Procedure for Reviewing Complaints Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics
- Purpose and Scope
This Procedure establishes the process for handling complaints concerning violations of ethical principles by authors, reviewers, or members of the journal’s editorial board. It applies to issues related to plagiarism, improper appropriation of materials, conflicts of interest, data manipulation, and other breaches of academic integrity.
2. Submission of a Complaint
2.1. Complaints shall be submitted electronically to the journal’s official email address.
2.2. A complaint must clearly specify:
* the complainant’s contact details;
* a reference to the publication or material under consideration;
* a detailed description of the alleged violation, with references to supporting evidence.
2.3. Anonymous complaints are not considered.
- Preliminary Review Stage
3.1. The Editor-in-Chief appoints an authorized person to conduct a preliminary assessment of the complaint.
3.2. Within five working days, the authorized person verifies:
* whether the complaint falls within the journal’s scope;
* whether there are sufficient grounds for further consideration.
3.3. The complainant is notified of the registration of the complaint or of the refusal to consider it.
- Consideration of the Complaint
4.1. A commission consisting of three independent experts is established to consider the complaint.
4.2. The commission has the right to:
* request additional materials and explanations;
* involve independent experts;
* conduct consultations with all interested parties.
4.3. The period for consideration shall not exceed 30 calendar days.
- Decisions and Measures
5.1. Upon consideration, the commission may adopt one of the following decisions:
* dismiss the complaint as unfounded;
* recognize the violation as minor and recommend corrective actions;
* recognize the violation as serious and take appropriate measures.
5.2. Possible measures in cases of serious violations include:
* refusal to publish the material;
* retraction of an already published article;
* a temporary ban on manuscript submissions;
* notification of the author’s affiliated institution regarding the violation.
- Protection of the Rights of the Parties
6.1. All parties to the dispute have the right to:
* receive full information about the review process;
* submit their explanations and evidence;
* appeal the commission’s decision.
6.2. Confidentiality of the process is guaranteed to all participants.
- Appeal of Decisions
7.1. The commission’s decision may be appealed to the Editor-in-Chief within 14 days.
7.2. The Editor-in-Chief considers the appeal within 10 working days.
7.3. The decision of the Editor-in-Chief is final.
Members of the journal’s editorial board shall adhere to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and the journal’s principles of publication ethics.
