The journal follows internationally recognised standards of publication ethics in accordance with the principles of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). All parties involved in the publication process - editors, reviewers, and authors - are expected to adhere to strict ethical norms to ensure integrity, transparency, and scientific reliability.

 

Key Ethical Principles

The journal is committed to fairness, academic honesty, transparency in editorial processes, and the prevention of all forms of academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, and unethical authorship practices.

 

Data Sharing Policy

Authors are encouraged to provide access to underlying data supporting their research findings whenever possible. Data must be presented transparently and accurately, and any restrictions on data availability must be clearly justified.

 

Decision-Making

Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific merit, originality, and relevance of the manuscript. Personal, financial, or institutional factors do not influence the review process. Final publication decisions are made by the Editorial Board based on peer review reports and editorial assessment.

 

Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to the journal are treated as strictly confidential throughout the entire editorial and peer-review process. Access to manuscript content is limited exclusively to the Editor-in-Chief, handling editors, assigned reviewers, and the publisher when necessary for processing and publication.

 

Independence:

Manuscript evaluation is conducted solely on the basis of academic merit, originality, and relevance. Decisions are made independently of the authors’ personal characteristics, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, political views, institutional affiliation, or personal beliefs.

 

Data protection:

All submitted materials are protected as confidential documents. Information regarding manuscripts, including their content, status, and reviewer comments, is not disclosed to any third parties outside the editorial and peer-review process, except where required by law or ethical publishing procedures.

 

Use of materials:

The editorial office, editors, and reviewers are strictly prohibited from using unpublished data, ideas, or findings contained in submitted manuscripts for personal research, academic advancement, or any other purpose without the explicit written consent of the author(s). This obligation remains in force even after the manuscript has been rejected or withdrawn.

 

Conflict of Interest Resolution

All participants in the publication process are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. In cases of conflict, COPE guidelines are applied, and alternative editors or reviewers are assigned to ensure impartial evaluation.

 

Post-Publication Discussions

We encourage scholarly debate through the PubPeer platform.

• Indexing: each article is assigned a DOI, facilitating easy dialogue on PubPeer.
• Discussion ethics: all discussions must remain professional, substantive, and focused on the research content.
• Investigation: substantiated concerns raised on PubPeer will be investigated in accordance with our ethical norms and retraction polic

 

Ethical Requirements for Human Research

All studies involving human participants must be approved by the relevant ethical committees. Manuscripts containing survey or interview results must include confirmation that respondents gave informed consent, ensuring anonymity, confidentiality, and protection from any form of discrimination or pressure.The ethics of the research should be duly justified and, if possible, supported by references to international professional standards and codes, including: American Sociological Association’s Code of Ethic (1997), ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics (2025), Guidance Note of the European Commission on Ethics and Data Protection (2021).

 

Ethics of Animal Research

The journal adheres to the ARRIVE guidelines for reporting experiments involving live animals. Authors must follow the ARRIVE checklist and provide relevant documentation to confirm the ethical conduct of experiments.

 

Research Involving Plants

Experimental plant studies, including the collection of plant material, must adhere to institutional, national, or international guidelines. Authors are encouraged to follow the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

 

Responsibilities of the Editorial Board

The Editorial Board ensures fair, unbiased, and timely peer review; protects confidentiality; manages conflicts of interest; and upholds ethical publishing standards. The Board is responsible for addressing ethical issues, corrections, and retractions when necessary.

 

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively, maintain confidentiality, avoid conflicts of interest, and provide constructive, evidence-based feedback. They must not use unpublished information for personal advantage.

 

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. They must properly cite sources, disclose conflicts of interest, ensure compliance with ethical standards, and confirm that all listed authors have contributed to and approved the manuscript.

 

Statement of Authorship and Submission

Submission of a manuscript implies that all listed authors agree with its content, authorship order, and submission to the journal. Any changes in authorship after submission are not permitted without formal justification and editorial approval.

 

Advertising and Funding Policy

The journal does not allow advertising that may influence editorial decisions. All sources of funding must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript. Funding bodies do not participate in editorial decision-making or peer review processes.