Publication Ethics

Contents:

Relationships between authors, editors and reviewers in our journal are based on academic benevolence, objectivity of ratings and priority of scientific quality. We are following the principles of Code of Conduct for Editors as defined by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE), in particular

Publication decisions

The editor is responsible for choosing which of the articles submitted to the journal should be published. The editor should be guided by the policies of the editorial board of the journal and be limited to such legal requirements as the prevention of slander, copyright protection and the prevention of plagiarism. The editor may invite other editors or reviewers to decide on the possibility of publishing the manuscript.

Honest game

The editor always evaluates manuscripts by their intellectual content, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious faith, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political views of the authors.

Confidentiality

The editor and the editorial staff should not disclose any information about the submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other members of the editorial board and publisher.

Disclosure and conflict of interest

The journal follow the principles which outline in:

Common Standard for Conflict of Interest Disclosure published by Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Guidelines published on good publication and the Code of Conduct by the Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE).

A conflict of interest is understood to mean anything that interferes or may interfere with the full, proper, and objective procedure for considering and deciding on the publication of research articles or other materials.

A conflict of interest is considered to exist if individuals involved in the editorial process have relationships with each other, personal or otherwise, that could potentially compromise them or interfere with objectivity or influence the resolution of issues related to publication.

When submitting an article, the author must declare all possible conflicts of interest. After manuscripts are assigned for review, reviewers are asked to inform the editor of any conflicts that may arise.

The author designated by the co-authors as responsible for correspondence with the editors (corresponding author) must declare any conflicts of interest on behalf of all authors.

Conflicts of interest may also arise from employment, sources of funding, personal financial interests, membership in relevant organizations, or other circumstances that may bias the decision-making of those responsible.

Authors should disclose any financial or other material conflict of interest that could influence the results presented or their interpretation, and inform the Editorial Board about this. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships/affiliations with any authors, companies, or institutions associated with the manuscript.

Editors should not edit/manage manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest resulting from competitive, joint or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, or companies or institutions associated with the research.

  • Conflicts of interest of all authors, reviewers, and editors must be declared and handled transparently.
  • The Editor-in-Chief, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, members of the editorial board, and the editorial staff do not influence the review process of their own manuscripts.
  • The Editor-in-Chief does not participate in the editorial process when their own manuscript is under consideration. The editorial board appoints an editor to handle manuscripts in which the Editor-in-Chief is an author or co-author. The Editor-in-Chief's manuscript undergoes the standard double-blind peer review procedure.
  • The Deputy Editor-in-Chief recuses themselves from the consideration of their own manuscript. The Deputy Editor-in-Chief's manuscript undergoes the standard double-blind peer review procedure.
  • Members of the editorial board who submit manuscripts withdraw from participation in the editorial process concerning their own texts. The manuscript is handled by an editor who has no conflict of interest and is not affiliated with the author. A manuscript submitted by a member of the editorial board undergoes the standard double-blind peer review procedure. Publication statistics of editorial board members are regularly monitored in order to avoid excessive representation in the journal.
  • Editorial staff
    Must adhere to the same principles of independence and conflict-of-interest management as members of the editorial board. Manuscripts submitted by editorial staff undergo the standard double-blind peer review procedure.

Any declarations of conflict of interest made by authors, reviewers or editors are reviewed by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief and/or Editor-in-Chief of the publication. In the case of substantiated claims of a conflict of interest with the Editor-in-Chief of the publication, such declarations are reviewed by two members of the editorial board of the publication.

Policy on the Use of AI and AI-Enabled Technologies

Clearly defining permissible and impermissible uses of AI in the publication preparation process, and disclosure requirements for authors regarding AI use

The journal's editorial board acknowledges the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in academic work and permits their use provided that the principles of academic integrity, transparency, and responsibility are observed.

General Principles

The use of AI-based tools (including ChatGPT or similar systems) is permitted solely as an auxiliary means for:

  • linguistic editing of text;
  • improving style and structure;
  • generating ideas or formulating general propositions.

AI may not be regarded as an author or co-author of a scholarly work, as it bears no responsibility for the content.

Requirements for Authors

Authors who use AI are required to:

  • clearly indicate the fact and nature of AI use within the article text (for example, in the Acknowledgements or Methodology section);
  • verify the accuracy of all data obtained with the assistance of AI;
  • refrain from using AI to generate falsified or unreliable results;
  • guarantee the originality of the submitted material and the absence of plagiarism.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of the manuscript, regardless of AI use.

