Ethical norms

Ethics guidelines of the editorial board are based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics, International standards for editors and authors, as well as the principles of DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment).

 

Responsibility and obligations of the Editorial Board

The decision to accept articles to the Editorial Office

The Editorial Board of the journal “Ukrainian Polyceistics: Theory, Legislation, Practice” reserves the right to accept articles for publication or to deny the authors’ publication. The Editorial Board is guided by the policy of the journal (correspondence to the scientific specialization), the basic requirements for publications. The Editorial Board of the journal has the right to reject/return the article for revision if it does not meet the requirements, journal’s subject or if plagiarism is found.

Impartiality

The Editorial Board accepts scientific papers solely on the basis of content and correctness of design, regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs, political views, ethnicity, citizenship, etc.

Confidentiality

The Editorial Board does not disclose information about the acceptance or rejection of the article to anyone other than the author (s), co-author (s), reviewers; this also applies to the personal data of the authors.

Conflict of interests

Unpublished materials of the article accepted by the editors are not used by the members of the Editorial Board for their own research without reference to the author of the already published work. Interesting and useful information from the submitted articles can be used only for awareness and is not used for personal reasons. Advertising, retyping and other manipulations do not affect the decision of the members of the Editorial Board to accept articles for publication. The editors of the journal undertake to carry out technical, linguistic editing of the accepted articles. The Editorial Board undertakes to cooperate with the authors of the articles, providing them with the necessary assistance and answering their questions.

 

Responsibility and obligations of the reviewers

Participation in decision making

The reviewer assists the Editorial Board in deciding whether or not to accept the article for publication. In addition, the reviewer assists the author in correcting and improving his work if necessary.

Confidentiality

Any peer-reviewed scientific work is considered a confidential document that cannot be discussed with the third parties.

Objectivity

Peer review is always objective. Personal criticism of the authors is unacceptable. Reviewers should express their views clearly with constructive comments and advice.

Verification of scientific sources

Reviewers should point sources whose authors were not indicated in the work. Any scientific data or judgments previously discovered by other authors must include references to the work of that author (s). Reviewers should also check the article for plagiarism and inform the members of the Editorial Board about its presence.

Conflict of interests

Unpublished materials in the article submitted for review cannot be used by reviewers for their own research without reference to the author of the already published work. Interesting and useful information from the submitted articles can be used only for awareness and is not used for personal reasons.

 

Responsibility and obligations of the authors

Features of information presentation

Authors should present the results of their research in accordance with the requirements of the articles in a clear sequence. Articles should contain links to other works used for research. The presence of false or inaccurate data is unacceptable and is regarded as a violation of the ethics of publication. The article should reflect the scientific novelty in the field of research.

Authenticity and plagiarism

Authors who submit their articles to the editors of the journal must guarantee the accuracy of the data presented in their works. If the data of other scientists are used, the authors of the articles should refer to their research in the list of references. The originality of a scientific article is determined primarily by the fact that the work does not contain plagiarism. Articles that contain plagiarism or textual borrowings without reference to the original source are not considered by the members of the Editorial Board until the deficiencies are eliminated or are rejected forever.

The Editorial Board guarantees check articles for plagiarism using StrikePlagiarism.com by the Polish company Plagiat.pl.

Multiple publication of one article

Authors are not allowed to submit the article that has been published before.

Article authorship

Co-authors of the article are those who have made a significant contribution to research the article is devoted to. All co-authors should be familiar with and agree with the final version of the publication. All co-authors of the article must be indicated before submitting the work to the editors.

 

In accordance with the principles of DORA, the Journal:

  • evaluates manuscripts solely on the basis of their scientific quality, originality, methodological soundness, and contribution to the advancement of knowledge;

  • does not use journal-based metrics (including the Impact Factor) as a criterion for assessing individual articles or the scientific quality of an author;

  • does not encourage artificial inflation of citation metrics;

  • supports the responsible use of scientometric indicators.

 

Conflict of Interest Policy

A conflict of interest refers to any financial, professional, institutional, or personal relationships that may influence or appear to influence editorial decisions or manuscript content.

Disclosure is mandatory for:

authors (financial and non-financial relationships);

reviewers (potential competing interests);

editors (when handling manuscripts involving their institution or colleagues).

