation, personal characteristics, political or religious views, financial interests, sponsorship or relationships with the journal. The publisher provides organisational and financial support but does not direct decisions on individual manuscripts.
The same ethical requirements apply to regular and special issues. Scholarly submissions are subject to the double-anonymous review arrangements in the Peer Review Policy; editorial notes and other clearly labelled non-research content may receive editorial assessment without being presented as peer-reviewed research. Authors, reviewers and editors must cooperate in good faith with legitimate integrity enquiries.
2. Authorship, contributorship and accountability
Authorship is reserved for individuals who have made a substantive intellectual contribution to the research or manuscript, have participated in drafting or critically revising it, approve the version submitted and accepted for publication, and agree to be accountable for their contribution and to cooperate in resolving questions about the work. All qualifying contributors should be credited; honorary, guest, gift and ghost authorship are unacceptable.
The corresponding author must obtain the agreement of all co-authors to submission, authorship order, declarations and the final published version, and must act as the journal’s point of contact. Authors provide accurate names, affiliations and required ORCID iDs in accordance with the Author Guidelines. Contributions that do not meet the authorship criteria should be acknowledged with the individual’s permission, where appropriate. Requests to add, remove or reorder authors after submission require an explanation and written agreement from all affected authors; unresolved disputes may be referred to the relevant institutions.
3. Originality, attribution and prior dissemination
Authors must submit original work and accurately represent methods, evidence and conclusions. Plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, manipulated or misrepresented data or images, inappropriate text recycling, redundant publication, invented references and misleading selective reporting are prohibited. The work must not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal or have already appeared as substantially the same peer-reviewed publication without clear disclosure and editorial authorisation.
Authors must cite relevant sources accurately, obtain permission for third-party material where required, and disclose closely related publications or overlapping manuscripts. References and citations must follow the journal’s APA 7 requirements. Posting a preprint does not, by itself, disqualify a submission, but the authors must identify any publicly available preprint and disclose material overlap, relevant identifiers and earlier dissemination. Translations, substantial extensions of earlier work and secondary publication require explicit disclosure and prior editorial agreement.
4. Research ethics, consent and protection of participants
Research involving human participants, interviews, questionnaires, personal information or identifiable case material must comply with applicable law and relevant institutional ethical requirements. When required, authors must obtain prior approval from an appropriate research ethics body and disclose its name, reference and approval or exemption status. They must also obtain appropriate informed consent for participation and separate permission for publication of identifiable information where necessary.
Authors must protect privacy and confidentiality, minimise unnecessary personal data and avoid publishing identifying information without a lawful and ethical basis. Research involving vulnerable individuals, children or sensitive topics requires appropriate safeguards. Where relevant, studies involving animals must follow applicable welfare standards and report necessary approvals. The editorial office may request ethics statements or supporting documentation, with confidential records handled in accordance with data-protection obligations.
5. Research data, methods and reproducibility
Authors must describe research design, sources, data collection, analytical methods and limitations sufficiently clearly to permit scholarly evaluation. Results must not be presented as more conclusive or reproducible than the underlying evidence allows. Research involving datasets, code, surveys or instruments should identify materials needed to understand and, where feasible, verify the findings.
Research articles should contain a data availability statement indicating whether supporting data or code are openly available, available on justified request, or restricted, with a reason when access is limited. The journal encourages deposition in trustworthy repositories with persistent identifiers where legally, ethically and contractually possible; disclosure must not compromise personal data, confidential information, intellectual property or legitimate security concerns. Authors must preserve underlying records for an appropriate period under applicable institutional and disciplinary requirements and cooperate with reasonable editorial verification requests.
