Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Ethical Violations

The editorial board of the "Collection of Scientific Works of Uman National University" ensures the prompt, impartial and constructive handling of all enquiries, complaints and appeals related to editorial or publishing activities.

Any interested party (an author, reviewer, reader or third party) has the right to submit a complaint to the editorial board regarding a possible violation of publication ethics standards.

Grounds for filing a complaint: plagiarism or improper borrowings; fabrication or falsification of data; improper attribution of authorship; duplicate or excessive publication; biased peer review or conflict of interest; breach of review confidentiality; any other violations of COPE standards.

Procedure for handling:

Step 1. The complaint is sent to the official email address of the editorial board, specifying: the title and DOI of the publication, the nature of the violation, and supporting evidence.

Step 2. The editorial board confirms receipt of the complaint within 5 working days.

Step 3. The Editor-in-Chief conducts a preliminary assessment of the complaint. If the complaint is deemed substantiated, a formal investigation is initiated with the participation of an independent editorial board member.

Step 4. All parties involved have the right to provide explanations. The investigation is conducted in compliance with confidentiality.

Step 5. The editorial board informs the complainant of the results of the complaint review.

Step 6. If a violation is confirmed, the editorial board takes appropriate measures: correction, notice, retraction of the article, informing the relevant institutions.

Appeals

An author may appeal an editorial decision (refusal to publish, a request for revision, biased peer review, etc.) by sending a written appeal to the editorial board within 30 calendar days, specifying the title of the article, arguments, and additional materials (if available).

The appeal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or another editorial board member, and where necessary – with the involvement of an independent expert. Their decision is final.