Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Physics adheres to high standards of academic integrity, transparency of editorial procedures, and responsible scientific communication. The journal's editorial policy is aimed at ensuring the quality of scientific publications, trust in research results, and preventing any forms of scientific or publishing dishonesty.

The journal is guided by internationally recognized guidelines and best practices. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), principles of transparency and proper publishing practices Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), as well as the approaches to responsible research evaluation outlined in San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

The editorial board supports the principles of open science, including open access to publications, correct citation, responsible use of research data, and transparency of scientific methods.

 

Editorial responsibilities

The editorial team ensures a fair, impartial, and professional review of all submitted manuscripts.

In particular, the editorial office:

• organizes independent double-blind peer review by two experts in the relevant field;
• makes decisions on publication solely on the basis of scientific quality, novelty, validity of results and compliance with the journal's topic;
• guarantees equal treatment of authors regardless of citizenship, place of work, gender, language, political or other beliefs;
• ensures the confidentiality of materials received for consideration;
• prevents conflicts of interest and requires their mandatory disclosure by all participants in the process;
• checks manuscripts for plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplication of publications and other ethical violations;
• does not allow for publication of works that have been previously published or submitted to other publications.

The editor-in-chief bears ultimate responsibility for editorial decisions.

See also: "Honest Publication. International Standards for Editors"

 

Ethical principles of reviewers' activities

Peer review is a key element in ensuring the quality of scientific publications.

Reviewers:

• carry out expert assessment objectively, with good reason and in a friendly manner;
• maintain the confidentiality of the materials received;
• do not use unpublished data in their own research;
• inform the editorial office about possible borrowings, duplications or other violations;
• declare any conflict of interest and, if necessary, decline to review.

See also: COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers.

 

Principles of Integrity for Authors

The authors bear full responsibility for the content and accuracy of the submitted materials.

Authors are obliged to:

• present original research results with an accurate and honest presentation of methods and conclusions;
• ensure reproducibility of results and provide sufficient data and references;
• properly cite the sources used and avoid any forms of plagiarism;
• prevent fabrication, falsification or manipulation of data;
• do not submit the same manuscript to several publications at the same time;
• correctly determine the composition of authors according to the real scientific contribution;
• disclose sources of funding and possible conflicts of interest;
• report the use of artificial intelligence tools or automated systems when preparing text, analysis, or illustrations.

 

Herald rejects any materials that do not comply with anti-plagiarism requirements.

The technical editor checks the submission text for plagiarism using the system StrikePlagiarism before review. This system calculates the percentage of borrowed text according to the following indicator: percentage of text, which determines the level of borrowings found in certain sources, consisting of text fragments containing at least 8 consecutive words. If the results of the check show that the percentage of borrowed text exceeds 5%, the submission is rejected.

 

Policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled technologies

Journal recognizes the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools and automated systems in the preparation of scientific materials, but requires transparency, responsibility of authors, and preservation of academic integrity.

AI can be an auxiliary tool, but cannot act as an author, co-author, or be responsible for the content of the work. The authors bear sole responsibility for the authenticity, originality, and correctness of the materials.

Permissible use of AI

Authors can use AI tools to:

language editing, grammar, style checking and translation of the text; technical formatting of the manuscript, preparation of tables, figures or code; supporting data analysis, visualization, programming or automation of calculations under the supervision of the researcher; literature search or structuring of the material as an auxiliary activity.

All results generated or processed using AI must be manually verified by the authors.

Unauthorized use of AI

It is prohibited to: generate AI of the main scientific content (results, conclusions, interpretations) without proper verification and authorship; fabricate or modify data, images, formulas, experiments, or results using AI; create fictitious references, sources, or citations; covertly use AI to write significant parts of the manuscript without disclosing this fact; indicate AI as an author or co-author.

Any use of AI for misleading purposes is considered a violation of publication ethics.

Disclosure of information about the use of AI

Authors are required to report transparently about the use of AI tools.

If AI was used, the manuscript must: indicate the name of the tool/service and version (if possible); describe the tasks for which it was used; confirm that all materials have been reviewed by the authors and meet the requirements of scientific integrity.

Recommended wording:

"AI tool(s) for language editing/translation/visualization/data analysis were used during manuscript preparation. The authors have fully reviewed and are responsible for the final content of the article."

If AI was not used, no additional statements are required.

Responsibility and control

The editorial board reserves the right to: request clarification regarding the use of AI; demand corrections or disclosures; reject manuscripts or withdraw publications in the event of covert or unethical use of AI.

Failure to comply with this policy may be considered a violation of publication ethics.

See also: "Honorable Publication. International Standards for Authors" and COPE's position on authorship and AI tools.

 

Review of complaints regarding violations of academic integrity and publication ethics

Journal considers all complaints regarding possible violations of academic integrity, plagiarism, duplication of publications, conflicts of interest, inaccurate data, or other manifestations of unethical behavior in accordance with the recommendations(Committee on Publication Ethics / COPE)

Complaints can be submitted to the editorial office by email, providing substantiated facts and supporting materials. All appeals are considered confidentially, impartially, and within a reasonable time.

The editorial board conducts a review, involves experts if necessary, and has the right to make decisions on corrections, publication of a warning, withdrawal of the article, or other measures in accordance with the ethical standards of the journal.

The editorial office guarantees the protection of applicants from any pressure or discrimination and ensures a fair hearing for all parties.

 

Correction, withdrawal and response to violations

If errors or violations are discovered after publication, the editorial team acts in accordance with international ethical standards.

Depending on the situation, the following may be published:

• correction (corrigendum/erratum);
• editorial disclaimers;
• withdrawal of the article with an explanation of the reasons.

The editorial board reserves the right to investigate cases of dishonesty and take necessary measures to prevent violations of publication ethics.

Corrections after the article has been published will be made after careful review by the editorial team to ensure that all necessary changes comply with the journal's policy principles and guidelines.(Committee on Publication Ethics / COPE) Necessary changes will be accompanied by a post-publication notification linked to the original article. The reasons for a significant change to the article will be explained by publishing a corresponding statement. A published article may be retracted if the scientific information in it is significantly compromised. In such circumstances, a retraction signed by all co-authors must be submitted to the editorial board, indicating the error and providing a brief explanation of how it affected the conclusion to be published in the journal. If a violation is found in a published article, the editorial board will publish a statement of concern during the investigation.