Procedure for reviewing complaints regarding violations of ethical standards

The journal «Scientific News of Dal’s University» adheres to high standards of publication quality and considers any reports of violations of academic integrity, publication ethics, and ethical norms in accordance with the COPE principles. Authors and co-authors bear full responsibility for compliance with the principles of academic integrity and publication ethics.

1. Purpose and scope

This procedure establishes the procedure for considering complaints regarding violations of academic integrity, publication ethics, ethical norms by authors, reviewers or members of the editorial board of this scientific publication. It applies to issues related to plagiarism, unauthorized borrowing of materials, conflict of interest, data manipulation and other violations of academic integrity.

2. Filing a complaint

2.1. The complaint is submitted electronically to the official e-mail address [email protected] of this scientific publication.
2.2. The complaint must clearly indicate:
– contact details of the applicant;
– link to the publication or material under consideration;
– detailed description of the violation with reference to evidence.
2.3. Anonymous complaints are not considered.

3. Preliminary stage of consideration

3.1. The editor-in-chief appoints an authorized person for preliminary analysis of the complaint.
3.2. Within 5 working days, the authorized person checks:
– compliance of the complaint with the topic of this scientific publication;
– availability of sufficient grounds for consideration.
3.3. The applicant receives a notification of registration of the complaint or refusal to consider it.

4. Review of the complaint

4.1. A commission of three independent experts is created to consider the complaint.
4.2. The commission has the right:
– to request additional materials and explanations;
– to involve independent experts;
– to hold consultations with all interested parties.
4.3. The consideration period is no more than 30 calendar days.

5. Decisions and measures

5.1. After consideration, the commission may make the following decisions:
– reject the complaint as unfounded;
– recognize the violation as minor and suggest correction;
– recognize the violation as serious and take appropriate measures.
5.2. Possible measures in case of serious violations:
– refusal to publish the material;
– withdrawal of an already published article;
– ban on submitting materials for a certain period;
– notification of the violation to the author’s institution.

6. Protection of the rights of the parties

6.1. All parties to the conflict have the right:
– to receive full information about the review process;
– to present their explanations and evidence;
– to appeal the commission’s decision.
6.2. The confidentiality of the process is guaranteed to all participants.

7. Appealing decisions

7.1. The decision of the commission may be appealed within 14 days to the editor-in-chief.
7.2. The editor-in-chief shall consider the appeal within 10 working days.
7.3. The decision of the editor-in-chief is final.

The editorial board should follow the COPE guidelines on complaints and appeals , as well as the COPE General Approach to Publication Ethics for Editorial Boards .