6. Competing interests, funding and transparency
All authors must declare financial and non-financial interests that could reasonably be perceived to influence the research or its interpretation, including employment, consultancy, grants, intellectual property interests, close collaborations and relevant personal or institutional relationships. Authors must identify funding and describe any material role of funders in study design, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation or the decision to publish. If no relevant competing interests or external funding exist, this must be stated.
Editors and reviewers must promptly disclose potential conflicts and recuse themselves whenever independent judgement could reasonably be questioned. Editorial independence is maintained regardless of the journal’s Diamond Open Access financing by the Knowledge Society Institute; no submission, review, processing or publication fee is charged. Disclosure does not automatically imply misconduct, but concealing a material conflict may require investigation or correction.
7. Peer-review integrity and submissions from editors
Scholarly articles receive double-anonymous external peer review by at least two qualified, independent reviewers before acceptance. Reviewer identities and unpublished submissions remain confidential. The Editor-in-Chief, or an authorised independent handling editor when a conflict exists, makes the final decision on the basis of scholarly assessment; reviewers provide recommendations. The detailed procedures, confidentiality safeguards and appeals route are set out in the Peer Review Policy.
Manuscripts authored by the Editor-in-Chief, members of the editorial team or board, reviewers, guest editors or close editorial associates receive no preferential treatment. A conflicted editor must not select reviewers, access the confidential handling process in an editorial capacity or decide the outcome; an appropriately qualified unconflicted editor manages the manuscript from submission to final decision. In each of the two latest issues, research articles with at least one author who is an editor, board member or journal reviewer must not exceed 25% of research articles published in that issue. Special issues follow the same standards; guest-editor submissions are assessed independently and must not exceed 25% of the relevant special issue, as provided in the Peer Review Policy.
8. Generative AI and automated research tools
Authors may use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools for routine language editing, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, clarity, terminology consistency and stylistic improvements, without a separate disclosure in the published article, provided that the scientific meaning, arguments, methods, findings and conclusions remain unchanged. No quantitative limit is set for such editing: the distinction depends on the nature and intellectual significance of the changes, not the proportion of the manuscript edited.
Authors must disclose substantive AI use, including AI-assisted generation of text, analyses, code, data interpretations or images. Translation of the entire manuscript or any substantial part of it using generative AI, and substantial AI-assisted rewriting of an abstract, section or manuscript, must be declared even if the authors consider that the scientific meaning has been preserved. The declaration must identify the tool and describe the purpose and scope of its use in the relevant manuscript section or acknowledgement; AI use materially affecting research methods or results must also be reported in the methods. Authors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, attribution, scholarly validity, legal compliance and verification of all AI-assisted content, including references and data. AI systems cannot be credited as authors, and AI-generated output must not be presented as an independent scholarly source.
Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential submitted manuscripts, unpublished data or review correspondence to public or third-party generative-AI systems, nor use those systems to generate peer-review reports or editorial decisions. Any journal-authorised automated checks must protect confidential material, be appropriately tested and be verified by a responsible human editor. Routine editorial uses of automated tools will be disclosed where applicable. Where there are reasonable grounds for concern about AI involvement, the editorial office may request clarification or supporting drafts. No automated similarity score or AI-detection result alone establishes misconduct.
