Academic integrity policy
The journal adheres to the principles of academic integrity at all stages of the editorial and publishing process.
Academic integrity encompasses:
- honesty in the presentation of research results;
- transparency of methodology and data interpretation;
- proper citation of sources;
- respect for intellectual property rights;
- prevention of fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct;
- clear definition of authorship (unacceptability of "guest" authorship).
Authors, reviewers, editors, and members of the editorial board are obligated to adhere to the ethical standards of scientific communication and internationally recognized practices.
PLAGIARISM POLICY
The journal maintains a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism and all other forms of academic misconduct. All manuscripts are checked for textual overlaps using specialized software before the peer review process begins.
Plagiarism and related misconduct include:
- verbatim reproduction of text without proper referencing;
- paraphrasing without indicating the source;
- use of ideas, data, or results without appropriate citation;
- self-plagiarism (duplicate or redundant publication);
- data fabrication or falsification.
If plagiarism is detected:
- before publication: the manuscript is rejected;
- after publication: the article may be corrected or retracted, depending on the severity of the violation.
In cases of severe violations, the editorial office reserves the right to notify the author's affiliated institution.
COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURE
The journal provides a transparent procedure for handling complaints regarding editorial decisions, the peer review process, compliance with publication ethics, or potential violations of academic integrity.
Complaints may concern:
- suspected violations of academic integrity;
- biased or improper peer review;
- undeclared conflicts of interest;
- issues regarding authorship or data reliability.
A complaint must be submitted to the editorial board in writing, providing a clear justification and, whenever possible, supporting materials.
The editorial board will:
- Acknowledge receipt of the complaint.
- Conduct a preliminary analysis.
- If necessary, forward the materials to the editorial council and/or independent experts for review.
- Adopt a reasoned decision in accordance with COPE guidelines.
The complainant will be informed of the outcome of the review. If necessary, appropriate editorial actions may be taken (e.g., publishing a correction or retracting the publication).
