The journal Science, Technologies, Innovations considers complaints concerning violations of academic integrity, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, unethical reviewing, editorial bias, copyright infringement, and other issues related to the editorial process.
Who may submit a complaint
A complaint may be submitted by an author, reviewer, member of the editorial board, reader, or any other interested person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a violation occurred during the consideration, peer review, or publication of a manuscript.
Where to send a complaint
A complaint should be sent to the official editorial email address with the subject line “Complaints on Publication Ethics / Скарга щодо публікаційної етики”. The complaint should preferably include the title of the article, the names of the authors, the issue number or DOI, the substance of the complaint, any available evidence or links to such evidence, and the complainant’s contact details.
Procedure for handling complaints
- The editorial office acknowledges receipt of the complaint within 10 working days.
- The Editor-in-Chief or an authorised editor carries out a preliminary assessment of the complaint and determines whether the matter falls within the journal’s competence.
- If necessary, the editorial office requests explanations from the authors, reviewers, or other persons involved, and may also consult members of the editorial board or independent experts.
- During the review process, the editorial office adheres to the principles of impartiality, confidentiality, and due process.
- As a result of the review, the editorial office may decide that no violation occurred, that clarification or correction is required, that the manuscript should be rejected, that an editorial notice should be published, that the article should be retracted, or that other corrective actions should be taken.
Time frame
The editorial office seeks to complete the review of a complaint within 30 working days. In complex cases, this period may be extended, with the complainant being informed accordingly.
Appeal
If the complainant or the author disagrees with the editorial decision, they may submit a reasoned request for reconsideration. Such a request shall be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief together with the editorial board or by a separately designated committee.
Bad-faith or unfounded complaints
The editorial office reserves the right not to consider anonymous, offensive, unsubstantiated, or manifestly bad-faith complaints.