9. Allegations of misconduct and evidence-based assessment
Suspected plagiarism, paper-mill submissions, compromised peer review, fabricated or falsified data, image manipulation, undisclosed conflicts, unethical participant research, disputed authorship and other serious concerns may be raised before or after publication by authors, reviewers, readers or other parties. Reports, including substantiated anonymous reports, may be submitted to office@tksi.org with the relevant manuscript or article details and available supporting evidence. Individuals raising concerns in good faith are treated respectfully; the journal will not dismiss a credible concern solely because the reporter is anonymous.
The editorial office makes an initial assessment, preserves relevant evidence and, as appropriate, asks the affected authors or other parties for an explanation before reaching a conclusion. Investigations are proportionate, confidential where possible and free of prejudgement; disclosures to institutions, publishers or other journals are made when necessary and lawful. Editors may follow relevant COPE flowcharts and guidance and may request investigation by the responsible research institution. Possible outcomes include no action, requests for clarification, rejection of a submission, or a post-publication notice under the Corrections and Retractions Policy.
10. Complaints, appeals and post-publication discussion
Complaints about editorial conduct, peer-review procedure or the handling of ethical concerns, and appeals alleging a substantive factual or procedural error in an editorial decision, may be sent to office@tksi.org. The editorial office acknowledges and assesses the matter and assigns it, where practicable, to an editor not involved in the contested decision. Complaints involving the Editor-in-Chief are referred to an independent, unconflicted editorial-board member. The complainant is informed of the reasoned outcome within a reasonable period, subject to confidentiality and procedural fairness.
An appeal does not automatically trigger a second round of external peer review. Readers may also submit evidence-based comments or concerns about published work through the same contact address. The journal considers appropriate corrections, author responses, discussions or formal notices while safeguarding confidential material and personal information. Disagreement over an interpretation alone does not establish misconduct.
11. Corrections, retractions and the published record
Authors who identify a significant error in their published work must inform the journal promptly and cooperate in clarifying its impact. When supported by the evidence, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern or retraction under its separate Corrections and Retractions Policy. Notices are clearly labelled, dated, linked to the affected article and explain the reason to an appropriate degree; the published record is not silently altered. A retraction addresses the reliability of the literature and does not, by itself, prove deliberate misconduct.
Copyright and licence terms are governed by the Copyright and Licensing Policy; published articles under the current Open Access Policy use CC BY 4.0, subject to identified third-party exceptions. Post-publication action does not silently revoke permissions already validly granted under that licence. Preservation of the scholarly record follows the Digital Preservation and Archiving Policy.
12. Effective date, responsibilities and review
This policy takes effect on 1 January 2026 and applies to submissions received from that date. Ethical concerns affecting earlier publications may also be considered to protect the reliability of the scholarly record, taking account of the standards, evidence and rights applicable to those publications. The editorial office maintains restricted-access records of declarations, relevant decisions, investigations and outcomes, in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.
The Editor-in-Chief and the publisher are responsible for keeping the policy accessible on the journal website, ensuring that procedures are implemented and reviewing the policy when important ethical or publishing standards change. Revisions are dated and published transparently. Editorial responsibility for any particular manuscript is assigned to an independent editor whenever a conflict of interest arises.
Contact and professional guidance
Publication ethics, integrity concerns, complaints and appeals: office@tksi.org
COPE — Core Practices: https://publicationethics.org/core-practices
DOAJ — Guide to Applying: https://doaj.org/apply/guide/
DOAJ — Principles of Transparency and Best Practice: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/
ICMJE — Use of Artificial Intelligence in Publishing: https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/artificial-intelligence/


