Complaints procedure

The Editorial Board of the scientific journal Herald of Economics guarantees the prompt, impartial, and objective consideration of all complaints related to violations of publication ethics, academic integrity, or editorial procedures.

This policy applies to all participants in the editorial process, including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the editorial board, as well as third parties submitting relevant claims.

When handling complaints, the editorial office is guided by the recommendations of COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and adheres to the principles of fairness, confidentiality, impartiality, and proportionality.

Issues that may be subject to complaint

Complaints may concern, in particular:

• plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or improper use of third-party materials;
• fabrication, falsification, or distortion of research results;
• violation of copyright or related rights;
• undisclosed or improperly declared conflicts of interest;
• interference with or manipulation of the peer-review process;
• incorrect determination of authorship;
• violations of editorial ethics;
• any other breaches of academic integrity principles.

Procedure for submitting a complaint

A complaint should be submitted to the official email address of the Herald of Economics editorial office.

If necessary, submissions may also be made through other channels provided by Ukrainian legislation.

A complaint must include:

• full name and contact details of the complainant;
• if available, institutional affiliation;
• a link to the published material or description of the manuscript;
• a clear description of the alleged violation;
• justification and, where possible, supporting documents or evidence.

All complaints are subject to mandatory registration.

The editorial office may refuse to consider a complaint if it:

• lacks sufficient information;
• does not fall within the journal’s scope of responsibility;
• contains insults, threats, or defamatory statements.

Complaint review procedure

Upon receipt, the complaint is registered by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized person.

Within five working days, a preliminary assessment is conducted to determine:

• whether the issue falls within the journal’s competence;
• whether sufficient information has been provided for further review.

The complainant is then informed about the acceptance of the complaint for consideration or about a reasoned refusal.

For the review process, the editorial office appoints a group of individuals—editors and/or independent experts—who have no conflict of interest regarding the subject of the complaint.

Persons directly involved in the complaint are excluded from its consideration.

During the review process, the editorial office may:

• request additional explanations and documents;
• consult independent experts;
• conduct necessary consultations to establish the facts.

The review period is up to 30 calendar days. In complex cases, this period may be extended, with the complainant duly informed.

Decisions and possible actions

After completing the review, the editorial office makes a decision approved by the Editor-in-Chief.

Possible outcomes include:

• rejection of the complaint as unfounded;
• requiring authors to make corrections or clarifications;
• confirmation of a violation and application of appropriate measures.

If a violation is confirmed, the editorial office may:

• reject the manuscript;
• publish a correction (erratum);
• publish an expression of concern;
• retract the article;
• temporarily restrict future submissions;
• inform relevant institutions or organizations where justified.

Appeal procedure

A party that disagrees with the editorial decision may submit an appeal within 14 calendar days of receiving the decision.

The appeal should be sent to the official email address of the journal’s editorial office.

It is reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief or an authorized person, and, if necessary, an independent expert may be involved.

The appeal review period is up to 10 working days.

As a result of the appeal:

• the original decision may remain unchanged;
• the case may be sent for reconsideration.

The decision made following the appeal is final within the editorial procedures of "Herald of Economics".