Publishing ethics

Publication Ethics

The ‘THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT’ journal adheres to the COPE Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.

The Editorial Board is committed to ensuring integrity, transparency, and ethical standards throughout all stages of the publication process.

Editorial board members cannot be authors or co-authors of more than 25% of the articles in each issue.

 

Retraction Policy

Retraction of a published article is carried out in accordance with COPE Retraction Guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines).

Retraction may be initiated in cases of:

  • proven research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism);
  • major methodological errors invalidating conclusions;
  • duplicate publication;
  • unethical research practices.

In the event of retraction:

  • the original article remains accessible for the sake of scholarly record;
  • the PDF version is clearly marked as “Retracted”;
  • a formal retraction notice explaining the reasons is published;
  • authors are notified by an official letter providing a detailed explanation of the reasons for the article’s retraction.

 

Policy on Author Self-Citation

The journal “THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT” supports responsible citation practices.

Self-citation is acceptable when scientifically justified, including:

  • continuation of previous research;
  • direct use of previously developed methods;
  • reference to essential earlier findings.

As a general guideline:

  • self-citation up to 20% of the reference list is normally acceptable;
  • levels above 25% require clear scientific justification;
  • excessive self-citation intended to inflate citation metrics is considered unethical.

The Editorial Board may request revision of references or reject a manuscript if citation practices do not comply with ethical standards.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

The editorial board emphasizes the need to adhere to the principles of academic integrity, transparency and responsibility when using AI tools.

Authors are required to indicate in the manuscript which AI tools were used and for what purpose.

The journal recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools (including generative AI and large language models) may assist authors in the preparation of manuscripts.

However:

  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, scientific validity, and integrity of the manuscript.
  • The use of AI tools for data analysis or image processing must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript (e.g., in the Methods section).
  • The use of AI tools for language editing and grammar correction is permitted without mandatory disclosure, provided that no scientific content is generated or modified.
  • If AI tools are used to assist in drafting text, summarizing content, or structuring the manuscript, such use must be transparently disclosed.
  • The use of AI for fabrication or manipulation of research data, generation of fictitious references, or misleading image alteration is strictly prohibited.
  • Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts into public AI systems.

Failure to disclose substantial AI involvement may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

 

Complaints and Appeals Procedure

When handling complaints and appeals, the editorial office follows the recommendations of COPE.

In the event of a complaint or appeal, the following established procedure is applied:

  1. Any complaint or appeal is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief responsible for the journal, the Executive Editor.

  2. The Editor-in-Chief may involve members of the Editorial Board to assist in dispute resolution and to ensure the proper application of the journal’s editorial policies and publication ethics rules.

    • originality of the manuscript;
    • proper citation of sources;
    • absence of simultaneous submissions;
    • accurate authorship attribution;
    • disclosure of conflicts of interest;
    • disclosure of funding sources.

      All complaints are addressed in a fair, confidential, and timely manner.

       

      Editorial Responsibilities

      Duties of the Editor-in-Chief

      The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for final publication decisions based solely on:

      • scientific merit;
      • originality;
      • methodological rigor;
      • relevance to the journal’s scope.

      The Editor-in-Chief:

      • makes publication decisions based solely on scientific merit;
      • ensures impartial and unbiased evaluation of manuscripts;
      • maintains confidentiality of submissions;
      • manages conflicts of interest appropriately;
      • ensures compliance with ethical standards and COPE Core Practices;
      • oversees the investigation of ethical complaints and research misconduct.

      Duties of Reviewers

      Reviewers must:

      • provide objective and constructive assessments;
      • respect confidentiality;
      • declare conflicts of interest;
      • avoid use of unpublished materials for personal benefit;
      • identify relevant uncited literature;
      • report substantial similarity with other works.

      Duties of Authors

      Authors must ensure:

      • originality of the manuscript;
      • proper citation of sources;
      • absence of simultaneous submissions;
      • accurate authorship attribution;
      • disclosure of conflicts of interest;
      • disclosure of funding sources.

      Authors are obligated to notify the journal if significant errors are discovered after publication.

 

Plagiarism Detection

The editors office, editorial board of the ‘THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT’ journal undertake an obligation to help the scientific community to observe and practice publishing ethics, especially in cases of possible double submission or plagiarism.  Authors submitting an article for review agree that plagiarism and fraud are not only crimes but also disgraceful actions in the academic environment. All submitted manuscripts are screened using StrikePlagiarism software, as recommended by the publisher (Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University).

Cases of suspected plagiarism or duplicate submission are handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.