Corrections and Retractions

Post-publication changes, expressions of concern and integrity of the scholarly record
KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society, published by the Knowledge Society Institute, Bulgaria, is committed to maintaining an accurate, transparent and trustworthy scholarly record. This policy explains how the journal assesses concerns about published work and issues corrections, expressions of concern, retractions or, in exceptional circumstances, removal notices. It follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), is informed by NISO guidance on communicating publication changes, and operates alongside the journal’s Publication Ethics, Peer Review, Copyright and Licensing, Open Access, and Digital Preservation and Archiving policies.
1. Principles and scope
The published version of record is a stable, citable part of the scholarly literature. Substantive changes are not made silently: the journal documents the reason for the change, its date and its relationship to the affected article. The principal purpose of a post-publication action is to correct the scholarly record and inform readers, not to punish authors or presume misconduct. An honest error may require correction or retraction, while a disagreement over interpretation alone does not necessarily justify either.
This policy covers research articles and other published scholarly content, including regular and special issues and publications from earlier years when a credible concern arises. The appropriate action depends on the seriousness of the issue and the reliability of the affected work, not merely on whether the author agrees with the proposed notice. Published notices are themselves part of the permanent journal record.
2. Reporting concerns and initial assessment
Authors, readers, reviewers, institutions and other parties may report an error or concern to office@tksi.org. Reports should identify the article (title, authors, issue, URL or DOI where available), describe the alleged problem and, where possible, provide supporting evidence. Credible reports are assessed even when the reporter requests confidentiality or is anonymous. The journal asks authors who discover a significant error in their own published work to inform the editorial office without unnecessary delay.
The editorial office records the report, verifies the relevant publication details, assesses whether the concern is specific and plausible, and determines whether the issue requires an ordinary correction or an integrity investigation. The journal normally acknowledges a substantive report within ten working days where contact details are available. An acknowledgement is not a finding of wrongdoing. The investigation may require original data, documentation, expert advice or institutional assistance; its duration depends on the evidence and complexity of the case.
3. Corrections and documented updates
A correction is appropriate where an identifiable error or omission materially affects the accuracy, interpretation, attribution or completeness of the published record, but the work’s central results and conclusions remain reliable. Examples include incorrect data labels, numerical or methodological details, figure or table errors, reference or citation problems, or missing funding, ethics, conflict-of-interest or contributor information. Corrections may result from author errors or from production and editorial errors; the notice identifies the matter without implying misconduct.
A substantive correction is published as a separate, clearly labelled and dated notice linked to the original article. The notice specifies what was wrong, what has been corrected and whether the conclusions are affected. When a corrected PDF or HTML version is supplied, it is marked with a version or correction date and connected to the notice; the previous version is retained in the publisher’s preservation record where lawful. Minor typographical or technical display adjustments that do not affect scholarly meaning may be recorded in an accessible change history without a separate formal notice; material textual changes are never concealed.
4. Expressions of concern
An Expression of Concern may be published when there is a credible, potentially serious doubt about the integrity or reliability of a published article, but available evidence does not yet justify a correction or retraction and readers should be alerted. This may occur during a protracted investigation, where an institutional enquiry is pending, or where relevant evidence remains inconclusive. It is not a substitute for a fully supported retraction, nor a mechanism for penalising authors.
The notice identifies the affected article, states the concerns as precisely and neutrally as the available evidence permits, explains the status of the enquiry, and avoids unsupported allegations. The editor revisits the matter as reliable information becomes available. An Expression of Concern may be followed by a correction, retraction, or a dated notice explaining that the concern has been resolved or is no longer supported; the journal preserves a transparent record of that outcome.
5. Retractions
Retraction is considered when the editor concludes that the work, or a fundamental part of it, is so unreliable or seriously compromised that readers should not rely on its findings or conclusions. Grounds may include major analytical or methodological error; fabricated, falsified or materially manipulated data or images; substantial plagiarism or unacknowledged redundant publication; serious unethical research; or compromised peer review or publication processes that undermine confidence in the article. The grounds are assessed individually. Retraction does not, by itself, establish deliberate misconduct.
The handling editor explains the concerns to the corresponding author and, where practicable, the other authors, and provides a fair opportunity to respond. The journal may seek specialist advice or findings from relevant institutions but retains responsibility for the editorial decision. Once adequate evidence establishes that the article is fundamentally unreliable, retraction should not be delayed solely by an author’s refusal, lack of response or a pending institutional process. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or an independent, unconflicted editor if the Editor-in-Chief is involved or otherwise conflicted.