If a potential conflict is identified:

the editor or reviewer must recuse themselves;

an independent handling editor is appointed;

independent reviewers are assigned;

decisions and justifications are documented.

Submissions by Editors or Editorial Board Members

Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief or editorial board members:

are handled by an independent editor;

undergo standard double-blind peer review;

exclude author involvement in editorial decisions;

include a published COI disclosure statement.

 

Corrections and retractions

Grounds for Retraction: an article may be retracted in the following cases: confirmed instances of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or data falsification/fabrication; submission of the article without the consent of all co-authors or disputes regarding authorship; duplicate submission or redundant publication in another journal; significant errors in content affecting the validity of the conclusions; violations of research ethics (e.g., lack of approval from an ethics committee, use of unethical research methods); infringement of third-party rights, including copyright or breaches of confidentiality.

A retraction review may be initiated by the editorial board, authors, reviewers, readers, or any interested party through official communication with the editorial office.

The editorial board conducts an internal investigation and, if necessary, involves experts, authors, and representatives of relevant institutions.

If violations are confirmed, the editorial board makes a formal decision to retract the article.

An official retraction notice is published in the journal, clearly stating the reasons and circumstances for the retraction. The notice is linked to the original article in the journal's electronic archive.

All electronic versions of the article (PDF, HTML) remain accessible but are clearly marked with the label "RETRACTED" on each page.

Retraction is not a form of punishment, but a mechanism for preserving academic integrity.

Authors have the right to submit an explanation or appeal, which will be reviewed by the editorial board.

The editorial board follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines when handling such cases.

 

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Scientific Publications

Authors are required to clearly indicate in the publication text where and how AI tools have been used (e.g., for text generation, data analysis, preparation of illustrations, etc.). Submissions fully generated by AI without significant author contribution to the scientific content and its interpretation are prohibited. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and quality of the materials, even if part of the work was performed with the help of AI.

The editorial office may use AI tools to assist in plagiarism detection, text preparation, fact-checking, and other aspects of the editorial process. Decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of articles remain solely with the editors and reviewers, regardless of the results obtained through the use of AI.

The use of AI must not violate copyright, confidentiality, or lead to data manipulation. Concealing the fact of AI use or misleading readers about the origin of the text or research results is prohibited.

Authors, reviewers, and editors are responsible for complying with this policy. In case of violations, corrections, rejection of publication, or retraction of articles may be applied in accordance with the editorial policy.

 

Confidentiality, Personal Data Protection and Ethical Approval of Research

Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are treated as confidential documents. Information contained in submitted manuscripts may not be disclosed to any third parties except the Editor-in-Chief, members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, and the publisher, as necessary for the editorial and peer-review process.

Editors and reviewers are obliged to maintain strict confidentiality regarding the content of manuscripts, the peer-review process, and the identities of authors and reviewers within the framework of the double-blind peer review system. Materials from submitted manuscripts may not be used for personal research or other purposes without the explicit written consent of the author.

Personal Data Protection

The journal respects the privacy and personal data of authors, reviewers, and editors and processes such data solely for editorial and publishing purposes.

Personal data provided by authors during the manuscript submission process (including names, affiliations, email addresses, and other relevant information) are used exclusively for:

  • managing the editorial and peer-review process;
  • communicating with authors and reviewers;
  • publishing author information as part of the published article.

The editorial office ensures that personal data are handled in accordance with applicable data protection regulations and international standards of academic publishing ethics. Personal data are not transferred to third parties or used for purposes unrelated to the journal’s editorial activities.

Ethical Approval of Research

Research submitted to the journal must comply with ethical standards of scientific research and academic integrity.

If the research involves human participants, personal data, surveys, interviews, or other forms of interaction with individuals, authors must confirm that the study was conducted in accordance with relevant ethical standards and applicable legislation. When required, authors must indicate that the research received approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee or review board.

When research involves the use of personal, confidential, or sensitive data, authors must ensure that such data are properly anonymized and that the rights and dignity of individuals are protected.

The editorial board reserves the right to request additional documentation confirming ethical approval of the research if necessary. Manuscripts that violate ethical standards or fail to comply with principles of confidentiality and personal data protection may be rejected.

The journal supports the principles of responsible research and publication ethics and encourages authors to adhere to international standards of ethical conduct in scientific research.