Procedure for reviewing complaints regarding violations of ethical standards

1. General Provisions

The editorial board of the journal «Economic Strategy and Prospects of Trade and Services Sector Development» maintains an open, transparent, and impartial complaint procedure in matters related to editorial activities, the peer review process, publication of materials, and compliance with the principles of academic integrity.

The complaint procedure is carried out in accordance with the recommendations of international organisations in the field of publication ethics (COPE) and applicable Ukrainian legislation.

 

2. Scope of Complaints

The following types of complaints are accepted for consideration, including but not limited to:

•        violations of academic integrity (plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, improper authorship);

•        failure to comply with peer review or editorial procedures;

•        potential conflicts of interest involving authors, reviewers, or editorial board members;

•        copyright infringement;

•        incorrect editorial decisions or procedural violations;

•        other cases of non-compliance with publication ethics.

 

3. Submission of a Complaint

A complaint must be submitted in writing to the official editorial email address, specifying:

•        the complainant's full name and contact information;

•        a clear description of the issue;

•        the article title, authors, issue number, or other relevant information;

•        documents or materials substantiating the circumstances of the complaint (if available).

Anonymous complaints may be considered if they contain sufficient information to verify the facts presented.

 

4. Complaint Review Procedure

Upon receipt of a complaint, the editorial board:

•        registers the complaint and acknowledges receipt to the complainant;

•        conducts a preliminary assessment of the validity of the complaint;

•        requests additional explanations from the complainant, authors, or other parties involved, if necessary;

•        involves independent experts or editorial board members who have no conflict of interest;

•        makes a decision based on the outcome of the review.

The complaint review period is generally up to 30 calendar days, but may be extended in cases of complex verification.

 

5. Possible Outcomes

Based on the review of the complaint, the editorial board may:

•        uphold the original editorial decision;

•        send the material for re-review;

•        require corrections to be made to the article;

•        publish a correction notice or expression of concern;

•        retract the article in accordance with the Retraction Policy;

•        apply other measures in accordance with the editorial policy.

The complainant is informed of the outcome in the prescribed manner.

 

6. Confidentiality and Impartiality

The editorial board guarantees the confidentiality of information received during the complaint review process and ensures impartial consideration with the involvement of persons who have no conflict of interest in relation to the subject of the complaint.

 

7. Appeal

In the event of disagreement with the decision reached, the complainant has the right to submit a substantiated appeal with additional supporting materials. The appeal is reviewed by the editorial board or an authorised editorial commission, after which a final decision is made.