Publication Ethics and Editorial Policy. Procedure for Handling Complaints

The Editorial Board follows the international standards of ethics in periodicals, committing to the recommendations on the general duties and responsibilities of editors – COPE Code of Conduct approved by COPE (Committee on Publication ethics).

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITORS

Editors should:

  • strive to meet the needs of readers and authors;
  • constantly improve the journal;
  • ensure the quality of the material they publish;
  • champion freedom of expression;
  • maintain the integrity of the academic record;
  • preclude business needs from compromising intellectual standards;
  • always be willing to publish corrections, clarifications, retractions and apologies when needed.

Principles of Professional Ethics of the Editorial Board:

In its activities, the editorial board of the electronic scientific journal Management and Entrepreneurship: Trends of Development is guided by the following ethical principles:

  • The decision to publish an article is made by the editorial board of the journal on the basis of:
    • checking the manuscript for compliance with design requirements;
    • assessment of the intellectual content, scientific and practical significance of the material;
    • peer review results;
    • the results of the discussion at the meeting of the editorial board.
  • When deciding to publish a manuscript, the editorial board is guided by the publication ethics of the journal and does not allow the publication of articles with signs of plagiarism, copyright infringement, defamation, and insults in the case of fact suffice.
  • The final decision to publish the article or to refuse publication is taken by the editor-in-chief of the journal.
  • The Editorial Board evaluates manuscripts of submitted articles regardless of race, gender, nationality, origin, citizenship (nationality), occupation, place of work and residence of the author, as well as his political, philosophical, religious and other views.
  • The Editorial Board considers the claims of unethical behavior of the authors of submitted manuscripts or published articles and takes action in connection with the submitted claims.

ETHICS FOR PEER REVIEWERS

  • The reviewer is obliged to provide an objective and reasoned assessment of the results of the study, guided by fundamental comments aimed at improving the scientific level of the manuscript. The author's personal criticism is unacceptable.
  • The reviewed manuscript is regarded as a confidential document that cannot be transmitted for review or discussion to third parties who are not authorized by the journal editorial board.
  • Unpublished data obtained from submitted manuscripts should not be used by the reviewer for personal purposes.
  • The response to the article is confidential and non-disclosable. Name of the reviewer, his place of work and position are not disclosed.

AUTHORS’ ETHICS

  • The fact that the author submits the manuscript for publication in a journal confirms the authorship of the scientific article. In case of co-authorship, the manuscript is submitted by one of the authors.
  • Submitted material must contain the results of original scientific research.
  • When fragments from other research is included in the article, it is necessary to properly design such inclusions (citations) by indicating the original source in the bibliographic list (references) to the article.
  • The authors are responsible for the content, originality and translation of the text, the scientific level and accuracy of the information provided, and for the fact that the information does not contain restricted information.
  • The authors guarantee that the submitted manuscript has not been previously published and is not under review in another edition. The appropriate form (COVER LETTER) is sent to authors after the manuscript submission. It must be submitted by the authors with handwritten signatures.
  • In the event of any errors or inaccuracies in the submitted scientific material at any stage of the publication process, the author is obliged to inform the editorial board of the journal about this fact.

Sharing of information regarding possible misconduct or unethical behaviour

With the aim to preserve the integrity of the scientific record and to allow the affected journals to conduct investigations with greater efficiency and effectiveness, anyone may inform the Editorial Board of the journal of unethical behaviour (suspected misconduct) of participants of the publishing process (e.g. duplicate publication or self-plagiarism - when part or whole of the manuscript is same to the previously published paper of the author).  

The consequences of clarifying unethical behavior grant the following rights to the Editor-in-chief of the journal:

• compare different versions of the same manuscript submitted to different journals;
• compare the explanations provided by investigators/authors to questions resulting from concerns over submitted manuscript;
• collaborate and share effort in investigating cases of suspected misconduct;
• work together when approaching investigators/authors and/or their institutions.

In the case of ethical violation and major research misconduct (e.g. multiple, redundant or concurrent publication) the Editorial Board has the right to adopt next measures:

- to announce and deliver the appropriate information to the corresponding educational institutions (place of work of the author (-s), scientific societies, scientific associations etc.);

- to retract the article according to the journal's retraction policy;

- to refuse to publish subsequent articles by unscrupulous authors.

Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Violations of Ethical Standards in the Editorial Policy of the Scientific Journal “Management and Entrepreneurship: Trends of Development”

1. General Provisions
The Editorial Board of the electronic scientific professional journal “Management and Entrepreneurship: Development Trends” adheres to the principles of academic integrity, impartiality, and transparency in handling all complaints related to potential violations of ethical norms. The complaints handling procedure is based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and ensures timely, fair, and confidential resolution of disputes.

2. Grounds for Filing a Complaint
A complaint may be submitted if the complainant believes that there has been a breach of ethical standards in the publication process, including but not limited to:

  • detection of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or data falsification;

  • unauthorized use of another author’s materials or research results;

  • undeclared conflict of interest;

  • biased or unethical peer review;

  • breach of anonymity in the double-blind review process;

  • unethical conduct by members of the Editorial Board, reviewers, or authors.

3. Submission of Complaints

  1. A complaint must be submitted in written form via the official email address of the journal and must include:

    • the full name of the complainant (or the name of the representing institution);

    • a clear description of the alleged violation and justification;

    • any available evidence or documents supporting the complaint.

  2. Anonymous complaints will be considered only if sufficient evidence or factual basis is provided.

4. Procedure for Review of Complaints

  1. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Editor-in-Chief confirms its acceptance and forwards it to the Ethics Committee, composed of members of the Editorial Board who have no conflict of interest with the complainant or the parties involved.

  2. The Ethics Committee reviews the materials within 30 calendar days from the date of registration of the complaint.

  3. If necessary, external experts may be consulted, or additional explanations may be requested from the involved parties.

  4. Based on the review results, the Ethics Committee prepares a formal report with recommendations for further action, which is approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

5. Possible Outcomes
Depending on the established facts, the Editorial Board may adopt one or more of the following decisions:

  • issue an official warning to the author, reviewer, or editorial member;

  • request a correction or retraction of the publication;

  • publish a statement of correction, clarification, or ethical concern;

  • temporarily or permanently suspend cooperation with the violator;

  • notify relevant academic or institutional authorities of the violation.

6. Confidentiality and Impartiality
All complaints are treated confidentially. Information about the individuals involved in the process is not disclosed without their consent. Decisions are made solely on verified facts, in accordance with COPE’s ethical standards and best practices.

7. Appeals
If the complainant disagrees with the Editorial Board’s decision, they may file an appeal within 14 days of receiving the official response. The appeal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief in collaboration with an independent external expert.

8. Publication of Outcomes
In cases where a serious ethical violation is confirmed, the Editorial Board may publish an official statement on the journal’s website, ensuring transparency and adherence to principles of academic integrity.