Ethics of the scientific publication

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Ethics of the scientific publication

The Editorial Board of Biotechnologia Acta adheres to international publication ethics standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines). Fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism (including duplicate publication of one’s own work without proper citation), and unlawful appropriation of research results are strictly unacceptable practices. The Editorial Board treats all cases of ethical misconduct with the utmost seriousness; each case will be considered in accordance with COPE recommendations.
Compliance with ethical rules by all participants in the publication process ensures:
• protection of authors’ intellectual property rights,
• enhancement of the journal’s quality and credibility in the global scientific community,
• prevention of unauthorized use of authors’ materials.
The journal’s policy requires the publication of only new and original works. Use of copyrighted texts, even in introductory sections, is permissible only with clear citation of the source. Each article must demonstrate scientific novelty and be written in the author’s own words.
If substantial textual overlap with previously published works is detected without proper explanation, the manuscript will not be reconsidered for publication. This requirement is an integral part of the editorial policy and peer review process of Biotechnologia Acta.

Authors’ Responsibilities
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant intellectual contribution to the conception, execution, or interpretation of the research. Individuals whose contributions do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged but not listed as authors.
Authors bear personal responsibility for submitted manuscripts and are required to adhere to the following principles:
• Reliability and originality: present accurate, original research results; avoid fabrication, plagiarism, or excessive borrowing. All sources must be properly cited.
• Publication uniqueness: submit only works not under review elsewhere and not previously published. If elements of prior publications are used, differences must be clearly indicated with references.
• Data transparency: be prepared to provide raw data for editorial review and retain them for a reasonable period after publication.
• Acknowledgment of contributions: recognize all individuals who influenced the research and obtain permission for use of private or illustrative materials.
• Accurate authorship: include only those with substantial contributions; all co-authors must approve the final manuscript and share responsibility for its content.
• Error correction: promptly notify the editorial office of significant errors and cooperate in their correction.
• Funding and conflicts of interest: openly declare sources of support and any circumstances that may affect results or interpretation.

Reviewers’ Ethical Principles
Reviewers of Biotechnologia Acta conduct independent and impartial evaluation of manuscripts in line with COPE recommendations. Their responsibilities include:
• Objectivity and constructiveness: provide fair, reasoned feedback aimed at improving the manuscript; personal or offensive remarks are unacceptable.
• Timeliness: deliver reviews within the agreed timeframe or inform the editor of delays.
• Competence: accept assignments only when qualified; specify areas of expertise if limited.
• Conflict of interest: disclose any personal, professional, or financial conflicts that may affect impartiality.
• Confidentiality: treat manuscripts as confidential documents; content must not be used for personal benefit or shared with third parties.
• Accuracy of references: alert the editor to uncited relevant sources or overlaps with other works.
• Responsibility: promptly report errors or inaccuracies discovered during review.

Editorial Board and Editors’ Ethical Principles
The Editorial Board of Biotechnologia Acta follows COPE recommendations, ensuring transparency, impartiality, and adherence to high standards of scholarly publishing.
Key principles:
• Impartiality: manuscripts are evaluated solely on scientific merit, regardless of authors’ personal or social characteristics.
• Confidentiality: manuscript information (content, status, reviews) is not disclosed; unpublished data must not be used for personal gain.
• Editorial responsibility: publication decisions are based on data reliability and scientific significance, free from conflicts of interest.
• Process transparency: clear requirements are communicated to authors and reviewers; complaints or errors are addressed promptly.
• Respect for authors: authors’ ideas and materials must not be used or discussed prior to official publication.

Publisher’s Ethical Principles
The publisher of Biotechnologia Acta upholds high standards of publication ethics and ensures:
• support for ethical responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors,
• confidentiality of submitted materials and use of personal data solely for journal purposes,
• readiness to issue corrections, clarifications, or retractions when necessary,
• removal of works containing plagiarism or unreliable data,
• preservation of manuscripts, reviews, and correspondence for at least three years,
• investigation of ethical complaints, even years after publication,
• timely processing of manuscripts and communication with authors regarding delays or decisions,
• protection of interests by prohibiting use of unpublished data or reviewer comments without consent.

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
To ensure transparency, all participants must declare relationships or interests that may directly or indirectly affect objectivity.
• Authors must disclose grants, financial support, consulting, employment, advisory roles, multiple affiliations, etc.
• Reviewers and editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts where conflicts exist (competition, collaboration, personal or professional ties).
• Confidential information or ideas from manuscripts must not be used for personal benefit.
• If conflicts are discovered post-publication, the editorial office must issue a notice, correction, or expression of concern.
Examples include: research funding, honoraria, consulting, employment, advisory positions, or personal/professional beliefs that may influence evaluation.

Compliance with Ethical Standards
Authors must include a section titled “Compliance with Ethical Standards” specifying:
• sources of funding and conflicts of interest (financial and non-financial),
• informed consent for studies involving humans,
• animal welfare statements for studies involving animals.

Appeals and Complaints
Appeals and complaints are handled by the Editor-in-Chief or responsible editor.
• Content appeals: the editor reviews authors’ and reviewers’ arguments to decide whether to uphold the rejection, seek an independent opinion, or reconsider the manuscript. Decisions are final.
• Process complaints: issues such as delays are investigated, and feedback is provided to improve procedures.
• Ethical complaints: considered jointly with the publisher; confirmed violations result in corrective actions ranging from retractions to notifying relevant institutions.