A retraction notice identifies the article fully, explains the verified reason for retraction, names the party issuing the notice, gives the date and states where relevant whether authors agree or disagree. Wording is factual and proportionate, protects confidential information and distinguishes demonstrated error from suspected or established misconduct. The original article normally remains accessible but is prominently labelled RETRACTED on its landing page and accessible full-text versions, with a clear link to the retraction notice.
6. Exceptional removal or restriction of content
Complete removal of a published article is exceptional and is not the ordinary response to unreliable findings. Removal or restricted access may be necessary for a binding legal requirement, infringement of privacy or confidentiality, serious personal safety risks, or another compelling legal or ethical reason that cannot be addressed adequately by redaction or a retraction notice. The publisher will obtain appropriate legal or specialist advice when needed and restrict the material no more than necessary.
Where lawful, the article’s bibliographic landing page remains accessible with a clearly labelled removal notice explaining the reason in appropriate terms, the date, and the identity of the affected publication. The journal preserves citation information and the evidence of the action to the extent legally permitted. A legal removal does not erase the historical fact of publication, and its effect on access or licensing is explained without claiming that an existing CC BY 4.0 licence can simply be revoked.
7. Publication, linking and metadata of notices
Each formal correction, Expression of Concern, retraction or removal notice has its own stable journal webpage and publicly accessible text. It clearly states the notice type, publication date, affected article’s full citation and URL or DOI where one exists, and the reason and status of the action. Notices are linked in both directions between the notice and the article; the original article page, abstract view and PDF or HTML version display an appropriate prominent status indicator. Relevant notices are also identified from the corresponding issue or archive page.
The journal updates article and notice metadata and notifies relevant DOI registration or indexing services when such services are in use and technical support is available. A separate DOI is assigned to a formal notice when the journal has an active DOI registration arrangement that supports this practice. Metadata relationships and publication-status updates follow applicable Crossref or other registry procedures; the journal does not claim Crossmark participation unless that service is actually implemented. The original article DOI, if one exists, continues to resolve.
8. Procedural fairness, independence and appeals
Enquiries are evidence-based, proportionate and confidential to the extent compatible with fair process and public notices. Relevant authors are informed of substantive concerns and normally invited to provide an explanation or documentation before the final decision. The editor may consult independent experts or research institutions and seeks to avoid unnecessary disclosure of personal data, confidential correspondence and unproven accusations. Where a series of articles is affected by a common concern, each article’s status and evidence are considered appropriately, even if the investigation is coordinated.
Editors must declare conflicts of interest and take no part in the handling or decision concerning their own publications or the work of close associates. Such cases are assigned to an independent handling editor, including cases involving the Editor-in-Chief. A reasoned request to reconsider a post-publication decision may be sent to office@tksi.org and, where practicable, is reviewed by an unconflicted editor not responsible for the original decision. An appeal does not automatically suspend a necessary notice or guarantee a different outcome.
9. Preservation, copyright and earlier issues
The journal retains a traceable record of reports, relevant correspondence, evidence, decisions, notices and publication versions with access restricted as appropriate. Its Digital Preservation and Archiving Policy governs safeguarding and continuity of the record, including materials from earlier issues where feasible. In combined full-issue PDFs or legacy archives, the journal will provide a clear notice and link at the issue or article level when a published item has been corrected or retracted, while retaining appropriate preservation copies.
Corrections and retractions do not automatically transfer copyright or silently change an article’s licence. For articles published under the journal’s current Copyright and Licensing and Open Access policies, the CC BY 4.0 terms remain applicable to licensed material and permissions already validly granted, subject to applicable law and separately identified third-party rights. Older publications retain their historical rights conditions. The journal applies the same evidence-based integrity principles to concerns about older articles, without retroactively asserting new licensing rights.
10. Effective date, implementation and review
This policy takes effect on 1 January 2026. This policy applies to concerns reported on or after its effective date, irrespective of the original publication date of the affected article. The editorial office maintains a public policy page and provides formal notices without charging authors or readers. Its procedures are reviewed periodically and after major changes in recognised publication-ethics guidance or publishing infrastructure.
The Editor-in-Chief has primary editorial responsibility for decisions made under this policy, subject to mandatory recusal and independent handling in conflicted cases. The Knowledge Society Institute provides technical and organisational support for accurate notices, metadata updates and preservation but does not override independent editorial judgements. Revisions to this policy will be dated and published transparently.
Contact and professional guidance
Post-publication errors, integrity concerns and appeals: office@tksi.org
COPE — Retraction Guidelines (2025): https://doi.org/10.24318/cope.2019.1.4
NISO — Communication of Retractions, Removals, and Expressions of Concern (2024): https://www.niso.org/publications/rp-45-2024-crec
Crossref — Version control, corrections, and retractions: https://www.crossref.org/documentation/principles-practices/best-practices/versioning/
DOAJ — Principles of Transparency and Best Practice: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/


