1. General Provisions

The Editorial Board ensures a transparent, impartial, and confidential review of complaints related to alleged violations of academic integrity and publication ethics at any stage of the editorial and publishing process.

The complaint-handling procedure is based on:

• the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
• the journal’s Publication Ethics and Academic Integrity Policy;
• the principles of fairness, good faith, and proportionality.

2. Parties Entitled to Submit a Complaint

Complaints may be submitted by:

• authors;
• reviewers;
• members of the Editorial Board;
• readers;
• other interested parties.

Submission of a complaint does not entail any negative consequences for the complainant, provided the complaint is submitted in good faith.

3. Grounds for Submitting a Complaint

• suspicion of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data;
• violation of authorship requirements;
• undeclared conflict of interest;
• breach of confidentiality during the peer review process;
• biased or unethical reviewing;
• discriminatory or inappropriate actions by participants in the publication process;
• violation of the journal’s editorial procedures.

4. Submission Procedure

4.1.

A complaint must be submitted in writing to the official email address of the Editorial Board.

4.2.

The complaint must include:

• the complainant’s full name and contact information;
• a clear description of the issue;
• reference to the specific publication or stage of the process concerned;
• supporting materials (if available).

4.3.

Anonymous complaints are considered only if the information provided is sufficiently specific and substantiated.

5. Initial Review

5.1.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the Editor-in-Chief conducts a preliminary assessment of the validity of the complaint.

5.2.

If the complaint:

• falls outside the journal’s competence;
• lacks factual evidence;
• is submitted in violation of ethical standards,

the Editorial Board reserves the right to dismiss the complaint without a detailed investigation and will notify the complainant accordingly.

6. Investigation Procedure

6.1.

In the case of a substantiated complaint, the Editor-in-Chief:

• initiates an internal investigation of the complaint;
• involves members of the Editorial Board who have no conflict of interest;
• if necessary, engages independent external experts.

6.2.

All parties concerned have the right to:

• be informed of the substance of the complaint;
• provide written explanations;
• submit additional materials.

6.3.

The complaint is reviewed confidentially and impartially, in accordance with the principle of presumption of good faith.

7. Decisions Following the Review

As a result of the investigation, the Editorial Board may take one or more of the following actions:

• dismiss the complaint as unfounded;
• require corrections or clarifications to the publication;
• issue an expression of concern;
• retract the article;
• terminate cooperation with a reviewer or editor where appropriate;
• inform relevant institutions or organizations (in cases of serious violations).

The decision must be proportionate to the severity of the violation.

8. Notification of Parties

8.1.

The complainant receives a reasoned written response regarding the outcome of the review.

8.2.

If necessary, the Editorial Board informs:

• the author(s);
• the reviewer(s);
• the editor(s);
• institutions affiliated with the parties concerned.

9. Appeal

9.1.

A party subject to a decision has the right to submit a written appeal.

9.2.

The appeal is reviewed by the following parties:

• the Editor-in-Chief;
• members of the Editorial Board who were not involved in the initial decision;
• if necessary, an independent expert.

9.3.

The decision resulting from the appeal is final.

10. Timeframes

The Editorial Board aims to review complaints within reasonable timeframes:

• initial response – within 14 days;
• full review – within 1–2 months, depending on the complexity of the case.

11. Final Provisions

The Editorial Board reserves the right to:

• update this Procedure in accordance with changes in international standards;
• follow COPE recommendations in cases not covered by this document.

Submission of a complaint constitutes the complainant’s agreement with the procedure for its consideration as defined in this document.