Governance & Research Practice
Policies & Documents
This page presents the internal principles, procedural frameworks, and approved documents that guide the scientific activities of the Space Physics Department (SRTI-BAS).
The documents are internal and informational in nature and reflect decisions formally adopted by the Department.
Scientific Profile
Research Profile and Scope of Expertise
The Position Paper sets out the scientific profile, methodological foundations, and expert competence of the Department within a multidisciplinary institutional context. It provides a descriptive framework that facilitates a clear understanding of the Department’s scientific expertise.
It defines the Department’s research domain and responsibilities, ensuring coherence between scientific expertise and institutional engagement.
Research Integrity & Ethics
The Department follows established European and international standards of good scientific practice, grounded in scientific expertise, methodological rigour and relevance, academic autonomy, and transparent institutional procedures.
The official full version of the framework is available in Bulgarian. The English version is provided for reference.
Scientific expertise, methodological soundness, and academic autonomy constitute the foundation of the Department’s research and evaluation activities.
Scientific Expertise
Scientific quality is ensured through peer review, relevant expertise, methodological soundness, and the validity and robustness of results.
Thematic Expertise
Relevant scientific expertise is determined by the subject and objectives of the research, irrespective of the methods employed.
Responsible Research
Research is conducted with due consideration of potential risks, a clear distinction between scientific research and its applications, and compliance with applicable European ethical and dual-use regulatory frameworks.
Transparency and Accountability
Scientific evaluation, administrative procedures, and institutional decision-making processes are clearly distinguished to ensure the integrity of both evaluation and decision-making.
Conflict of Interest Safeguards
Impartiality in scientific evaluation and decision-making is ensured through the declaration and appropriate management of conflicts of interest and competing roles.
European and International Framework
Scientific activity is aligned with the principles of the European Research Area and international scientific standards.
Ethical Code of the Department
The Ethical Code establishes the fundamental principles of scientific integrity, academic freedom, and professional responsibility. It guides the conduct of research, collegial relationships, and responsible communication, while ensuring trust and accountability within the Department and in its interactions across a multidisciplinary institutional environment.
Procedural Framework
Rules for Scientific Activity
The Department applies internal procedures to ensure scientific quality, methodological soundness, independent expert evaluation, early identification of potential dual-use aspects, and a clear distinction between scientific assessment and administrative decision-making.
Criteria for Positions
Criteria for Academic and Research Positions
The recruitment, evaluation, and career development of academic and research positions within the Space Physics Department are grounded in scientific competence, thematic expertise, research excellence, and demonstrated contributions.
The criteria reflect these principles and establish the requirements for educational background, research competence, and professional development.
Authorship and Contribution Standards
The assessment of scientific contributions in publications shall be based on internationally recognised authorship frameworks, including the ICMJE criteria and the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy). Authorship shall be attributed exclusively on the basis of substantial intellectual contribution, including, where relevant, conceptualization, methodology, analysis, interpretation of results, and substantive scientific writing. Authors assume responsibility for the integrity and scientific validity of the work.
Activities Not Constituting Authorship
Technical, administrative, linguistic, or auxiliary support activities, including translation, language editing, formatting, routine data collection, or general supervision, shall not constitute authorship unless they are accompanied by a substantial intellectual contribution to the conception, methodology, analysis, or interpretation of the research.
Such contributions may be acknowledged, where appropriate.
Approved Documents
The Ethical Code, the Rules for Scientific Activity, and the Criteria for Academic and Research Positions were adopted by decision of the Space Physics Department, as recorded in Protocol No. 1 (28 January 2026).
The documents are maintained as living frameworks and are subject to periodic review and update in line with evolving scientific practice and applicable European frameworks.