Publication Ethics

General Principles

The editorial board of the Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy's scientific journal, Proceedings of the Kyiv Theological Academy, adheres to a publication ethics policy in accordance with international standards and the Committee on Publication Ethics' (COPE) recommendations.

All participants in the editorial and publishing process, including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the editorial board, and the publisher, must adhere to these principles and requirements.

This policy aims to ensure the high quality of scholarly publications, prevent unethical practices, and uphold academic integrity.

 

Authors’ Ethical Obligations

1. Originality and Integrity

Authors must submit original works that they created themselves and that have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.

All external sources of information, quotations, ideas, or data must be properly cited.

Plagiarism in any form, including self-plagiarism, is prohibited.

2. Data Accessibility and Verifiability

Authors must provide raw research data to the editorial board upon request, unless doing so conflicts with legislation or ethical standards.

Research data must be collected, processed, and presented honestly and accurately.

3. Avoiding Multiple or Duplicate Submissions

Authors may not submit a manuscript to more than one publication simultaneously.

Duplicate publication of results without substantial changes and appropriate citations is prohibited.

4. Authorship and Contribution

All individuals listed as authors must have made a significant intellectual contribution to the research.

Those who have made supporting contributions should be listed in the "Acknowledgments" section.

5. Conflicts of Interest

Authors must openly declare all potential conflicts of interest that could influence the results or interpretation of the research.

 

Ethical Standards for Research

All research involving humans or animals must comply with international and national ethical standards.

If applicable, authors must provide proof of approval of the research by the relevant ethics committee.

 

Ethical Obligations of Reviewers

1. Objectivity and impartiality

Reviewers should evaluate manuscripts based solely on their scientific merit.

Personal biases or prejudices toward the authors are unacceptable.

Reviewers must inform the editors of any substantial similarities or coincidences between the manuscript under review and any other published article of which they are aware.

2. Confidentiality

All materials received for review are confidential.

Discussing or using the content of a manuscript without the editorial board's permission is prohibited.

Reviewers must refrain from using any of the authors’ ideas prior to the article's publication.

3. Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must decline to review if there is a conflict of interest (personal, professional, or financial).

4. Timeliness and Responsibility

Reviewers must provide well-founded, constructive feedback within the specified timeframe.

Abusing the review process to delay the publication of competitors’ work is unacceptable.

 

Ethical Obligations of Editors and the Editorial Board

1. Independence and Objectivity

Editors decide which articles to publish based on their scientific significance and quality.

The editorial board’s decisions must not be influenced by political, commercial, or other external factors.

2. Confidentiality

The editorial board does not disclose information from manuscripts to third parties, except to authors, reviewers, and the publisher.

3. Management of Conflicts of Interest

In the event of a conflict of interest, the editor assigns the manuscript review to another member of the editorial board.

4. Ensuring the Quality of Publications

Editors are responsible for organizing double-blind peer review.

If violations of ethical standards are detected, the editorial board will take appropriate measures in accordance with COPE recommendations.

 

Forms of Scientific Misconduct

Plagiarism.

Data fabrication and falsification.

Providing false information about authors or results.

Manipulation of the peer review process.

Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

 

Procedures for responding to potential violations

1. Initial Review

The editorial board reviews all reports of potential ethical violations and initiates an investigation if necessary.

2. Investigation

If violations are confirmed, the editorial board conducts a detailed investigation in accordance with COPE guidelines.

3. Possible Sanctions

Rejection of the manuscript.

Correction, retraction, or removal of a published article.

A ban on submitting works to the journal for a specified period.

Notification of the authors’ institutions.

 

Retraction and Correction Policy

If significant errors or violations are discovered, the editorial board may publish a correction, note, or retraction of the article.

All retraction decisions are made in accordance with COPE standards.

 

Open Access and Licensing Principles

The editorial board supports open access to scientific results.

Licensing terms are specified separately and are binding on authors.

 

Archiving and Preservation of Materials

The editorial board ensures the long-term archiving and accessibility of published materials through reliable repositories.

 

Final Provisions

The publication ethics policy may be updated in accordance with changes in international standards or COPE recommendations.

All participants in the editorial and publishing process must familiarize themselves with the policy and comply with its requirements.