Conflict of Interest

The journal “Mountain School of Ukrainian Carpaty” is committed to ensuring objectivity and transparency in the publication process; therefore, all authors, reviewers and editors must declare any potential conflict of interest. This policy is designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing research outcomes and the decision-making process regarding publication.

Conflicts of interest on the part of authors
Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript. This applies to both financial relationships, such as direct employment or honoraria, and non-financial relationships, such as personal relationships, academic rivalry, and ideological or religious beliefs. All conflicts must be clearly defined so that readers can critically assess whether the authors may have been subject to a particular bias and how this might have affected the work. The article must include a “Conflict of Interest” note at the end. If there is no conflict of interest, the note must state “None”.

Conflicts of interest on the part of reviewers
Reviewers must declare any conflict of interest that may affect their ability to evaluate the manuscript objectively. Reviewers must immediately inform the editorial board if:

  1. They have financial or personal ties to the author(s) or organisations involved in the research.
  2. There is direct competition between their own research and the manuscript they are reviewing.
  3. There is a personal interest or bias (friendship, rivalry, etc.) that may affect the objectivity of the review.

In the event of a conflict of interest, reviewers must decline to review the manuscript.

Conflict of interest on the part of editors
Editors are also required to declare any potential conflict of interest that may affect their ability to make impartial decisions regarding articles. Editors must decline to review articles if:

  1. They have financial, personal, academic or other ties to the author(s) or organisation that may create a conflict of interest.
  2. They are co-authors of the article or work at the same institution as the author(s).
  3. Their involvement in the process may be perceived as biased.

In such cases, the editor must refer the article to another editor or engage an independent expert.

The journal guarantees transparency in the disclosure of conflicts of interest; information on this is provided in the form of a note at the end of each article. All participants in the publication process (authors, reviewers, editors) are obliged to adhere to this policy to ensure the integrity and objectivity of scientific communication.