Procedure for considering complaints about violations of academic integrity and publication ethics

The journal Biotechnologia Acta has a clear, transparent, and responsible procedure that guarantees compliance with the principles of academic integrity and protection of the interests of the scientific community. The procedure for handling complaints of violations of academic integrity and publication ethics in the journal Biotechnologia Acta is based on international standards (COPE, WAME, DORA) and provides a clear sequence of actions. The main stages of the procedure: 1. Submission of a complaint: any author, reviewer, or reader may contact the editorial office in writing (by email or through the official channels of the journal), describing the essence of the violation. 2. Initial review: the editor-in-chief or an authorized member of the editorial board conducts a preliminary assessment of the complaint to determine its validity and compliance with the journal's policy. 3. Formal investigation: if the grounds are confirmed, the complaint is forwarded for consideration by the editorial board. Independent experts or an ethics committee may be involved. 4. Decision-making: the editorial board decides on further action - from correction or withdrawal of the article to official notification of the authors and relevant institutions. 5. Transparency and notification: the results of the review are brought to the attention of the applicant, authors, and, if necessary, published in the form of editorial notices or retractions. Principles of the procedure: 1. Impartiality: all complaints are considered regardless of the status or country of origin of the authors. 2. Confidentiality: information about the complaint and its participants is protected until the final decision is made. 3. Compliance with international standards: the editorial board's actions are consistent with the recommendations of COPE and other organizations regulating publication ethics. 4. Openness: In case of confirmed violations, the journal publishes official notifications to maintain the trust of the scientific community.

Procedure for retracting published articles

In the journal Biotechnologia Acta, the procedure for retracting published articles is determined by the principles of academic integrity and transparency of editorial processes. If significant errors, ethical violations, or data inaccuracies are discovered after publication, the editorial board conducts an internal review involving the relevant parties. Based on the results of this review, a decision may be made to remove the article from the current issue and mark it as retracted on the journal website. Authors and readers receive an official notification explaining the reasons for such a decision. This procedure ensures trust in the publication and protects the interests of the scientific community.

Policy on the use of AI and AI-enabled technologies,
which clearly defines the permissible and unacceptable areas of application of AI in the process of preparing publications and the requirements for disclosure of information about the use of AI by authors

In the journal Biotechnologia Acta, the policy on the use of artificial intelligence and AI-enabled technologies defines clear boundaries for their use in the process of preparing publications The use of AI is permissible as an auxiliary tool for text editing, grammar checking, translation, literature search and data analysis or visualization of results, if this is part of the research methodology and is properly described in the article. The use of AI for the generation of scientific content without author control, the creation of fictional results, falsification of data or manipulation of images, as well as hidden use without appropriate disclosure are unacceptable. Authors are required to clearly indicate the fact of the use of AI in the manuscript: in the "Methods" section - if the tools were used for analysis or modeling, in the acknowledgements - if AI was used for editing or translation. The authors are responsible for the reliability and transparency of all presented results, and the editorial board ensures compliance with international standards of academic integrity and publication ethics.

Review procedure,
including a description of the type of review, reviewer selection criteria, deadlines, documentation forms, and decision-making

The review procedure in the journal Biotechnologia Acta is designed as an independent external assessment that ensures academic integrity and quality of publications. The manuscript submitted to the editorial board is reviewed by three leading specialists in the relevant field, appointed by the editorial board. The selection of reviewers is based on their scientific competence, absence of conflicts of interest, and willingness to adhere to the principles of objectivity, confidentiality, and attention to the accuracy of bibliographic references. Reviewers are obliged to notify the editor-in-chief of the impossibility of completing the review within the established deadline or of the inconsistency of the topic with their specialization. Usually, the review period is up to one month, which allows for the timeliness of the editorial process. The review is documented through a reviewer questionnaire that includes structured assessments of scientific novelty, appropriateness of methods, correctness of interpretations, and presentation of the material. Written comments are formed based on this questionnaire, which are sent to the author together with a copy of the manuscript. The authors prepared a revised version of the article, which was agreed with the reviewers, and this is considered final; any changes to the text, figures, or tables thereafter are unacceptable. If the article is rejected, the editorial office sends the author an official written notification stating the reasons. The final decision on acceptance or rejection is made by the editorial board, guided by the date of receipt of the latest version of the manuscript. All communications between the editorial office, authors, and reviewers are confidential and may not be made public without the editors' permission. Publications in the journal are made available under the CC-BY-NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license, which ensures open access to materials on the journal website and at the V. I. Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine. The CC-BY-NC license allows free distribution, copying, adaptation, and processing of materials, provided that the authorship is indicated, but prohibits their use for commercial purposes. This means that articles in the journal Biotechnologia Acta can be freely read, cited, and used in scientific and educational projects, but cannot be sold or used for profit. Thus, the review procedure in Biotechnologia Acta combines clearly defined terms, a standardized documentation form (reviewer questionnaire), strict confidentiality requirements, and a transparent mechanism for making editorial decisions.

Publication ethics and editorial policy of the publication,
which complies with the recommendations of COPE or other recognized international organizations in the field of publication ethics

The editorial board of the journal Biotechnologia Acta adheres to the international standards of publication ethics defined by the Commission on Publication Ethics (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Guidelines). Falsification or falsification of data, plagiarism (including re-publication of one's own work without proper citation), as well as illegal appropriation of research results, are categorically unacceptable practices. The editorial board treats any violations of ethical norms with the utmost seriousness; each case will be considered in accordance with COPE's recommendations. Compliance with ethical rules by all participants in the publication process guarantees: • protection of authors' intellectual property rights, • improvement of the quality and trust in the publication by the global scientific community, • prevention of unauthorized use of authors' materials. The journal's policy provides for the publication of only new and original works. The use of texts copied from copyrighted sources, even in introductory sections, is possible only with a clear reference to the source (by citations or appropriate formatting). Each article must contain elements of scientific novelty and be written in the author's own words. In the event of significant textual overlap with previously published works without proper explanation, the article will not be considered for publication again. This requirement is an integral part of the journal Biotechnologia Acta's editorial policy and review process.