Current

KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society - Current Issue
CURRENT ISSUE

KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society

High Technology for Sustainable Development

The scientific journal of the Knowledge Society Institute, dedicated to research in technology, management, economics, innovation and knowledge development.

Issue: 1 / 2026 ISSN: 1313-4787 (Print) Online ISSN: 2367-5403
View Issue PDF

Articles in This Issue

Archives

KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society - Current Issue
CURRENT ISSUE

KSI Transactions on Knowledge Society

High Technology for Sustainable Development

The scientific journal of the Knowledge Society Institute, dedicated to research in technology, management, economics, innovation and knowledge development.

Issue: 1 / 2026 ISSN: 1313-4787 (Print) Online ISSN: 2367-5403
View Issue PDF

Submissions

Author Guidelines



Requirements for Submissions

With the support of

Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions

The Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria (FSTU) is a national non-governmental organization with a long-standing tradition, whose historical roots date back to 1880, bringing together scientific and technical unions and professional communities across various engineering and applied fields. The Federation aims to support the development of science, technology, and innovation by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and public institutions.

With more than 140 years of tradition and institutional experience, FSTU plays a key role in the development of the engineering and scientific community in Bulgaria. Through the organization of scientific conferences, forums, training activities, and expert initiatives, the Federation promotes knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and professional development. The organization actively contributes to sustainable development and enhances the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy within the European and global scientific and technological community.

The Federation maintains partnership relations with international organizations, including IEEE, aiming to promote scientific exchange and technological development.



Knowledge Society Institute

Knowledge Society Institute is an organization with expertise in the development and management of projects in high-technology domains, covering the areas of management, analytics, research, and transformation.



IEEE Bulgarian Section, Technology and Engineering Management Society Chapter

The IEEE Bulgaria Section, Technology and Engineering Management Society Chapter is a professional unit of IEEE that brings together academics, engineers, managers, researchers, and industry professionals interested in the intersection of technology, engineering, innovation, and management. The Chapter aims to support knowledge exchange, professional development, and collaboration between academia, industry, and public institutions in Bulgaria. Its activities focus on topics such as technology management, digital transformation, AI, cybersecurity, innovation management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and the strategic management of engineering and technological organizations.

General Information

Focus and Scope



Journal Indexing

Partners

SUNOTEC Group is a leading European provider of integrated solar solutions and large-scale energy infrastructure. Founded in 2012, the company delivers end-to-end services including design, engineering, construction, and operation of photovoltaic power plants, covering the entire project lifecycle.

With over 650 completed projects and more than 12 GW of installed capacity, SUNOTEC combines international expertise with strong local presence across Europe and beyond. Guided by sustainability and circular economy principles, the company actively contributes to the global energy transition through innovative and reliable solutions.

LOGO SUNOTEC

Registration Fee

The registration fee is 150 EUR. It includes admission to conference sessions, a digital copy of Conference Proceedings, coffee breaks and banquet. There will be reduced fee of 50 EUR for students, for members of CEEC.

One registration fee covers participation with up to three papers. For each additional paper, addition fee of 100 EUR is applied.

For accompanying persons addition fee of 50 EUR is applied.

An additional publication fee will be required for papers accepted for publication in the indexed journal, following the issuance of the official acceptance letter.

The fees must be paid via bank transfer. The banking details are as follows:

Account holder: CEEC Bulgaria

Account holder is: legal entity, registered with VAT BG831402827

Account holder address: 108 Rakovski St, 1000 Sofia, BULGARIA

Bank name: UniCredit Bulbank
Bank address: 7 Sveta Nedelya Sq., 1000 Sofia, BULGARIA
IBAN: BG75UNCR96601018862401
BIC or SWIFT: UNCRBGSF
Reason for Payment: SMART2027, include also the name of the participant.

Publication

Following peer review, each submitted paper will be considered for publication in academic journals. Selected papers will be recommended for publication in a journal indexed in Web of Science (Q3). An additional publication fee will be required for papers accepted for publication in the indexed journal, following the issuance of the official acceptance letter.

Instructions for Authors




Instructions for Authors




Commitee

Contact

Mailing address: Tzar Samouil 7, Sofia, 1463, Bulgaria

Principal Contact

Prof. Dr.Sc. Kiril Anguelov

Phone +389889433433

office@tksi.org

Support Contact

Prof. Dr.Ivaylo Stoyanov

i.ts.stoyanov@gmail.com

The editorial board of the journal invites the submission of scientific papers in:

  • Issue № 1 until 1 June of the current year.
  • Issue № 2 until 1 December of the current year.

Announcements

The editorial board of the journal invites the submission of scientific papers in:

  • Issue № 1 until 1 June of the current year.
  • Issue № 2 until 1 December of the current year.


The paper should include not only UDC and JEL Classіfіcatіon (that is laid out at the beginning of the article and precede the text) – but also ORCID (https://orcid.org/register).

The article should be prepared in word processing program Microsoft Office Word 2003.

Section headings should be set in bold.

Under the table or under the picture the references for the source of information should be added.

METADATA


the author’s name, surname (it is obligatory to give the author’s name and surname in English according to passport data or any other IDs);
the author’s information (scientific degree, academic rank, position, place of work or study, city);
the title of the article;
the abstract;
the author’s abstract in English;
key words (should not duplicate words from the title of the article);
JEL Classіfіcatіon;
e-mail;
Identifier ORCID;
references.
General requirements for submission formatting