PUBLICATION ETHICS
1. Compliance with the principles and recommendations of COPE, WAME, DORA.
The editorial board of the journal adheres to the principles and recommendations of international organizations, in particular:
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics): transparency in the submission, peer review, and publication processes. Impartiality and independence of editors and reviewers. Academic integrity – prevention of plagiarism, falsification, and duplicate publications. Proper authorship – clear identification of each author’s contribution. Handling complaints – availability of transparent and clear procedures for appeals and ethical claims. Retraction and correction of articles – established procedures for retractions, corrections, and error notifications.
WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) – WAME recommendations are applied in a broader scientific context: Editorial independence – editorial decisions are made without influence from sponsors, institutions, or commercial interests. Conflicts of interest – all authors, reviewers, and editors are required to disclose them. Peer review – ensuring objective, fair, and timely expert evaluation. Transparency of funding – disclosure of information on grants, sponsors, and funding sources. Support for early-career researchers – promoting publications by researchers at early stages of their careers.
DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment). The journal supports principles of fair research assessment: evaluation of quality rather than metrics – research is assessed based on its scientific quality, novelty, and contribution to the field, not solely on bibliometric indicators (impact factor, h-index). Recognition of diverse research outputs – software, data, algorithms, technical solutions, etc. Support for interdisciplinary research alongside traditional publications. Promotion of open science – publication of preprints and ensuring open access to data and code.
ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) – authorship is attributed only to individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the work. Research ethics – compliance with standards regarding data, human subjects, and experiments. Data transparency – encouraging authors to preserve and provide access to research results.
Other modern principles (Open Science, Plan S, FAIR Data). Open Access – promoting open access to scientific results.
FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) – ensuring data can be found, accessed, interoperated, and reused.
Plan S – support for policies promoting publication in open access journals and repositories.
2. Misconduct
The editorial board expects all authors, editors, and reviewers to adhere to the highest standards of publication ethics. Any form of misconduct is strictly prohibited. Authors must avoid ghost, guest, or gift authorship and other violations of ethical standards.
Any allegations of misconduct in research or publication are carefully examined. In case of suspicion that authors, reviewers, or editors have violated ethical standards, appropriate measures will be taken both before and after publication.
If ethical issues concern an already published article (even long after publication), a preliminary investigation is conducted in accordance with COPE recommendations, during which involved parties may provide explanations. The Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to question the originality and integrity of the manuscript and, if necessary, to refer the matter to the authors’ sponsoring organizations or other relevant institutions.
3. Plagiarism
Any form of plagiarism in materials submitted to the journal is strictly prohibited. Authors must not use words, ideas, images, or data of others without proper attribution. All sources must be cited at the time of use. Reuse of one’s own or others’ text is permitted only with appropriate attribution or quotation marks. Responsibility for originality lies entirely with the authors. After submission, manuscripts are checked for similarity with previously published materials, and images and graphics are examined for duplication or anomalies. The journal uses specialized software to detect plagiarism. Materials in which plagiarism is confirmed are rejected or retracted (if already published).
Self-plagiarism is considered an ethical violation in research. It occurs when an author reuses substantial portions of previously published material without proper citation or permission from the original publisher. This may involve full republication of a study, article, or large text fragments. Such practices are unethical as they create a misleading impression of research volume and complicate editorial and peer review processes. Self-plagiarism misleads readers regarding the novelty of the research and violates ethical standards of scientific communication. The journal supports policies of transparency, integrity, and originality regarding duplicate and redundant manuscripts.
Originality requirements. The journal adheres to high standards of academic integrity. Manuscripts must demonstrate an originality level of at least 90% according to plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with lower originality may be rejected. In cases where originality is insufficient, the editor or reviewer may recommend revision and resubmission to address issues and meet journal standards.
4. Fabrication and falsification
Fabrication and falsification of scientific data and results are strictly prohibited. Fabrication involves creating non-existent data, while falsification involves manipulation of existing data to present it in a misleading or false manner. Any distortion or manipulation of data is considered a serious violation of academic integrity. The editorial board and reviewers ensure that submitted manuscripts meet the highest standards of accuracy and honesty. All suspicions of fabrication or falsification are thoroughly investigated. If evidence is found, the journal reserves the right to take appropriate actions, including retraction and notification of relevant academic or professional institutions. Authors are expected to provide accurate and truthful data, disclose funding sources, and report potential conflicts of interest. The journal strives to maintain scientific integrity and ensure that all published works meet ethical standards.
5. Citation policy
The journal adheres to high standards of accuracy and integrity in citation practices. Authors are expected to fully and accurately cite all sources used in their articles, following the APA style adopted by the journal. Authors are responsible for the correctness and accuracy of all references. Any violations, including plagiarism or use of others’ ideas without proper citation, are considered serious breaches of academic ethics and will be handled in accordance with journal policy.
