Procedure for reviewing complaints regarding violations of academic integrity and publication ethics

The editorial board of the journal provides a transparent and fair procedure for considering complaints related to possible violations of academic integrity and publication ethics. This procedure establishes the procedure for considering complaints about violations of ethical principles by authors, reviewers or members of the editorial board of the journal. It applies to issues related to plagiarism, unauthorized borrowing of materials, conflict of interest, data manipulation and other violations of academic integrity.

Filing a complaint. Complaints about possible violations (plagiarism, fabrication or falsification of data, duplication of publications, copyright violation, conflict of interest) are submitted to the editorial board electronically to the official email of the journal, indicating the essence of the violation and, if possible, relevant evidence. Anonymous complaints are not considered. The complaint must clearly indicate:
- contact details of the applicant;
- a link to the publication or material under consideration;
- a detailed description of the violation with a link to evidence.

Preliminary review. The editor-in-chief or an authorized member of the editorial board carries out an initial assessment of the validity of the complaint and makes a decision on its further consideration. Within 5 working days, the authorized person checks:
- compliance of the complaint with the journal's topic;
- the presence of sufficient grounds for consideration.
The applicant receives a notification of the registration of the complaint or refusal to consider it.

Expert review. If necessary, the editorial office involves independent experts or reviewers for additional verification of the materials and facts set forth in the complaint.
The commission has the right to:
- request additional materials and explanations;
- involve independent experts;
- hold consultations with all interested parties.
The consideration period is no more than 30 calendar days.

Informing the parties. The author (authors) of the manuscript are informed of the essence of the complaint and have the right to provide written explanations or reasoned objections.

Decision-making. Based on the results of the review, the editorial board makes a decision, which may include:
- reject the complaint as unfounded;
- recognize the violation as minor and propose corrections;
- recognize the violation as significant and take appropriate measures.
Possible measures in case of significant violations:
- refusal to publish the material;
- withdrawal of an already published article (retraction);
- ban on submitting materials for a certain period of time;
- notification of the violation to the author's institution.

Compliance with confidentiality. All stages of the review of complaints are carried out in compliance with the principles of confidentiality and impartiality.

Protection of the rights of the parties. All parties to the conflict have the right to:
- receive full information about the review process;
- present their explanations and evidence;
- appeal the commission's decision.

Appealing decisions. The commission's decision may be appealed within 14 days to the editor-in-chief. The editor-in-chief considers the appeal within 10 working days. The decision of the editor-in-chief is final.

The members of the editorial board of the journal must adhere to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics COPE, the European Association of Scientific Editors EASE, and the principles of publication ethics of the journal.