Publication ethics

Ethical norms for publishing articles in the scientific and practical journal "Regional Economy"

The journal "Regional Economy" is freely available on the journal's website.

Compliance with the principles and recommendations of COPE, WAME, DORA, etc

The editorial board of the magazine "Regional Economy" in its activities adheres to the principles and recommendations of leading international organizations, in particular COPE, WAME and DORA.

COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) - ethical standards

1. For authors:

• submitting exclusively original scientific results based on reliable data to the journal;
• mandatory observance of the rules of scientific citation and correct use of sources;
• clear definition of authorship in accordance with real contribution to research;
• preventing manifestations of academic dishonesty (plagiarism, falsification, fabrication of data).

2. For editors:

• decision-making regarding publication based on scientific value, relevance and appropriateness of the journal's subject matter;
• ensuring confidentiality of manuscripts at all stages of review;
• compliance with transparent procedures for submission, review and selection of articles;
• consideration of appeals and response to possible violations of ethical norms.

3. For reviewers:

• implementation of an objective, reasoned and impartial review;
• compliance with the established deadlines for evaluating manuscripts;
• avoiding conflicts of interest during review.

4. Response to violations:

• application of procedures for correction, recall (retraction) or clarification of published materials in case of detection of violations;
• informing the scientific community about significant errors or inaccurate data.

WAME (World Association of Medical Editors) - principles of editorial activity

1. Editorial independence:

• editorial decisions are made autonomously, without the influence of external or commercial factors.

2. Conflict of interest:

• mandatory declaration of potential conflicts of interest by authors, reviewers and editors.

3. Review quality:

• providing objective, confidential and timely expert assessment of materials.

4. Observance of integrity:

• taking editorial measures in case of detection of violations of academic ethics.

5. Transparency of funding:

• disclosure of information on funding sources for scientific research.

6. Support of scientific development:

• creation of conditions for publication of research results, including young scientists.

DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment) – principles of assessment of scientific results

1. Meaningful assessment of research:

• determining the scientific value of an article based on its results, novelty and contribution to the development of science, not just bibliometric indicators.

2. Comprehensive recognition of results:

• consideration of various forms of scientific results (data, analytical materials, applied developments).

3. The role of review:

• the use of peer review as a key tool for ensuring the quality of publications.

4. Interdisciplinarity:

• recognition of the importance of research combining different fields of knowledge.

5. Openness of science:

• supporting the principles of open access to the results of scientific research.

The journal "Regional Economy" also adheres to the international quality standards of scientific publications, in particular the requirements of Scopus and Web of Science, ensuring the transparency of editorial processes, high quality of reviews and compliance with modern requirements of scientific communication.

Principles of professional ethics in the work of the Editorial Board

The activities of the editorial board of the journal are based on the ethical norms and recommendations (COPE) published on the website (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines), according to which:

• based on a unified approach to expertise, the editorial board of the journal bears full responsibility for the content and quality of the published material;
• the decision to accept articles for publication is based on: the originality of the text, scientific relevance and novelty of the material, the reliability of statistical data and results of the conducted research, compliance of the article with the journal profile and on the basis of objective evidence;
• the editorial board bears full responsibility and is authorized to reject or accept articles for publication and must not have a conflict of interest with the materials that are rejected or accepted for publication;
• the editorial board must be convinced that the scientific and research materials published in the journal comply with internationally recognized ethical standards;
• the editorial board constantly monitors compliance by the journal's staff, reviewers and authors with the standards of publishing ethics, criteria for selecting articles;
• ensures the confidentiality of materials submitted to the editorial board until they are accepted for publication;
• the editorial board constantly works to improve the journal's activities;
• the editorial board is ready to publish corrections to texts and explanations to them, as well as refutations and apologies if necessary;
• the editorial board ensures the anonymity of reviewers and the independence of the quality of the publication from commercial interests, strives to ensure that advertising, reprinting or other commercial interests do not influence the editorial board's decisions;
• the editorial board has constantly updated instructions for authors on various issues related to the terms and rules for publishing the results of their research in the journal.

