ISSN 2786-491X
e-ISSN 3083-7472
UDC 1+33+34
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Publication Ethics

The Editorial Board’s activities are based on internationally recognised ethical principles. We strictly adhere to standards of confidentiality, integrity, content quality control, and the prevention of conflicts of interest. Our work is guided by the standards of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the provisions of the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit by Elsevier.

Key ethical principles:

  • Loyalty: respectful treatment of every member of the creative team and all authors.
  • Objectivity: implementation of a double-blind peer-review mechanism involving qualified experts.
  • Author support: regular consultancy regarding the compliance of manuscripts with the criteria of international scientometric databases.

Data Sharing Policy

The publication upholds the principles of open science while simultaneously protecting intellectual property rights.

  • Database access: materials forming the basis of the research results are provided only upon formal request to the editorial office and exclusively with the authors’ consent.
  • Request procedure: the interested party must send an email to the journal’s official address stating the purpose of use. The editors coordinate this with the authors. Upon receiving consent, a confidentiality agreement may be signed.
  • Right of refusal: authors are not obliged to provide access to their data, and the Editorial Board respects legal and ethical restrictions. In the event of a refusal, the requester will be notified accordingly.

Decision-Making and Confidentiality

The Editor makes the final decision regarding publication based solely on the scholarly merit of the work and the reviewers’ feedback. The Editor ensures the prevention of plagiarism and copyright infringements.

  • Independence: evaluation of content is conducted regardless of the author’s personal characteristics (race, religion, gender, political views, etc.).
  • Data protection: all manuscripts are treated as confidential. Information regarding them is not disclosed to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and the publisher.
  • Use of materials: the editorial office does not have the right to use unpublished data for its own research purposes without the author's written consent.

Conflict of Interest Resolution

Editors and reviewers must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if they have competitive or collaborative links with the authors or associated organisations. The editorial office responds promptly to any ethical complaints or claims. Should violations be identified, the publisher reserves the right to inform the readership publicly.

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 policy.

Ethical Requirements for Human Research

Studies involving human participants must be approved by the relevant ethics committees of the conducting institution(s).

  • Consent: authors must confirm the voluntary participation of respondents and the availability of their written informed consent (including consent for the publication of results).
  • Standards: research must comply with international codes, such as the American Sociological Association Code of Ethics, ICC/ESOMAR, and the European Commission Guidance on Ethics and Data Protection.
  • Institutional approval: authors must cite approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or provide evidence that such approval is not legally required. Participants must be informed of the research purpose and anonymity conditions.

The Editorial Board undertakes to:

  • Maintain editorial secrecy and refrain from amending texts without the author’s agreement.
  • Reject materials that lack scholarly value, are unoriginal, or contain plagiarism.
  • Ensure the engagement of objective and competent reviewers.

Reviewers undertake to:

  • Evaluate manuscripts impartially and within the established deadlines.
  • Treat manuscripts as confidential documents.
  • Disclose any conflicts of interest or lack of expertise regarding the subject matter.
  • Inform the board of any suspected scientific misconduct.

Authors undertake to:

  • Submit only original, previously unpublished results.
  • Cite all sources correctly and avoid any form of self-plagiarism.
  • Provide only reliable data, avoiding ideological bias or tendentious judgements.
  • Notify the Editor immediately if significant errors are discovered in their publication.

Statement of Authorship and Submission

By submitting an article, authors certify that:

  1. The material is not under consideration by any other journal.
  2. All co-authors have made a substantial contribution to the concept, data analysis, and preparation of the text.
  3. The final version has been approved by all participants.
  4. All individuals who assisted but do not meet authorship criteria are mentioned in the “Acknowledgements” section.

Advertising and Funding Policy

  • Advertising: this journal does not accept any form of advertising to maintain complete editorial independence.
  • Funding: authors must declare all sources of financial support (grants, funds, or university financing). If no support was provided, it must be stated: “The research received no funding".