Procedure for Handling Complaints
Procedure for Handling Complaints on Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics
Journal “Demography and Social Economy”
- General Principles
The journal “Demography and Social Economy” adheres to publication ethics principles in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
The Editorial Board ensures:
- impartial, objective, and confidential consideration of all complaints;
- absence of conflicts of interest among individuals involved in the review process;
- transparency of procedures and reasoned decision-making;
- the right of all parties to respond.
- Types of Possible Violations
Violations include, but are not limited to:
- plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
- data fabrication or falsification;
- citation manipulation;
- inappropriate authorship (gift/ghost authorship);
- undisclosed conflicts of interest;
- duplicate publication;
- violations of research ethics (including those involving human subjects/data);
- unethical conduct by reviewers or editors.
- Submission of Complaints
A complaint may be submitted by any individual via the journal’s official email: j_dse@org.ua.
The complaint should include:
- a description of the alleged violation;
- a reference to the relevant material (manuscript/article);
- evidence or reasonable grounds for suspicion.
Anonymous complaints will be considered if sufficient evidence is provided.
- Initial Assessment (Screening)
The Editorial Board of the journal “Demography and Social Economy” conducts an initial assessment within 5–10 working days, including:
- verification of the completeness of the complaint;
- preliminary assessment of its validity;
- additional plagiarism screening using StrikePlagiarism (if necessary).
Possible outcomes:
- rejection (insufficient grounds);
- referral for full investigation.
- Investigation
The investigation is conducted in accordance with COPE flowcharts.
The Editorial Board may:
- request explanations from the author(s);
- involve independent experts;
- request additional materials/data;
- inform the author’s institution (in serious cases).
Authors are required to provide a response within 10–15 working days.
All parties must declare the absence of conflicts of interest.
- Interim Measures
During the investigation, the Editorial Board may:
- suspend the review of the manuscript;
- mark a published article with an “expression of concern”;
- restrict further submissions from the author.
- Decision-Making
Decisions are made by the Editorial Board based on the available evidence.
Possible actions (in accordance with COPE):
- rejection of the complaint;
- request for corrections (corrigendum);
- publication of an erratum;
- retraction of the article;
- publication of an expression of concern;
- notification of institutions, funders, or indexing databases;
- temporary ban on submissions.
- Notification of Parties
The Editorial Board informs the complainant and the author(s) of the decision in writing.
In cases of retraction or correction, relevant information is published on the journal’s website.
- Appeals
Parties may submit an appeal within 10 working days.
Appeals are reviewed by independent experts or an extended Editorial Board and must not be considered by the same individuals who made the initial decision.
- Confidentiality
The Editorial Board ensures confidentiality of:
- the complainant’s identity (upon request);
- investigation materials;
- the decision-making process.
- Conflict of Interest
All participants (editors, reviewers, experts) must declare any conflicts of interest.
In case of a conflict, the individual is excluded from the review process.
- Record Keeping
The Editorial Board maintains internal records of all complaints, decisions, and actions in accordance with COPE requirements.
- Final Provisions
The Editorial Board reserves the right to update this procedure in accordance with international standards.
This document is binding for all authors, reviewers, and editors of the journal.