Restrictions on Use

The following are prohibited:

  • submitting texts fully generated by AI as one's own scholarly findings;
  • using AI to manipulate data, create fictitious references, or fabricate results;
  • listing AI as an author or co-author;
  • using AI to covertly influence the outcomes of peer review.

Policy for Peer Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers and editors are advised against using AI to analyse manuscripts without ensuring confidentiality, as transmitting materials to third parties (including via AI services) may violate ethical principles.

Where AI is used in the course of peer review or editing, it is necessary to:

  • ensure the protection of confidential information;
  • refrain from transmitting full manuscript texts to third-party services without the editorial board's authorisation.

Oversight and Accountability

The editorial board reserves the right to check submitted materials for AI use and, in the event of a violation, to apply appropriate measures in accordance with the publication ethics policy.

The Journal examines all reports of violations of academic integrity and publication ethics in accordance with the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors and co-authors bear full responsibility for compliance with these principles.

The Editorial Board of the Herald considers complaints relating to plagiarism, falsification or fabrication of data, duplicate or multiple publication, improper authorship, breaches of the peer review process, undisclosed conflicts of interest, as well as unethical conduct by authors, reviewers or editors, and other violations of public significance.

Submission of a Complaint. A complaint should be submitted by email to the editorial office or to the responsible persons (as indicated in the "Contacts" section). It must be clear, specific, and contain a statement of grounds, supporting evidence, and the contact details of the complainant.

Examination of a Complaint. Initial examination is conducted by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorised member of the Editorial Board within 10 working days. Where necessary, additional materials may be requested. If the complaint is found to have merit, a detailed investigation is initiated.

A full investigation is conducted by the Editorial Board (within up to 2 months), with the involvement of independent experts where required.

The person against whom the complaint has been filed has the right to:

  • review the materials of the investigation;
  • submit observations and explanations (oral or written), or waive this right;
  • participate in the examination of the evidence;
  • be present during the consideration of whether a violation has been established.

Responsive Measures. If a violation is confirmed, the following measures may be applied:

  • rejection of the manuscript or retraction of the published article;
  • publication of an official notice of the violation;
  • notification of the author's institution;
  • a temporary ban on the submission of manuscripts to the journal.

The complainant and the author(s) are notified of the outcome of the examination.

The person against whom the complaint has been filed has the right to submit a reasoned objection or to appeal the decision of the Editorial Board.

 

Editorial policy (COPE / WAME / DORA)

The editorial policy of The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series "Law" is grounded in the internationally recognised standards of academic integrity, research publication ethics, and responsible evaluation of research outcomes. In its work, the editorial board is guided by the recommendations of leading international organisations, in particular the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE, https://publicationethics.org/), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME, https://wame.org/), and the principles of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA, https://sfdora.org/).

The editorial board affirms the primacy of academic integrity principles, which preclude plagiarism, fabrication, falsification of research results, and any other forms of scholarly misconduct. All materials submitted for publication undergo independent peer review and are assessed for compliance with ethical standards. Where violations are identified, the editorial board applies procedures established in international practice, including rejection of the manuscript, publication of corrections, or retraction of the article.

In accordance with COPE recommendations (https://publicationethics.org/guidance), the editorial board ensures transparency of editorial processes, confidentiality of peer review, impartiality in manuscript evaluation, and appropriate management of conflicts of interest. All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers, and editors — are required to uphold the principles of good faith, impartiality, and professional responsibility.

Pursuant to WAME recommendations (https://wame.org/policies), the editorial board guarantees independence in publication decision-making, ensures proper attribution of authorship, adherence to ethical standards of peer review, and maintenance of the integrity of the scholarly record. Any influence of commercial, political, or institutional factors on editorial decisions is excluded.

The editorial board likewise adheres to the principles of DORA (https://sfdora.org), under which the evaluation of scholarly outputs is based on their content, scientific novelty, methodological soundness, and significance, rather than on formal bibliometric indicators or the prestige of the publication venue. The journal does not use the impact factor or other journal-level metrics as a determining criterion for the quality of individual scholarly works.

Accordingly, the editorial board of The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series "Law" is committed to ensuring that its activities conform to contemporary international standards of scholarly publishing, thereby contributing to the formation of a transparent, responsible, and ethically governed academic environment.