Порядок розгляду скарг щодо порушень етичних норм
Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Ethical Violations
The journal “International Bulletin on Public Administration and Legal Affairs” adheres to high standards of publication quality and handles any reports of ethical violations in accordance with international standards and recommendations, primarily those of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) / COPE), specifically COPE’s General Approach to Publication Ethics for Editorial Boards, as well as COPE’s guidelines on complaints and appeals, and (DOAJ/OASPA/WAME) guidelines on the responsibilities of participants in the publication process regarding ethical standards.
To address such issues, a procedure for handling complaints regarding violations of ethical standards has been developed and approved.
- Purpose and Scope
This procedure establishes the process for handling complaints regarding violations of ethical standards by authors, reviewers, editorial board members, or other interested parties. The scope of these procedures extends to matters of academic integrity and publication ethics.
Complaints concerning issues outside the scope of the journal’s activities will receive a reasoned response stating that they fall outside the journal’s jurisdiction. Complaints containing direct insults to the honor and dignity of any participant in the process will not be considered
- Submitting a Complaint
2.1. Complaints must be submitted electronically (as a PDF scan) to the journal’s official email address: bulletin_pla@ukr.net. An acknowledgment of receipt will be sent within 2 business days.
Personal data is processed in accordance with the principle of data minimization and the requirements of the GDPR.
2.2. The complaint must include:
– the complainant’s contact information;
– a reference to the publication, manuscript, or description of the material in question;
– a detailed description of the violation with references to evidence (attach the relevant file(s) to the message if necessary).
2.3. Anonymous complaints will not be considered. However, upon request in the message, the editorial board may ensure the complainant’s confidentiality (their data will not be disclosed to third parties without necessity or legal grounds).
- Preliminary Review Stage
3.1. The Editor-in-Chief appoints an authorized representative to conduct a preliminary review of the complaint.
If the complaint concerns the Editor-in-Chief’s activities, his or her duties are performed by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief.
If the complaint concerns the activities of both the Editor-in-Chief and the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, the relevant duties are performed by another member of the editorial board who has no conflict of interest. This person is selected by a vote of the editorial board members who have no conflict of interest.
In exceptional cases, an external advisor who has no conflict of interest may be engaged to resolve an issue related to the scope of application of this procedure. This person is selected by a vote of the editorial board members who have no conflict of interest.
3.2. Within 5 business days, the authorized person shall verify:
– whether the subject of the complaint pertains to a violation of the ethical standards of the scientific publication;
– whether there are sufficient grounds for consideration.
3.3. The complainant shall receive notification of the complaint’s registration or refusal to consider it no later than the next business day following the verification.
- Complaint Review
4.1. A commission consisting of three independent experts (members of the editorial board and/or external experts) who have no conflict of interest with regard to the parties or the material shall be established to review the complaint. Individuals directly involved in the complaint may not participate in the review.
4.2. The commission has the right to:
– request additional materials and explanations;
– engage independent experts;
– consult with all interested parties.
4.3. The review period shall not exceed 25 calendar days from the date the complaint is registered. In exceptional cases, the period may be extended, but by no more than 10 calendar days, with the complainant being notified of the reasons for the extension.
- Decisions and Measures
5.1. Based on the results of the review, the committee may make one of the following decisions:
– dismiss the complaint as unfounded;
– deem the violation minor and propose corrections;
– deem the violation significant and take substantial measures.
5.2. Possible measures in the event of significant violations:
– refusal to publish the material;
– (retraction) withdrawal of an already published article;
– notification of the violation to the author’s institution.
5.3. No later than the following day, the decision is sent by email to all participants in the review.
- Safeguarding the Rights of the Parties
6.1. All parties have the right to:
– receive full information about the review process;
– present their explanations and evidence;
– appeal the commission’s decision.
6.2. The confidentiality of the process is guaranteed to all participants.
- Appealing Decisions
7.1. The committee’s decision may be appealed within 15 calendar days of receipt to the editor-in-chief. The appeal (scanned in PDF format) against the committee’s decision shall be sent to the official email address of the scientific journal: bulletin_pla@ukr.net.
7.2. The editor-in-chief reviews the appeal within 20 calendar days.
7.3. The editor-in-chief’s decision is final.
