Academic Integrity Policy

The journal upholds the values of open science and promotes free access to research findings and the possibility of their independent verification.

The editorial board ensures strict adherence to the standards of academic integrity, based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the requirements of current Ukrainian legislation.

Academic integrity encompasses the accurate presentation of research results, transparency regarding the methods used, correct citation of sources, and the authors’ personal responsibility for the content of published materials.

Adherence to these principles is an essential condition for a manuscript to be accepted for consideration by the journal’s editorial board.

Authors’ adherence to academic integrity consists of their obligation to:

  • present their own original scientific results;
  • guarantee the accuracy of the data obtained and ensure that they can be independently verified and reproduced;
  • correctly cite all scientific sources and literature used;
  • clearly define and reflect the individual contribution of each co-author of the publication;
  • strictly adhere to the standards of research ethics and avoid any manifestations of unethical scientific conduct.

Breaches of academic integrity include, in particular:

  • plagiarism – the use of another person’s texts, ideas or research findings without properly acknowledging their authorship;
  • self-plagiarism – the republication of one’s own previously published material without properly citing the original source;
  • fabrication of data – inventing or arbitrarily constructing the results of scientific research;
  • falsification of data – the deliberate distortion or manipulation of obtained results by altering their content;
  • improper authorship – the unjustified inclusion in the list of authors of persons who have not made a substantial contribution to the research, or, conversely, the deliberate exclusion of those who have made such a contribution;
  • citation manipulation – excessive self-citation or coordinated practices of mutual citation.

Any of the above violations is regarded by the editorial board as a gross breach of publication ethics.

Authors bear full and unconditional responsibility for:

  • the originality and independence of the manuscript submitted to the editorial board;
  • the accuracy, completeness and integrity of the research results presented;
  • the correct use of academic sources and their proper citation;
  • adherence to all principles of academic integrity throughout the preparation of the publication.

Where auxiliary tools are used in the writing process, in particular artificial intelligence-based tools, authors are obliged to transparently disclose this fact in the text of the publication.

Measures taken by the editorial board to monitor academic integrity:

  • checking manuscripts for textual similarities using specialised software;
  • analysing the compliance of submitted materials with established standards of academic integrity;
  • contacting authors to request explanations or additional materials;
  • rejecting manuscripts in the event of a breach during the review stage;
  • applying appropriate editorial procedures if breaches are identified after the material has been published.

Where breaches of academic integrity are established, the editorial board acts in accordance with COPE recommendations and, depending on the nature and severity of the breach, may: reject the manuscript or halt the review process; initiate an additional independent review; take post-publication measures, including publishing a correction, expressing formal concern, or retracting the article; notify the relevant academic institutions or organisations in the event of serious or systematic breaches.