Editorial Policy and Ethics

Editorial Policy and Ethics

The journal follows internationally recognized standards of publication ethics and academic integrity, including the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other widely accepted international principles of scholarly publishing.

The editorial policy is designed to ensure transparency, objectivity, academic quality, and ethical responsibility of all participants in the publication process – authors, reviewers, and editors.

  1. General principles of publication ethics

The journal adheres to the following core COPE principles:

  • honesty and reliability of research findings;
  • transparency of all stages of the editorial process;
  • fair and unbiased treatment of authors regardless of status, institution, or country;
  • non-discrimination on any grounds;
  • responsibility of all participants for compliance with ethical standards.
  1. Ethical responsibilities of authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to the journal are expected to:

  • submit only original research that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere;
  • properly cite all sources used;
  • avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and data fabrication;
  • disclose any potential conflicts of interest;
  • comply with ethical standards in the use of research materials.

In cases of detected violations, the editorial board reserves the right to reject a manuscript or retract a published article.

  1. Peer review principles

The journal applies a double-blind peer review system, which ensures:

  • anonymity of both authors and reviewers;
  • objectivity and impartiality of evaluation;
  • assessment based solely on scholarly criteria;
  • confidentiality of all materials involved in the review process.

Reviewers are expected to:

  • evaluate manuscripts fairly, objectively, and constructively;
  • inform the editorial board of any conflicts of interest;
  • not use unpublished materials for their own research prior to publication.
  1. Editorial responsibilities

The editorial board ensures:

  • independence of editorial decisions from external influence;
  • fair and unbiased consideration of all submitted manuscripts;
  • confidentiality of manuscripts and reviews;
  • response to all suspected cases of ethical misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines;
  • the possibility of corrections, retractions, or clarifications of published materials when necessary.
  1. Research integrity policy

The journal maintains zero tolerance toward:

  • plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
  • data fabrication or falsification;
  • duplicate submission or publication;
  • improper authorship;
  • undisclosed conflicts of interest.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using specialized plagiarism detection tools.

  1. Corrections, retractions, and editorial changes

In cases where errors or ethical issues are identified after publication, the journal follows COPE guidelines regarding:

  • corrections (Erratum / Corrigendum);
  • retractions;
  • editorial notes or clarifications.

These measures aim to ensure the accuracy of the scholarly record and maintain trust in published research.

  1. Conflict of interest

All participants in the publication process are required to disclose any financial, professional, or other conflicts of interest that may influence the objectivity of the review or interpretation of research results.

  1. Responsibility of participants

The journal considers authors, reviewers, and editors equal participants in scholarly communication who share responsibility for:

  • the quality of academic content;
  • adherence to ethical standards;
  • the development of an integrity-based scholarly environment.