Publication Ethics

Publication Ethics

The journal “Mountain School of the Ukrainian Carpaty” adheres to the COPE Core Practices and the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
The Editorial Board ensures compliance with the principles of integrity, transparency, and high ethical standards at all stages of the editorial and publishing process.

Retraction Policy
Retraction of a published article is carried out in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics Retraction Guidelines (https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines).
Retraction may be initiated in cases of:

  • proven research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism);
  • significant methodological errors that invalidate the conclusions;
  • duplicate publication;
  • unethical research practices.

In the event of retraction:

  • the original article remains openly accessible as part of the scholarly archive;
  • the PDF version is clearly marked as “Retracted”;
  • an official retraction notice is published stating the reasons;
  • authors receive written notification with appropriate justification.

Policy on Author Self-Citation
The journal supports responsible citation practices.
Self-citation is permitted only when academically justified, including:

  • logical continuation of previous research;
  • direct use of previously developed methods;
  • reference to key prior results.

As a general recommendation:

  • a self-citation rate of up to 20% of total references is usually acceptable;
  • exceeding 25% requires clear scholarly justification;
  • excessive self-citation aimed at artificially increasing citation metrics is considered a violation of publication ethics.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to request revision of the reference list or reject a manuscript in case of non-compliance with ethical citation standards.

Complaints and Appeals Procedure
Complaints and appeals are handled in accordance with Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines.
Each case is reviewed by:

  • the Editor-in-Chief;
  • the responsible editor;
  • the editor who handled the manuscript.

If necessary, members of the editorial board or independent experts may be involved.
All complaints are handled impartially, confidentially, and within a reasonable timeframe.

Editorial Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the final decision regarding manuscript publication solely based on scientific merit, originality, methodological soundness, and relevance to the journal’s scope.
The Editor-in-Chief:

  • makes publication decisions based exclusively on scientific merit;
  • ensures impartial evaluation of submissions;
  • guarantees confidentiality of the editorial process;
  • manages conflicts of interest;
  • ensures compliance with ethical standards and COPE principles;
  • handles cases of publication ethics violations.

Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are expected to:

  • provide objective and constructive reviews;
  • maintain confidentiality;
  • declare any conflicts of interest;
  • not use unpublished materials for personal advantage;
  • identify relevant uncited sources;
  • report any substantial similarity with other published works.

Responsibilities of Authors
Authors must ensure:

  • originality of the submitted manuscript;
  • proper citation of sources;
  • absence of simultaneous submission to other journals;
  • accurate authorship attribution;
  • disclosure of potential conflicts of interest;
  • acknowledgment of funding sources.

If significant errors are identified after publication, authors are obliged to promptly notify the editorial office and cooperate in issuing corrections or retraction.

Plagiarism Screening
All submitted manuscripts are checked using StrikePlagiarism, recommended by the journal’s founder – Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.
Cases of suspected plagiarism or duplicate publication are evaluated in accordance with Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines.

Ethical Requirements for Research Involving Humans, Animals, and Data Use
The editorial office adheres to international standards of publication ethics and responsible research conduct. Manuscripts submitted for publication must comply with ethical requirements for studies involving humans, animals, or the use of personal or other sensitive data.
Authors bear full responsibility for compliance with these requirements and confirm that the research was conducted in accordance with Ukrainian legislation and international ethical standards.
In studies involving human participants, authors must ensure voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for participants’ dignity. Participants must be fully informed about the study’s purpose, conditions, potential risks, and their right to withdraw at any stage without negative consequences. For minors, informed consent must be obtained from parents or legal guardians. Authors must state in the manuscript that participation was voluntary and conducted in accordance with ethical and confidentiality principles.
When personal data or information that may directly or indirectly identify individuals is used, authors must ensure anonymization and protection in accordance with data protection laws. Publication of identifiable information is allowed only with written consent. Authors must guarantee that research data are used exclusively for scientific purposes and do not violate participants’ rights and freedoms.