The editorial board of the scientific and practical journal "Regional Economics" holds the position that all persons listed among the authors of the manuscript submitted for review have made a significant scientific contribution to the preparation of the material and substantiation of its scientific novelty.

Ethical principles in the activities of a reviewer

A reviewer carries out an impartial professional review of the article (review form) submitted for consideration, adhering to the following principles:

• make fair and impartial decisions that do not depend on commercial interests, and organize an objective review process;
• adhere to the terms of reviewing articles;
• ensure the confidentiality of reviews of articles;
• reviewers are responsible for the materials they review that are published in the journal;
• reviewers formulate their reviews objectively and impartially, if necessary, confirming their opinion with a reference to the source. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable;
• if the reviewer discovers incorrect, false statements or distorted data, he informs the author about this so that he can eliminate the violations found and report this to the journal editorial office in accordance with the established procedure;
• reviewers ensure that authors are informed through the editorial office about the requirements for research submitted for publication;
• reviewers are constantly in contact with authors through the editorial office on the relevance of published materials, the reliability and originality of the data presented;
• if the reviewer believes that he does not have sufficient qualifications to evaluate the manuscript or cannot be objective, for example, in the event of a conflict of interest with the author, the editor should be informed of this with a request to exclude him from the review process of this article.

Principles that should guide the author of the article

The author must be aware of the responsibility for the novelty and reliability of the results of scientific research, adhering to the following principles:

• submit original works to the editorial office, avoiding dishonest citation, erroneous data and parallel publications in other publications;
• adhere to generally accepted standards of scientific reporting;
• ensure access to the data they receive and confirm the sources of their data. Citations must be properly formatted. It is imperative to highlight the contribution of other scientists to the research question and refer to them;
• do not create a conflict of interest situation and, if necessary, correct errors and inaccuracies in published works;
• authors must comply with the general requirements set by the editorial office for the design of publications, for their compliance with international publishing standards;
• in the event of detection of incorrect, false statements or distorted data in the publication, the author must promptly eliminate these violations and notify the editorial office in accordance with the established procedure;
• authors have the right to appeal the editorial office's decision in the event of refusal to publish the submitted material.

When submitting a manuscript, it is necessary to clearly outline the individual contribution of each research participant and reflect this information in a cover letter signed by all authors. The description of author roles should be carried out in accordance with the international taxonomy Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) – , which is recommended to be familiarized with before submitting materials to the editorial office.

The specific contribution of each author will be noted in the “Authors’ Contribution” section of the article itself. For example:

Authors’ Contribution:

Concept: T. Vasyltsiv, N. Popadynets, M. Melnyk.

Data organization: N. Popadynets.

Formal analysis: T. Vasyltsiv.

Research: M. Melnyk, I. Leshchukh.

Methodology: T. Vasyltsiv, N. Popadynets.

Project administration: O. Mulska, I. Leshchukh.

Verification: O. Mulska, I. Leshchukh.

Visualization: N. Popadynets.

In the case of preparation of the article by one author, it is advisable to note that all stages of research and publication work were carried out by him alone. This includes the formation of the research concept, systematization and processing of data, analytical interpretation of results, development of a methodological framework, organization and coordination of the research process, verification of the reliability of the obtained results, their visual presentation, as well as preparation of the initial version of the manuscript and final editing before submission for publication.

If a scientific publication is created in co-authorship and the contribution of all participants is equivalent, it is advisable to note that each of the authors equally participated in the development of the concept, collection and structuring of data, analytical processing, methodological support, organization of the study, scientific management, verification of results, preparation of graphic materials, writing the text of the article and its final revision.

It is worth considering that according to the CRediT approach, one researcher can combine several functional roles within the preparation of a scientific work. At the same time, the same role can be performed by several authors if their participation in the relevant area of ​​work was joint.

The texts of the articles, tables, graphic material, formulas are protected by copyright law. Reprinting and translation of the articles are permitted with the consent of the author and the editorial board of the journal "Regional Economy".

Responsibility for the accuracy of facts, quotes, proper names, geographical names, names of enterprises, organizations, institutions and other information lies with the author of the article.