Authors are encouraged to include all sources that made a significant contribution to the preparation of the article. Editors and reviewers verify citation accuracy, and in case of violations, the journal reserves the right to take appropriate measures, including possible retraction.
For each article, the editorial board provides a recommended citation format. Authors are required to follow this standard and are prohibited from altering the journal title, page numbers, or issue details.
6. Self-citation policy
The journal encourages responsible and appropriate self-citation. Self-citation helps provide context and demonstrates the connection between previous and current research, facilitating understanding of the development of the topic and key findings. However, excessive self-citation should be avoided, as it may create an impression of artificially inflated significance. The journal reviews submissions for potential duplication or excessive repetition. Therefore, it is important to properly cite all relevant sources to ensure accuracy and transparency. According to COPE recommendations, an acceptable level of self-citation ranges from 5% to 30%. The journal adopts a limit of 30%, meaning that for every 10 references, up to 3 may be self-citations. Editors and reviewers carefully monitor compliance with this rule.
7. Investigation and sanctions
The Journal adheres to the highest standards of academic integrity and responds strictly to any allegations of misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and misrepresentation of authorship.
Investigation procedure: Allegations may be submitted by authors, reviewers, or readers. Upon receipt of a complaint, a preliminary assessment is conducted, and if sufficient grounds exist, a formal investigation is initiated.
The investigation includes the collection of evidence, interviews with involved parties, and an assessment of compliance with academic standards.
Sanctions: Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the following measures may be applied: article retraction, publication of corrections or clarifications, notification of relevant academic or professional organizations. Institutions employing the involved individuals may also be informed. In cases of serious misconduct, authors may be prohibited from submitting manuscripts to the Journal in the future.
Confidentiality: All investigations are conducted confidentially to protect the rights of all parties involved. Information regarding the process and its outcomes is not disclosed until the investigation is completed, except where necessary to uphold academic integrity.
Appeals: Authors and other involved parties have the right to appeal by submitting additional documentation or requesting a review of the decision. This policy ensures a fair and thorough process, preserving the integrity of the Journal and the trust of its readers.
Procedure for handling complaints and appeals: The Journal follows the principles of COPE and ensures a transparent procedure for handling complaints, appeals, and potential ethical violations both before and after publication.
Handling complaints: Complaints regarding editorial decisions, peer review, publication ethics, or alleged misconduct should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, who considers the matter in accordance with COPE recommendations.
If necessary, the case may be referred to the publisher — Odesa Polytechnic National University. In cases of serious errors or ethical violations in published articles, the Journal will issue corrections or retractions with an explanation linked to the original publication.
Appeals of editorial decisions: Authors may submit appeals if they believe their manuscript was rejected unjustifiably. The appeal must include a reasoned explanation and be sent to the Editor-in-Chief, who may involve the editorial board or external reviewers if necessary. The final decision is made following reconsideration.
The editorial team strives to ensure the highest level of transparency and professionalism.
8. Authorship identification and use of artificial intelligence
Authorship identification ensures that each author of a manuscript has made a substantial contribution to the research or its individual components. In cases of doubt regarding whether an author’s contribution corresponds to their expertise (scientific field, interests, or prior publications), the editorial board requires a clear statement of each author’s role, with particular attention to the author in question. One corresponding author must be designated from the group of authors to represent the team in communication with the editorial office. This author is responsible for compliance with all agreements regarding the preparation and publication of the manuscript, as well as for addressing issues arising after publication. Any changes in authorship or the order of authors are permitted only with the consent of all participants.
The authorship identification process also aims to prevent the inclusion of “ghost,” “guest,” or “gift” authors. Large language models, such as ChatGPT, cannot be considered authors or co-authors, as they do not make a scientific contribution that would qualify them for authorship.
The editorial office reserves the right to verify the use of generative artificial intelligence in manuscripts through automated tools, expert reviewer assessments, or by requesting explanations from the authors. Editors and reviewers do not use artificial intelligence to make decisions regarding the scientific quality of manuscripts or to formulate expert evaluations.
The use of artificial intelligence by authors is permitted only as an auxiliary tool for: linguistic and stylistic improvement of the text (grammar, spelling, syntax, readability); technical preparation of the manuscript (structuring, formatting references, tables, illustrations); translation of text with mandatory subsequent verification of content and terminology; summarizing the authors’ own materials without distortion of research results; auxiliary data processing, programming, modeling, and visualization, provided that the methodology is reproducible and the author fully understands the results.
By submitting a manuscript, the author confirms that the use of artificial intelligence was limited to auxiliary functions, and that all scientific statements, interpretations, conclusions, verification of information accuracy, and final editing of the text belong to the author.
