General Editorial Policy and Publication Ethics
Relationships between authors, editors and reviewers in our journal are based on academic benevolence, objectivity of ratings and priority of scientific quality. We are following the principles of Code of Conduct for Editors as defined by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE), in particular
FAIR PLAY
Manuscripts shall be evaluated for their scientific quality, regardless of author’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality or political opinions.
We strictly follow the recommendations and guidelines of the COPE, a leading global organization in the field of scholarly publication ethics. All authors, reviewers, and editors involved with the journal are obligated to familiarize themselves with and adhere to these standards, as well as all applicable laws and regulations, including Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines of the Publication Ethics Committee.
EDITORS RESPONSIBILITIES
The editor-in-chief shall be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and consults with other editors or reviewers about the decision to publish.
EDITORS
● have full authority to reject / accept the article, guided by objective scientific criteria and findings reviewers;
● ensure the quality of the material they publish;
● must disclose any conflicts of interest;
● keep information pertaining to submitted manuscripts confidential;
● champion freedom of scientific expression.
If editors suspect the authenticity, originality or ethical correctness of an article, publication of the last is delayed until any doubt is clarified. Unpublished materials from submitted manuscript must not be used in an Editor’s own research without the express written consent of the author.
AUTHOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Authors must
● ensure that they have written truly original works;
● have significant contribution to the research (if a paper has several authors);
● guarantee obtained permission for use of copyrighted materials;
● certify that the manuscript has not previously been published elsewhere and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere;
● identify all sources used in the creation of their manuscript;
● disclose in their manuscript any substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the assessment of their manuscript.
By submitting an article to the editorial board, the authors agree that (in the case of publication in the paper version journal) their text will be automatically published in the online version of the journal (under open access).
REVIEWER RESPONSIBILITIES
Reviewer must:
● notify Editorial staff of any conflicts of interest that may determine their findings;
● keep information pertaining to the manuscript confidential;
● be objective and constructive in their reviews.
Unpublished materials from submitted manuscript must not be used in reviewers' own research without the express written consent of the author.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
The journal adheres to the principles of transparency and academic integrity in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
Definition of Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest occurs when personal, financial, professional, or institutional relationships may influence, or be perceived to influence, the objectivity of the evaluation, peer review, or editorial decision-making process regarding a manuscript.
Declaration of Conflict of Interest
- Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest at the time of manuscript submission. Alternatively, the authors declare (confirm) that there is no CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
- Reviewers must inform the editorial office of any circumstances that may affect their impartiality and decline to review the manuscript if a conflict of interest exists.
- Editors must refrain from making editorial decisions on manuscripts if a conflict of interest with the authors or the subject of the research exists.
Conflict of Interest Management Procedure
If a conflict of interest is identified, the following measures are applied:
- recusal of the editor or reviewer from the manuscript evaluation process;
- appointment of an independent handling editor to oversee the peer review process;
- engagement of independent reviewers;
- documentation of the basis for the conflict of interest and the decision taken in the editorial records.
Handling of Manuscripts Submitted by Editors
Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, editors, or members of the editorial board are handled under a special procedure to ensure impartiality:
- the editor-author is not involved in the editorial handling of their manuscript;
- an independent handling editor without any conflict of interest is appointed;
- the manuscript is sent to at least two independent reviewers;
- all editorial decisions are made by the independent editor based on the reviewers’ reports.
The editorial office ensures confidentiality and transparency in the management of conflicts of interest.
PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES
Readers who have concerns or complaints about published articles should first contact the respective author to try to resolve the issue directly before contacting the editor.
The editorial office can be contacted in cases where it is impractical to contact the authors, if the authors did not respond, or if the problem was not resolved.
Additionally, the editorial office should be contacted in cases where a complaint or inquiry concerns violations of academic integrity and/or publication ethics.
The journal considers all complaints regarding possible violations of academic integrity and publication ethics in accordance with the international guidelines of COPE. A complaint should be submitted to the editorial office in written form and must include a clear description of the alleged violation and, where possible, supporting evidence.
The Editor-in-Chief conducts an initial assessment of the complaint and, if necessary, initiates an investigation involving members of the editorial board or independent experts. The parties concerned are given the opportunity to provide explanations.
Based on the results of the review, the editorial office may decide to reject the complaint, issue corrections to the publication, publish an expression of concern, or retract the article. The complainant and the relevant parties are informed of the decision. The review process is conducted confidentially and impartially. The editorial team will confirm receipt of your complaint within 5–10 working days. The investigation of a complaint usually takes 30–60 days, although more complex cases may require additional time to resolve.
The handling of complaints and appeals concerning violations of academic integrity by participants in the publication process (authors, reviewers, members of the editorial board) will be conducted in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Academic Integrity" from the moment it enters into force. Violations of academic integrity subject to consideration include, but are not limited to: academic plagiarism (Article 24), fabrication (Article 27), falsification (Article 28), attribution of authorship (Article 25), dishonest use of results generated by artificial intelligence (Article 29), as well as dishonest assessment (Article 30). If a violation is confirmed, the editorial board shall apply the response measures provided for in Article 19 of the Law: refusal to publish, retraction of the article with mandatory publication of the reason, and shall also inform the management of the institution where the violator(s) work or study, for the application of sanctions provided by law (Articles 22–36).
The editorial board is guided by the principles of responding to violations of academic integrity defined in Article 20 of the Law: mandatory and timely response, impartial (non‑discriminatory) treatment of persons against whom a report has been filed, proportionality of the violation and response measures, as well as transparency of procedures. The processing of reports is carried out in accordance with Article 37 of the Law, which guarantees the person against whom the report is filed the right to be informed of the commencement of the procedure, to access the materials of the investigation, to provide explanations, and to be present during the examination of the case.
The editors will coordinate with the applicant, author/s and editors-in-chief or members of the editorial board to investigate, correct or resolve any problems or complaints.
