The editorial board of the journal presents a set of ethical norms that must be followed by persons (editors, authors and reviewers) involved in the publication of research results relevant to the journal's profile. In developing these rules, the editorial board was guided by the Committee on Publication Ethics (hereinafter COPE) and was guided by the norms of the Civil Code of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine "On Copyright and Related Rights".

Ethical obligations of the editorial board

Decision on publication

The Editorial Board of the Journal is responsible for the proper submission of scientific materials to the consideration of the scientific community, as well as reviews the submitted materials for plagiarism using verification systems.

All materials, after preliminary evaluation by the Editor, undergo an independent anonymous double-blind review. The Editorial Board ensures the confidentiality and impartiality of the review process.

The Editorial Board undertakes to provide an author with reviewers, who in a timely and impartial manner carry out the duties of reviewing the article, are not financially interested in the research and do not represent the interests of a competing organization.

The Editorial Board does not influence the decisions of the reviewers.

If there is a positive and a negative review of the manuscript, the Executive Editor appoints an additional Reviewer. Negative feedback is considered by the Editorial Board which makes the final decision.

If the manuscript is rejected, the Editorial Board reserves the right not to enter into a discussion with the Authors.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to refuse, after preliminary consideration, the submission of materials for review in case of incorrect manuscript design, inconsistency with the basic scientific criteria, the Journal scope, plagiarism, re-publication, etc.

Impartiality

The Editorial Board evaluates the materials in terms of content and scientific value, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious and political views, origin, and nationality of the Author.

Confidentiality

The Editorial Board limits the confidentiality of the publication process to: Author, Reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, Publisher, and, if necessary, Research Advisors.

The Editorial Board guarantees the protection of unpublished data received from the Author.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

The Executive Editor of the Journal recuses himself from the review of materials in case of conflict of interests as a result of competition, collaboration or  other relations with the Author and organizations related to the materials.

The Journal publishes information on financial support for research.

Publication Supervision

If the Executive Editor finds strong evidence of the fallacy of the conclusions provided in the work, plagiarism, falsification and fabrication of data, he informs the Author and the Publisher to make a decision on publication of corrections, clarification, apology, or a retraction, if necessary.

The Editorial Board and the Publisher shall take appropriate measures to resolve the conflict upon receipt of a complaint or claim regarding ethical violations regarding a submitted manuscript or an article published by the Journal. Each report of unethical behavior shall be investigated regardless of the period during which the reported violation may have occurred. In the event of confirmation of information about ethical violations, the Editorial Board and the Publisher shall publish a correction, refutation or apology on the website.

In case of disputed issues, the Editorial Board acts in accordance with the COPE Guidelines on the Issues of Public Ethics Violations:  https://publicationethics.org

The Editorial Board of the Journal publishes the current Rules for Authors and Reviewers in open access on the website.

Ethical obligations of reviewers 

Reviewing the materials helps the Editorial Board make the decision to publish the article, and helps the Authors improve their work.

Responsibility

If it is not possible to review materials because of lack of qualifications or time, the Reviewer is obliged to inform the Editorial Board about this and shred or return the received materials.

Confidentiality

The Reviewer has no right to discuss the materials received for review and the data contained therein, to share them with colleagues and use in his own interests. If there is need to consult colleagues, the Reviewer should first agree on this issue with the Executive Editor.

Manuscript Requirements and Objectivity

The Reviewer provides an objective assessment of the submitted materials, their compliance to the journal profile, novelty, and relevance, and evaluates the credibility, reliability and quality of conclusions and data. Personal criticism of submitted materials is inadmissible. The conclusions of the Reviewer should be well-grounded and provide references to authoritative sources.

Recognition of Primary Sources

The Reviewer should evaluate the correctness of citation and the availability of properly cited bibliographic references, and indicate relevant published works that have not been referenced in the work. In case of coincidence with other works and studies, revealing falsification, plagiarism, etc. The Reviewer should report this to the Executive Editor.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy

The Reviewer should not be involved in peer review if he or she is in close personal or professional relationship with the Author or co-authors of the article or research organization where the research was conducted or works in a competing organization on the same topic. The Reviewer should inform the Executive Editor of other possible conflicts of interest (political, religious or financial) and seek the advice of the Editorial Board if there is any doubt about the matter.

Conflict of Interest Form

The information and ideas of the manuscript should not be used for personal gain.

Impartiality

The Reviewer evaluates the manuscript in terms of content and scientific value, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious and political views, origin, and nationality of the Author.

Ethical obligations of authors

The Authors of the manuscript provide reliable scientific data and objective conclusions. The manuscript should contain enough details and bibliographic references for possible reproduction of methodology and research results.

Data access and storage

The Editorial Board has the right to request from the Author primary research data that are relevant to the manuscript for their subsequent submission to the Reviewer.

Originality and plagiarism

The Authors use original research data in the manuscript; if bibliographic data or other authors' statements are used, appropriate citations should be provided.

Reproduction of part of other publications, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, falsification, and fabrication of data are unacceptable in the article.

The Authors may submit materials only in one journal. Submission to two or more editions simultaneously or submission of a previously published article is an inadmissible violation of ethics leading to rejection of the manuscript.

Authorship of Publication

The Authors of the work are the persons who have made a significant contribution to the research and preparation of materials for publication.

The Authors should make sure that all participants involved in the preparation of the materials are indicated as co-authors and agree with the ordering of the list of co-authors and the final version of the submitted materials.

Research hazards and human and/or animal test subjects

The Authors provide information on hazards involved in the research. Animal and/or human test subjects have to be treated according to the current legislation and guidelines by the relevant Bioethics Commission. Studies conducted using laboratory animals should be accompanied by an expert judgment of the Bioethics Commission of the institution where the manuscript came from.

Conflict of Interest

The Authors indicate financial or other conflicts of interest that may affect the results or conclusions presented in the manuscript and its evaluation. Funding sources must be clearly stated.

The Author has the right to directly indicate, in the appropriate Form, when submitting the manuscript of the article, any alleged conflicts of interest that may lead to bias in the review, both on the part of the Reviewer and on his own.

Errors in manuscripts

The Authors are obliged to notify the Executive Editor about errors and inaccuracies in the manuscript, if any, and to facilitate their correction or retraction of the manuscript.

If the Executive Editor receives information about errors in the publication from a third party, the Author can be invited to take part in resolving the issue.

Authors’ obligation concerning the peer review process

The Author has the right to explicitly state while filling the Submission Form or in the accompanying e-mail letter, any and every foreseeable conflict of interests which could conceivably lead to prejudice or bias during the reviewing process, on the Reviewer's part or his own.

Disclosure of conflict of interest

In order to ensure transparency and provide an opportunity for readers to make their own assessments and objective conclusions regarding the study, the Editorial Board insists on the Authors disclosing all conflicts of interest. Responsible for disclosing of a conflict of interest is the Corresponding author. A conflict of interest can be financial or non-financial. The Authors are required to declare any potential or real conflict of interest that may affect the work and the results obtained. The Corresponding author on behalf of all authors should fill in the Form of disclosure of a conflict of interest and submit it together with the manuscript.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest in Articles by Members of the Editorial Board

Members of the Editorial Board who are authors of articles are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest (financial, professional, or personal) when submitting their manuscripts.

Articles by such authors undergo impartial external peer review to ensure objectivity.

The publication indicates the presence or absence of conflicts of interest of editorial authors, in accordance with international ethical standards (COPE, ICMJE).