Publication ethics and editorial policy of the publication

  1. General Provisions

The editorial policy of the scholarly journal “Bulletin of the Penitentiary Association of Ukraine” is based on the principles of integrity, transparency, objectivity, and independence.

The journal adheres to the recommendations of:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ);
  • World Association of Medical Editors (WAME);
  • San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA);
  • International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

The Editorial Office ensures the practical implementation of these principles at all stages of the publication process.

The editorial board of the journal adheres to international publishing standards, in particular the COPE Code of Conduct, developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Reviewing is carried out by members of the editorial board and/or independent experts on the basis of objectivity and in accordance with international academic standards.

The editorial board has the right to stylistic editing of manuscripts without changing the author's content; substantive edits are agreed with the author.

Materials that do not meet the requirements and topics of the journal are not accepted for publication.

The authors are responsible for the reliability of information, correctness of data, citations and references; the positions expressed in the articles may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.

The editorial board is guided by the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics in its activities and requires compliance with ethical standards from all participants in the publication process.

 

  1. Core Principles of Publication Ethics

The journal adheres to the following principles:

  • academic integrity and originality of research;
  • objectivity and impartiality of editorial decisions;
  • transparency of peer review and publication procedures;
  • responsibility of all participants in the process;
  • compliance with international standards of scholarly communication.

 

  1. Editorial Policy

The Editorial Board:

  • selects manuscripts solely on the basis of their scientific merit;
  • ensures independence of editorial decisions from any external influence;
  • organizes peer review in accordance with international standards;
  • reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements;
  • may perform language and technical editing without altering the content.

The Editorial Office may reject a manuscript without peer review if:

  • it does not correspond to the journal’s scope or requirements;
  • it shows signs of academic misconduct;
  • it does not comply with ethical standards;
  • it demonstrates an insufficient level of originality.

 

  1. Ethical Responsibilities of the Editorial Office

Members of the Editorial Board are responsible for decisions on publication, guided by the principles of integrity, transparency, objectivity, and independence.

The Editorial Office is obliged to:

  • ensure confidentiality of manuscripts;
  • prevent conflicts of interest;
  • respond to ethical violations in accordance with COPE recommendations;
  • consider complaints and appeals;
  • ensure transparency of editorial procedures.

The Editorial Office does not use unpublished materials for its own purposes.

 

  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors bear personal responsibility for the quality, objectivity, and reliability of the submitted manuscript.

Authors are required to:

  • submit original and reliable research results;
  • ensure proper citation;
  • not submit the manuscript simultaneously to other journals;
  • disclose sources of funding;
  • declare conflicts of interest;
  • report errors in their publications.

5.1. Authorship

Authorship is determined based on substantial contribution to the research.

The following are unacceptable:

  • inclusion of individuals who did not participate in the research;
  • ghost authorship;
  • manipulation of authorship.

The corresponding author confirms the consent of all co-authors.

 

  1. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Peer review is conducted to provide an objective evaluation of the submitted manuscript, assess its quality, and determine its compliance with recognized scientific, linguistic, academic, and ethical standards.

In evaluating manuscripts, reviewers must remain impartial and adhere to COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

Reviewers:

  • provide objective and well-reasoned assessments;
  • maintain confidentiality;
  • disclose conflicts of interest;
  • do not use manuscript materials for personal purposes;
  • provide recommendations to improve the quality of the manuscript.

 

  1. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest is defined as any circumstances that may affect the objectivity and reliability of evaluation.

All participants in the process are required to:

  • disclose conflicts of interest;
  • refrain from participation in case of such conflicts.

The Editorial Office ensures proper management of conflicts of interest.

 

  1. Plagiarism Policy

The journal applies screening of manuscripts for text overlap and other forms of academic misconduct.

The following are unacceptable:

  • academic plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
  • fabrication or falsification of results;
  • duplicate publication;
  • misappropriation or improper attribution of authorship;
  • citation manipulation;
  • unethical use of AI-generated results;
  • outsourcing of academic work or academic sabotage;
  • inducement to violate academic integrity;
  • institutional violations of academic integrity.

In case of detected violations:

  • the manuscript is rejected; or
  • correction or retraction procedures are applied.

 

  1. Corrections and Retraction Policy

In case of identified errors or violations, the following measures may be applied:

  • Correction;
  • Expression of Concern;
  •  

These procedures are implemented in accordance with COPE recommendations and the journal’s editorial policy.

 

  1. Handling of Complaints and Appeals

The Editorial Office ensures procedures for:

  • handling complaints related to ethical violations;
  • considering authors’ appeals.

Independent experts may be involved where necessary.

 

  1. Confidentiality

The Editorial Office guarantees:

  • non-disclosure of information related to manuscripts;
  • protection of personal data;
  • use of materials exclusively within the editorial process.

 

  1. Open Science and Data Availability

The journal encourages:

  • open access to publications;
  • use of repositories;
  • transparency of research data.

Authors may provide statements on data availability.

 

  1. Ethical Aspects of Research

In research involving human participants, animals, or personal data, authors are required to:

  • comply with ethical standards;
  • obtain appropriate approvals;
  • ensure confidentiality of information.

 

  1. Responsibilities of the Parties
  • Authors — responsible for content, accuracy, and originality;
  • Reviewers — responsible for the quality of expert evaluation;
  • Editorial Office — responsible for objectivity and transparency of the process;
  • Publisher — responsible for supporting ethical standards and ensuring the stability of publication.