Publication Ethics Policy of the Scientific Journal

1. General Provisions

1.1. This Policy defines the main principles, standards, and requirements of publication ethics to be observed by the founder, editorial office, editorial board, authors, reviewers, and other participants in the editorial and publishing process of the scientific journal.

1.2. Adherence to publication ethics principles is a mandatory condition for ensuring the quality of scientific publications, the reliability of research results, the transparency of editorial procedures, and the maintenance of academic integrity.

1.3. In its activities, the editorial board follows internationally recognized standards of academic publishing, the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), principles of transparency and best practices in scholarly publishing, as well as the applicable legislation of Ukraine in the fields of education, science, copyright, and information activities.

1.4. This Publication Ethics Policy is publicly available and is published on the official website of the journal.

2. Core Principles of Publication Ethics

2.1. The editorial board ensures:

  • legality, openness, and transparency of editorial policy;
  • objectivity in manuscript evaluation;
  • scientific impartiality;
  • confidentiality of editorial and peer review processes;
  • prevention of conflicts of interest;
  • avoidance of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and duplicate publication;
  • appropriate response to detected violations of academic integrity.

2.2. All participants in the editorial and publishing process must act in good faith, responsibly, and in accordance with professional ethics.

3. Editorial Board and Editorial Office

3.1. The journal must have an editorial board or another governing editorial body composed of qualified experts in relevant fields.

3.2. The official website must provide up-to-date information on editorial board members, including full name, academic degree, academic title, affiliation, and place of work.

3.3. The Editor-in-Chief and editorial board are responsible for:

  • developing editorial policy;
  • organizing objective review of submitted materials;
  • ensuring compliance with ethical standards;
  • making decisions on acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts;
  • publishing guidelines for authors, reviewers, and readers.

3.4. The editorial board must not discriminate against authors based on gender, age, race, nationality, citizenship, language, religion, political views, place of employment, or other non-scientific factors.

4. Responsibilities of Authors

4.1. Authors submit original scientific materials containing reliable research results, properly prepared in accordance with the journal’s requirements.

4.2. Authors are responsible for:

  • scientific novelty and reliability of results;
  • accuracy of facts, citations, statistical data, names, and terminology;
  • proper referencing of sources;
  • compliance with academic integrity standards;
  • accurate authorship and co-authorship attribution;
  • disclosure of funding sources, where applicable.

4.3. Submission of a manuscript implies that:

  • the material has not been previously published in the same form;
  • the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere;
  • all co-authors have approved the final version and agree to submission.

4.4. The following are unacceptable:

  • plagiarism in any form;
  • self-plagiarism without proper citation;
  • fabrication or falsification of research results;
  • manipulation of illustrative, tabular, or statistical materials;
  • submission of false information regarding authorship, affiliation, or funding sources.

4.5. Authors must respond to editorial comments within the specified timeframe by revising the manuscript or providing justified explanations.

4.6. If a significant error is discovered after submission or publication, authors must promptly notify the editorial board and cooperate in issuing corrections or retraction.

5. Peer Review

5.1. All submitted manuscripts are subject to mandatory peer review.

5.2. Peer review is conducted by qualified experts in the relevant field.

5.3. The peer review procedure must be clearly defined and publicly available on the journal’s website.

5.4. Reviewers must:

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively and impartially;
  • maintain confidentiality;
  • disclose conflicts of interest;
  • identify similarities with other works;
  • provide constructive and reasoned feedback.

5.5. Reviewers must not use unpublished material without the author’s written consent.

6. Handling Violations of Publication Ethics

6.1. The editorial board takes all necessary measures to prevent ethical violations at all stages of the publication process.

6.2. In case of suspected misconduct, the editorial board conducts an investigation and may request explanations from relevant parties.

6.3. Possible actions include:

  • rejection of the manuscript;
  • request for revision;
  • publication of corrections;
  • publication of statements;
  • retraction of the publication;
  • other appropriate actions.

6.4. The editorial board must not knowingly publish materials involving unethical practices.

7. Conflict of Interest

7.1. A conflict of interest arises when personal, professional, financial, or other interests may influence editorial decisions or publication content.

7.2. Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any conflicts of interest.

7.3. Appropriate measures must be taken to eliminate the influence of such conflicts.

8. Copyright and Access

8.1. Information on copyright, licensing, and usage conditions must be clearly stated on the journal’s website.

8.2. Conditions of access to full-text publications, including possible fees or subscriptions, must be transparent.

9. Archiving and Preservation

9.1. The journal ensures archiving and backup of published materials.

9.2. Information on archiving procedures and long-term access must be publicly available.

10. Transparency of Journal Information

10.1. Information about the founder, publisher, ownership, and governance structure must be transparent and accessible.

10.2. Institutional names must not mislead users.

10.3. The website must provide accurate and comprehensive information on editorial policy, submission procedures, peer review, ethics, copyright, archiving, and publication schedule.

11. Publication Frequency

11.1. The journal must have a clearly defined publication schedule.

11.2. Adherence to the declared frequency reflects proper editorial practice and professional responsibility.

12. Journal Title

12.1. The journal title must be unique, accurate, and not misleading.

12.2. Names similar to well-known journals must not be used if they may cause confusion.

13. Publication of the Policy

13.1. This Policy must be published on a dedicated page of the journal’s website.

13.2. The page must have a direct URL and be accessible via a clear hyperlink from the homepage.

13.3. The Policy may be revised and updated in accordance with international standards, national legislation, and editorial policy changes.