Publication ethics

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1. Publication ethics defines the principles of honesty, responsibility, transparency, and professional integrity for all participants in the editorial process – authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher.

1.2. The journal follows the COPE Codes of Conduct, ICMJE principles, the Declaration on Research Integrity, and other international documents regulating ethical standards of scholarly publishing.

1.3. The purpose of this policy is to ensure high-quality scientific content and to prevent unethical practices such as falsification, data fabrication, plagiarism, duplication, and citation manipulation.

2. PRINCIPLES FOR AUTHORS

Originality and integrity – authors guarantee that the submitted research is original, contains no plagiarism, and has not been falsified or fabricated.

Uniqueness of submission – a manuscript must not be submitted simultaneously to other journals nor republished without explicit indication and permission.

Truthfulness and accuracy of data – authors must provide accurate data, retain primary results, and be prepared to provide them upon request of the Editorial Board.

Authorship and contributions – authorship is granted only to individuals who made a significant contribution to the research; “honorary authorship” is prohibited.

Citation and use of sources – authors must properly cite previous works and acknowledge the contributions of other researchers.

Conflict of interest declaration – authors must openly declare all potential conflicts of interest.

Bioethics and ethical approvals – studies involving humans or animals require submission of protocols and ethical approval documents.

Article corrections – if significant errors are discovered, authors must immediately inform the Editorial Board and assist with corrections or retraction.

3. PRINCIPLES FOR REVIEWERS

3.1. Impartiality
Reviewing must be conducted objectively, without conflicts of interest or personal biases.

3.2. Confidentiality
The manuscript and related materials must not be shared with third parties or used for personal benefit.

3.3. Timeliness
Reviewers are required to complete evaluations within the established deadlines.

3.4. Quality of review
Reviewer comments must be constructive, scientifically grounded, and aimed at improving the quality of the work.

3.5. Detection of misconduct
Reviewers must inform the Editorial Board of any cases of plagiarism, duplication, data fabrication, or other violations.

4. PRINCIPLES FOR EDITORS

4.1. Editorial independence
Editors make decisions regarding publication solely based on scientific merit and relevance to the journal.

4.2. Fairness and impartiality
Editorial decisions cannot depend on authors’ gender, nationality, political views, or other personal characteristics.

4.3. Prevention of conflict of interest
Editors must not use unpublished materials in their own research and must declare their interests.

4.4. Ensuring transparency
Editors ensure clarity of the review process, appropriate responses to ethical violations, and the quality of publications.

4.5. Response to violations
The Editorial Board acts according to COPE recommendations regarding retractions, corrections, notices, and sanctions.

5. PRINCIPLES FOR THE PUBLISHER

5.1. The publisher supports the Editorial Board in maintaining ethical standards and preventing unethical practices.

5.2. The publisher ensures technical and organizational support for peer review, archiving, and open access.

5.3. In cases of ethical violations, the publisher cooperates with the Editorial Board regarding sanctions and transparent communication with the scientific community.

6. VIOLATIONS OF PUBLICATION ETHICS

6.1. Violations include:

  • plagiarism (partial, full, or mosaic);

  • duplicate publication;

  • data fabrication or falsification;

  • citation manipulation;

  • concealment of conflicts of interest;

  • unethical authorship practices;

  • violations of review or editorial ethics.

6.2. The Editorial Board applies response mechanisms in accordance with COPE: rejection of the manuscript, request for corrections, official warnings, publication of a notice of misconduct, or retraction of the article.

7. POLICY REGARDING AGGRESSOR STATES AND PERSONS SUPPORTING AGGRESSION

7.1. The Ukrainian Science Hub Journal and the Private Research Institution “Ukrainian Science Hub” do not support, promote, or publish scholarly materials by authors who are citizens or permanent residents of states recognized as aggressors against Ukraine, including the Russian Federation and other states designated as aggressor countries under the legislation of Ukraine.

7.2. The journal does not cooperate with individuals, institutions, or organizations that directly or indirectly:

  • support, justify, or disseminate narratives aimed at legitimizing military aggression against Ukraine;

  • collaborate with state or non-state structures of aggressor countries;

  • have academic, scientific, financial, or reputational ties with Russia or other states conducting aggression against Ukraine.

7.3. The journal does not support citation, dissemination, or promotion of research published by authors or institutions from aggressor countries, except when it is critically necessary for scientific analysis, debunking false information, countering disinformation, or ensuring completeness of evidence.

7.4. Any materials submitted by authors affiliated with aggressor countries are automatically rejected without review.

8. FINAL PROVISIONS

8.1. This policy enters into force upon official approval.

8.2. The journal reserves the right to amend the policy in accordance with evolving international publication ethics standards.

8.3. All participants in the editorial process confirm their obligation to comply with this policy during submission, review, and publication of materials.