Publication Ethics

The Ukrainian Black Sea Region Agrarian Science journal adheres to international standards of academic integrity, following the recommendations of COPE and the principles of the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit (PERK) developed by Elsevier.

The editorial board is committed to transparency, objectivity, and professional responsibility at every stage of the editorial and publication process.

Ethical Principles of Editorial Activity

The editorial board upholds the following key principles:

  • scientific validity, impartiality, and professionalism;
  • respect towards authors, reviewers, and readers;
  • strict observance of copyright regulations;
  • maintenance of a rigorous double-blind peer review process;
  • providing guidance to authors to ensure compliance with international standards of academic writing and formatting.

Editorial Decision-Making Process

The Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision on publication based on reviewers’ reports, the relevance of the topic, and the scientific novelty of the article. Editors assess submissions exclusively on academic merit, regardless of the authors’ gender, nationality, political or religious views. Unpublished data and materials may not be used in editors’ own research without the authors’ written consent.

Confidentiality and Impartiality

All materials submitted to the journal are treated as confidential documents. Information about authors, manuscript content, or the review process is not disclosed to third parties except for those directly involved in the editorial process. Editors, reviewers, and advisors must withdraw from the evaluation process if a conflict of interest exists (e.g., co-authorship, financial or personal connections with the authors).

Responsibilities of Editorial Participants

Editorial Board

  • observes confidentiality, editorial ethics, and impartiality;
  • coordinates any editorial changes with the authors before publication;
  • rejects materials containing plagiarism or lacking scientific value;
  • ensures the involvement of competent and independent reviewers.

Reviewers

  • evaluate manuscripts objectively, promptly, and professionally;
  • maintain confidentiality regarding all materials under review;
  • refrain from using unpublished data for personal research;
  • report any suspected ethical violations or conflicts of interest.

Authors

  • guarantee the originality, accuracy, and novelty of their research;
  • properly cite all sources used;
  • avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and duplicate submission;
  • consent to the publication of their work in electronic databases while retaining full copyright.

Authorship

Submission of a manuscript confirms that all listed authors:

  • made a substantial contribution to the conception, data collection, or analysis;
  • participated in drafting or revising the text;
  • approved the final version and take collective responsibility for its content.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgements” section. If significant errors are discovered after publication, the author must promptly notify the editorial office to correct or retract the article.

Ethical Standards for Research

Studies Involving Humans

Such research must be approved by an appropriate ethics committee. Authors must confirm voluntary participation, written informed consent, anonymity, and the absence of discrimination or coercion.

Animal Experiments

The journal follows ARRIVE and IACUC standards. All animal studies must have formal ethical approval, and the methods section must include a clear statement regarding animal welfare compliance.

Plant Research

The collection and use of plant material must comply with national and international agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES.

Open Data and Transparency

The journal supports the principles of open science, yet the sharing of primary data is only possible upon official request and with the authors’ consent. All data access requests must be submitted through the editorial office. If the authors decline to share their data, the editorial board will inform the requester while respecting the authors’ right to confidentiality.

Post-Publication Discussion

The journal encourages open scholarly dialogue on published research via the PubPeer platform. Comments should remain professional, evidence-based, and focused on the scientific content. All substantiated concerns raised on PubPeer are investigated in line with the journal’s ethical policies and article retraction procedures.

Funding and Advertising Policy

The journal does not publish advertisements and maintains complete editorial independence. Authors are required to declare all sources of research funding, including institutional, governmental, private, or grant-based support. If no funding was received, authors must state: “The study received no financial support.”