Complaints Handling and Article Retraction Policy

The Editorial Board adheres to the principles of academic integrity, transparency, and responsibility in publishing activities. All complaints are handled in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Complaints Handling

The journal ensures prompt, objective, and confidential consideration of complaints related to:

– copyright infringement;
– plagiarism or self-plagiarism;
– unethical conduct of authors, reviewers, or editorial board members;
– conflicts of interest;
– violations of ethical standards in the peer-review or publication process;
– errors or inaccuracies in published materials.

Procedure for handling complaints:

  1. Complaints should be submitted to the Editorial Office via email, clearly describing the issue and providing supporting evidence where possible.
  2. The Editorial Office acknowledges receipt of the complaint within 3–5 working days.
  3. The Editor-in-Chief or an authorized editorial board member conducts a preliminary assessment.
  4. If necessary, independent experts may be involved in the investigation.
  5. All parties involved (authors, reviewers, etc.) may be invited to provide explanations.
  6. A decision is made based on objectivity, impartiality, and available evidence.
  7. The complainant receives a reasoned response within a reasonable timeframe.

Corrections

If minor errors that do not affect the scientific validity of the article are identified, the journal may publish:

– a correction notice (corrigendum or erratum);
– an updated version of the article with clearly indicated changes.

Article Retraction

Articles may be retracted in the following cases:

– confirmed plagiarism or data fabrication/falsification;
– significant errors affecting the reliability of the results;
– duplicate publication;
– violations of research ethics;
– incorrect authorship or undisclosed conflicts of interest.

Retraction procedure:

  1. Retraction may be initiated by the Editorial Board, the author(s), or a third party.
  2. A thorough investigation is conducted based on all available evidence.
  3. The author(s) are informed and given an opportunity to respond.
  4. The final decision is made by the Editorial Board.
  5. If grounds are confirmed, an official retraction notice is published.
  6. The original article remains accessible for the sake of transparency but is clearly marked as “Retracted”.

Principles of Retraction Policy

– transparency and openness of the process;
– preservation of the scholarly record;
– prevention of misconduct concealment;
– protection of the rights of all participants in the publication process.