The author bears full responsibility for the content of the publication, the accuracy of the results, and their presentation.
The editorial board continuously monitors the development of artificial intelligence technologies and updates this policy as necessary.
9. Conflict of interest policy
The Journal seeks to ensure transparency and trust in the peer review and publication process. Conflicts of interest may affect the objectivity of manuscript evaluation; therefore, authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial board are required to fully disclose any potential conflicts.
Definition: A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or professional interests may influence the objectivity of the preparation or evaluation of research.
Potential conflicts include: Financial interests — receiving benefits from organizations or individuals that may influence results or their presentation; Personal or professional relationships — close personal, family, or professional connections with authors; Competition — scientific or professional rivalry that may affect evaluation.
Requirements for authors: Full disclosure of all potential conflicts in the cover letter upon manuscript submission; provision of information on funding sources, sponsors, and other interested parties. Requirements for reviewers: Disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of the review; in the presence of a conflict, the reviewer must decline to review.
Requirements for editorial board members: Disclosure of any conflicts that may influence editorial decisions; recusal from editorial decision-making regarding a specific publication in case of a conflict.
Confidentiality: All disclosures of conflicts are treated confidentially and used solely to ensure transparency and objectivity in the peer review and publication process.
Assessment and response: The editorial board evaluates all disclosures of conflicts of interest and takes necessary measures to manage them. Failure to disclose conflicts in a timely or complete manner may result in reconsideration or retraction of the article.
10. Ethical guidelines for research involving humans and animals
The Journal adheres to high ethical standards in all published research, ensuring compliance with international and national norms and legal requirements.
Research involving humans: All studies must obtain informed consent from participants and ensure the protection of their privacy. Personal data must be anonymized or de-identified. Studies must receive approval from an ethics committee or an Institutional Review Board, and relevant documentation must be provided with the manuscript. Special attention must be given to vulnerable groups (children, pregnant women, prisoners, individuals with limited capacity), who require additional safeguards.
Research involving animals: The ethical use of animals is based on the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. The scope of the Journal generally does not include research involving animals; however, in exceptional cases, study protocols must ensure humane endpoints, proper care, and euthanasia where necessary.
General requirements: All research must comply with applicable laws, disclose conflicts of interest, and transparently report methods and results, including deviations from protocols. Authors are responsible for the ethical integrity of their research and for the timely resolution of ethical issues. Adherence to these principles ensures that published research respects the rights and welfare of participants and animals, upholds academic integrity, and contributes to the responsible and ethical advancement of science.
11. Retraction procedure
Requests for retraction may be submitted by authors, editors, or third parties. The editorial office conducts an investigation involving the authors and, where necessary, external experts. If the group of authors considers it necessary to retract an article, a written request must be submitted to the editorial office with a detailed justification of the reasons for retraction.
After reviewing the request, the Editor-in-Chief or their deputy makes a decision on whether the retraction is warranted. In the case of a positive decision, the editorial office undertakes all necessary organizational and technical actions to formally implement the retraction.
If the decision to retract is initiated by the editorial office (based on internal review or information received from third parties or organizations), the corresponding author is обязательно notified of the reason for retraction and receives an official notice specifying the wording of the retraction. After the decision to retract a publication is made, the text of the article is not removed from the electronic version of the journal but remains as part of the relevant issue.
The electronic version of the text is marked “RETRACTED” with the date of retraction indicated. A corresponding mark is also added to the table of contents of the relevant issue, ensuring transparency and public visibility of the process.
The editorial office is obliged to provide information about the retraction to databases, catalogs, and registries in which the journal is indexed, in accordance with current requirements of scholarly communication. Retraction does not release authors from responsibility for the accuracy of the data provided and compliance with standards of academic integrity.
The editorial office guarantees adherence to the principles of objectivity, impartiality, and confidentiality in handling matters related to article retractions.
12. Disclaimer
The Journal ensures a high level of quality and reliability of publications through a rigorous peer review process. Reviewers ensure that articles meet scientific standards and ethical norms; however, the views, conclusions, and recommendations of the authors may not coincide with those of the editorial board or the publisher.
The content of articles should not be considered professional, legal, or practical advice. Readers should independently verify and evaluate the information, especially if it concerns humans, animals, plants, or the environment, as improper application of the results may have negative consequences.
The Journal adheres to ethical standards and oversees the submission of research; however, responsibility for the accuracy, reliability of data, and ethical conduct of research lies with the authors.
Authors also guarantee that the manuscript does not contain restricted information, including state or commercial secrets, personal data without consent, or other information that is not subject to disclosure.
The publisher and the editorial board are not responsible for the consequences of the use of published information or for violations by the author of rules regarding confidentiality and restricted access.