Procedure for considering complaints regarding violations of academic integrity and publication ethics

The editorial board of the journal "Regional Economy" provides an open, consistent and impartial procedure for considering appeals concerning possible violations of academic integrity and publication ethics. Authors, reviewers, readers or other interested persons may initiate appeals in cases related to alleged plagiarism, incorrect borrowing of materials, manipulation of research results, double publication, conflict of interest or other violations.

The appeal is submitted to the editorial board in electronic form and must contain:

• contact information of the applicant;
• a clear link to the relevant publication or manuscript;
• a reasoned description of the essence of the possible violation, indicating the available evidence (if possible).

After receiving the appeal, the responsible member of the editorial board conducts a preliminary check of its content and makes a decision on the appropriateness of further consideration. At this stage, the presence of justified grounds is assessed, in particular regarding the facts of plagiarism, falsification or fabrication of data, re-publication or undeclared conflict of interest. The applicant is informed about the acceptance of the application for consideration or about the refusal with the appropriate justification.

If necessary, the editorial board may involve independent experts for an additional assessment of the situation. The author (or authors) of the material in respect of which the application is submitted must be notified of its content and have the opportunity to provide their own explanations or arguments.

Based on the results of the review, the editorial board adopts one of the following decisions:

• rejection of the application in the absence of confirmation of the violation;
• recognition of the violation as having a technical or insignificant nature, with a recommendation for its elimination;
• establishment of the fact of a significant violation with subsequent application of appropriate measures.

In cases of confirmation of significant violations, the following measures may be applied:

• refusal to publish the manuscript;
• withdrawal (retraction) of the published article with an appropriate notification;
• restriction of the right to submit materials to the journal for a certain period;
• informing the institution with which the author is associated.

All stages of the review are carried out in compliance with the principles of confidentiality, objectivity and equal treatment of all parties. Participants in the process have the right to receive information about the progress of the review, submit additional explanations and materials.

In case of disagreement with the decision made, the parties may file an appeal to the editor-in-chief within the established period. The appeal is considered within a certain period, after which a final decision is made.

In its activities, the editorial board of the journal is guided by the recommendations of COPE and EASE, which ensures compliance of the procedures for considering appeals with modern international standards of publication ethics.

Article retraction

The editorial board of the journal "Regional Economy" applies the retraction procedure as a tool to ensure the reliability of scientific publications and to inform readers about materials whose conclusions cannot be considered reliable. This approach complies with the recommendations of COPE and is aimed at maintaining high standards of academic integrity.

The decision to retract an article is made by the editorial board based on the results of considering relevant appeals or identifying violations in the process of editorial control. The initiator of the review may be readers, reviewers, authors or other interested parties. A notification of possible grounds for retraction is submitted to the editorial board with an indication of the justification and, if possible, supporting materials.

The grounds for retraction of an article may be:

• establishing facts of unreliability of research results due to errors, falsification or fabrication of data;
• identifying signs of plagiarism or unauthorized use of other people's materials;
• duplication of publication without proper reference or approval from the editorial office;
• use of materials without the appropriate permission of the copyright holders;
• violation of review procedures, in particular in cases of manipulation or compromise of expert assessment;
• hidden conflict of interest that could affect the interpretation of the results;
• presence of substantiated claims regarding authorship;
• non-compliance with ethical standards during the research.

Each case of potential retraction is subject to detailed consideration by the editorial board with the involvement, if necessary, of independent experts or representatives of the institutions where the authors work. The authors of the article are necessarily informed of the essence of the remarks and have the opportunity to provide explanations.

Based on the results of the consideration, a final decision is made on the retraction or refusal of the retraction. In the event of a retraction, the relevant article is not removed from the electronic archive of the journal, however, its electronic version is accompanied by a clear marking "Retracted", which is placed on each page, as well as a corresponding explanatory message from the editorial office.

The application of the retraction procedure is carried out in compliance with the principles of transparency, objectivity, and responsibility to the scientific community, which ensures the maintenance of an appropriate level of trust in the results of scientific research published in the journal.