Complaints procedure

1. General Provisions
1.1. This Procedure determines the procedure for submitting, considering and resolving complaints regarding violations of academic integrity and publication ethics.
1.2. The procedure is based on the principles of: objectivity; impartiality; confidentiality; compliance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
1.3. Violations include, in particular: plagiarism; fabrication or falsification of data; double publication; incorrect authorship; undeclared conflict of interest; violation of the review procedure.

2. Filing a complaint
2.1. The complaint is submitted in writing (electronically) to the official address of the editorial office.
2.2. The complaint must contain: the applicant’s full name and contact details; a clear description of the violation; a reference to the material (article, manuscript); evidence or justification.
2.3. Anonymous complaints may not be considered (except in cases containing convincing evidence).

3. Initial review
3.1. The initial review is carried out by the editor-in-chief or an authorized member of the editorial board.
3.2. At this stage: the compliance of the complaint with the subject of review is checked; the presence of sufficient grounds is assessed.
3.3. The term of the initial review is up to 5–10 working days.

4. Main review (expert review)
4.1. If the complaint is justified, a commission is created or independent experts are involved.
4.2. During the review: materials and evidence are analyzed; explanations are requested from the parties; external experts may be involved.
4.3. The person against whom the complaint is filed has the right: to familiarize himself with the materials; to provide explanations; to be present during the consideration of the case.
4.4. The term of review is up to 30–60 calendar days.

5. Decision-making
5.1. Based on the results of the review, the editorial board makes a decision: rejection of the complaint; recognition of the violation as minor (with recommendations for correction); recognition of a significant violation.
5.2. In case of confirmation of the violation, the following measures may be applied: rejection of the manuscript; withdrawal (retraction) of the article; publication of a notification of the violation; informing the author's institution; ban on submitting materials for a certain period.

6. Informing the parties
6.1. The decision is brought to the attention of: the applicant; author(s); other interested parties (if necessary).
6.2. All communications are carried out in compliance with confidentiality.

7. Appealing the decision
7.1. The parties have the right to file an appeal within 10–14 days.
7.2. The appeal is considered by: the editor-in-chief or the extended editorial board / academic council (in case of a conflict of interest).
7.3. The decision on the appeal is final.

8. Principles of ensuring fairness: observance of the presumption of innocence; avoidance of conflict of interest; equality of parties; documentation of all stages of consideration; transparency of procedures.
9. Final provisions
9.1. The procedure is a component of the editorial policy of the journal.
9.2. All cases not provided for by this procedure are resolved in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics and the current legislation of Ukraine.

10. Clear regulation of the terms of consideration
10.1. The total term for considering a complaint should not exceed 60 calendar days, except for complex cases.
10.2. The following stages and deadlines are established: Stage Content Deadline, Registration of the complaint Confirmation of receipt 2 working days, Initial consideration Assessment of validity 5–10 working days, Main investigation Expert assessment up to 30 days, Decision making Editorial board meeting up to 10 days, Informing the parties Notification of results up to 5 days
10.3. In the event of an extension of the deadlines, the applicant is informed with a justification for the reasons.

11. Procedure for resolving conflicts of interest of the editorial board
11.1. A conflict of interest arises if: a member of the editorial board is an author/co-author; there are scientific, professional or personal ties with the parties; there is a financial or institutional interest.
11.2. In the event of a conflict: the relevant person is removed from considering the case; an independent editor or external expert is appointed; the decision is made without the participation of the interested party.
11.3. In complex cases: materials are transferred to an independent ethics committee of the university; or external experts are involved.
11.4. All cases of conflict of interest are documented.

12. Regulations for retraction, correction and expression of concern
12.1. The editorial board applies the following mechanisms:
12.1.1. Retraction
Applies in cases of: proven plagiarism; falsification or fabrication of data; significant errors that distort the results; unethical research.
Procedure: publication of a retraction notice; preservation of the article with appropriate marking; indexation of the retraction.
12.1.2. Correction (Correction / Erratum)
Applies if: errors do not affect the overall conclusions; there are technical or editorial inaccuracies.
Form: separate publication with correction; reference to the original article.
12.1.3. Expression of Concern
Applies: if investigation is ongoing; there is suspicion but insufficient evidence.
12.2. All actions are carried out in accordance with the international standards of publication ethics (COPE).

13. Integration of the policy on the use of artificial intelligence
13.1. Authors are obliged to: declare the use of artificial intelligence tools; clearly describe their role in the research.
13.2. It is prohibited to: use AI to generate falsified data; present AI as a co-author; covert use of AI when writing an article.
13.3. In the case of complaints related to the use of AI: additional expertise is carried out, text verification, data analysis and assessment of the reproducibility of results.
13.4. The editorial board has the right to: request primary data; request explanations regarding the use of AI; reject or withdraw the article.

14. Documentation and transparency
14.1. All stages of complaint consideration are recorded in the internal editorial system and with the possibility of audit.
14.2. The editorial board ensures: transparency of procedures; protection of personal data; storage of investigation materials for at least 3 years.

15. Institutional Integration
15.1. The procedure is consistent with: the university's academic integrity policy; internal regulatory documents.
15.2. In the event of serious violations: the materials are forwarded to the appropriate university bodies.