PUBLICATION ETHICS AND EDITORIAL POLICY
The scientific journal Public Administration and State Security Aspects adheres to the principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) as they relate to publication ethics.
Author Obligations
Originality
Authors submit only original work. A manuscript may not be simultaneously under consideration at another publication.
Plagiarism and improper borrowing
Any use of others' texts, ideas, or data without proper attribution is unacceptable. This includes excessive self-citation without scholarly necessity.
Data integrity
Falsification and fabrication of research data constitute a serious violation of publication ethics.
Ethics approval
For studies involving human participants, biological materials, or the processing of personal or confidential data, authors are required to state in the manuscript whether approval was obtained from an authorised body in accordance with applicable Ukrainian legislation. Where no such approval was required, authors must provide a corresponding justification.
Authorship
Only those individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research, writing, or critical revision of the manuscript and have agreed to be accountable for its content may be listed as authors. Including persons who have not made such a contribution, or excluding those who have, constitutes a violation.
Conflict of interest
Authors are required to disclose all financial and non-financial conflicts of interest, as well as the sources of research funding. Where none exist, a corresponding statement must be provided.
Author contributions
Authors must specify the individual contribution of each author.
Reviewer Obligations
›Reviewers provide an objective, substantiated, and confidential assessment within the established timeframe.
›A reviewer is obliged to notify the editor of any conflict of interest and to decline the assignment if one exists.
›Using manuscript materials for personal purposes prior to publication is prohibited.
Editorial Obligations
›The editorial board makes publication decisions independently, based solely on the scholarly merit of the manuscript.
›The editorial board ensures the confidentiality of the review process and the personal data of authors.
›The editorial board does not permit discrimination against authors on any grounds.
Citation Manipulation — Prohibited
×Excessive self-citation without scholarly necessity.
×Requiring authors to cite specific works as a condition of publication.
×Coordinated mutual citation between journals.
Complaints Procedure
1.Complaints regarding violations of publication ethics should be sent to the editorial email address.
2.A complaint is reviewed within 30 days. The editorial board acts in accordance with COPE flowcharts.
3.The person against whom the complaint is filed takes no part in its review.
4.Following the review, the editorial board may issue a correction, an expression of concern, or retract the article.
Retraction Procedure
An article is subject to retraction upon discovery of:
›falsification or fabrication of data
›an unacceptable level of plagiarism
›duplicate publication
›an ethical violation that undermines the reliability of the findings
A retracted article is retained in the journal archive marked "RETRACTED," with the reason and date indicated. The procedure is carried out in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines.
Corrections and Expressions of Concern
Erratum (Correction)
Published when significant errors are identified that do not affect the main conclusions.
Expression of Concern
Published when the editorial board has received credible information about possible violations but the investigation has not yet been concluded.
