Complaints Handling Procedure and Article Retraction Procedure

Complaints Handling Procedure Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics

The journal has established a clear procedure for handling complaints related to possible violations of academic integrity and publication ethics. All complaints are considered confidentially, objectively, and in accordance with the principles of impartiality. 

Any individual (author, reviewer, reader, or member of the editorial board) may submit a complaint regarding violations, including plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data falsification or fabrication, improper authorship, conflicts of interest, or other ethical breaches.

A complaint must be submitted to the editorial office in written form, clearly outlining the nature of the alleged violation and, where available, supporting evidence. The editorial office acknowledges receipt of the complaint and initiates its review within a reasonable timeframe.

A preliminary investigation is conducted by the editorial board or authorized members of the editorial team to assess the validity of the complaint. If necessary, independent experts or reviewers may be involved.

If a violation is confirmed, the editorial board makes an appropriate decision, which may include manuscript rejection, publication of a corrigendum, article retraction, or other measures in accordance with international ethical standards.

Individuals against whom a complaint is filed have the right to provide explanations and comments during the review process. All parties are entitled to fair treatment and the presumption of good faith until a violation is confirmed.

The editorial board follows the recommendations of international publication ethics organizations, in particular COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics), and ensures transparency and consistency in decision-making.

All decisions regarding complaints are documented and stored in the editorial archive system.

Article Retraction Procedure

The journal adheres to international publishing ethics standards and follows the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines on the retraction of published articles.

Retraction is applied in cases where significant violations of academic integrity or research ethics are identified, including plagiarism, self-plagiarism, data falsification or fabrication, serious methodological errors, duplicate publication, or improper authorship.

A retraction may be initiated by the editorial board, authors, reviewers, or third parties through a formal request submitted to the journal. All such requests are subject to review by the editorial board.

Before making a final decision, the editorial board investigates the circumstances of the case and, if necessary, consults independent experts or members of the editorial advisory board. Authors are given the opportunity to provide explanations and comments regarding the identified issues.

If the grounds for retraction are confirmed, the editorial board issues an official retraction decision. A notice is published in the journal, stating the reasons for retraction and preserving the bibliographic information of the retracted article.

The retracted article remains publicly accessible but is clearly marked as “retracted” to ensure transparency in the scholarly record and to prevent further citation of unreliable or invalid results.

The editorial board ensures transparency in the retraction process and upholds the principles of fairness and integrity in scholarly communication.