Publication Ethics and Prevention of Misconduct

The journal’s policy is based on the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including recommendations on good editorial practice, responsible peer review, transparency of the publication process, and prevention of academic misconduct.

Ukrainian Scientific Community (Public Organization), as the publisher of “Social Development and Security”, ensures the proper functioning of the publishing process and recognizes its responsibility to maintain high ethical standards. Advertising, reuse of materials, or any commercial revenue does not influence editorial decisions.

1. Duties of the Editorial Office and Editorial Board

Publication Decisions

The editor makes decisions on the publication of submitted manuscripts based on the journal’s policy, academic value, reviewers’ recommendations, relevance of the study, and compliance with the journal’s scope. In making decisions, the editor takes into account requirements related to copyright, plagiarism, academic integrity, and defamation prevention.

The editor must not use unpublished information from submitted manuscripts in their own research without the author’s written consent. If ethical complaints are received concerning a submitted or published manuscript, the Editorial Office takes appropriate and justified measures in accordance with the journal’s procedures and COPE recommendations.

Manuscripts are evaluated regardless of the authors’ academic status, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, citizenship, sexual orientation, political views, or other personal characteristics.

Confidentiality

The Editorial Office and Editorial Board do not disclose information about submitted manuscripts, their authors, content, review status, or peer review results to third parties, except to the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, Editorial Board members, and the publisher where necessary for the editorial process.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished materials obtained during manuscript review must not be used by editors, reviewers, or other involved persons in their own research without the authors’ written consent. Privileged information obtained through peer review must remain confidential and must not be used for personal advantage or for the benefit of third parties.

An editor or Editorial Board member must recuse themselves from handling a manuscript if there is a conflict of interest arising from collaborative, competitive, personal, financial, or other relationships with the authors, institutions, or organizations related to the manuscript.

Ensuring the Integrity of the Scholarly Record

The journal considers all well-founded allegations concerning possible breaches of research or publication ethics. If concerns arise regarding manuscript reliability, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other misconduct, the Editorial Board may involve relevant experts and request explanations from the author.

If the author’s explanation is unsatisfactory or the violation is serious, the journal may contact the author’s institution or other competent bodies to conduct an investigation. Where necessary, the Editorial Office may publish an expression of concern, correction, or retraction. Retracted articles remain available on the journal’s website with appropriate labelling.

2. Duties of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review is an important stage in editorial decision-making and contributes to improving manuscript quality. Reviewers provide reasoned assessments that help the editor decide whether to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript.

Competence and Timeliness

A reviewer who lacks sufficient expertise to assess a manuscript or cannot complete the review within the required timeframe must notify the editor and decline participation in the review process.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts and supplementary materials received for review are confidential documents. They must not be shown, discussed, or shared with third parties without the editor’s permission.

Objectivity

Reviews must be objective, reasoned, and constructive. Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable. Comments should be clear, respectful, and aimed at improving the scientific quality of the manuscript.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should draw the editor’s attention to relevant published works that were not properly cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, conclusion, or idea has been previously published must be supported by an appropriate reference.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline to review manuscripts if they have a conflict of interest arising from personal, professional, financial, competitive, or other relationships with the authors, institutions, or organizations related to the manuscript.

Reviewer Misconduct

The Editorial Office takes possible reviewer misconduct seriously, including disclosure of confidential information, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, misuse of manuscript materials, or intentional delay of peer review to gain a competitive advantage. In cases of serious misconduct, the Editorial Office may contact the reviewer’s institution.

3. Duties of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors reporting original research must accurately describe the work performed and objectively discuss its significance. Data must be presented truthfully in the manuscript. The article should contain sufficient detail to allow other researchers to verify or reproduce the results.

Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors should be prepared to provide the Editorial Office with primary research data for verification if necessary, and to ensure proper retention of such data after publication. Access to data should be provided with due regard to participant confidentiality, ethical requirements, and legal restrictions.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that the submitted manuscript:

• contains original research results;
• does not contain plagiarism;
• has not been previously published in another language or in another journal;
• properly cites the works, ideas, data, or words of other authors.

Copyright-protected materials, including tables, figures, or extensive text excerpts, may be used only with proper permission and appropriate acknowledgement.

Multiple, Duplicate, or Simultaneous Publication

Authors must not submit manuscripts describing essentially the same research to more than one journal at the same time. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is a violation of publication ethics and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must properly cite works that influenced the development of the research idea, methodology, or interpretation of results.

Authorship of the Manuscript

Authorship should be limited to individuals who made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All persons who made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors.

The corresponding author must ensure that all co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript and agreed to its submission to the journal. Individuals who do not meet authorship criteria must not be included in the author list.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial, professional, or other conflicts of interest that may influence the results or interpretation of the manuscript. All sources of financial support for the research must be disclosed.

Significant Errors in Published Works

If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in their published work, they must promptly notify the editor or publisher and cooperate with the Editorial Office to correct, clarify, or retract the publication.

4. Disclaimer

Editors, the Editorial Board, and the publisher are not responsible for the opinions, views, or content expressed by authors in published manuscripts. Responsibility for originality, reliability, accuracy, correct citation, and manuscript content rests solely with the authors.

All manuscripts submitted to “Social Development and Security” undergo double-blind peer review, as well as checks for ethical compliance, originality, and scientific value. Editorial decisions are based on reviewers’ recommendations, academic quality, and relevance to the journal’s scope.