This Procedure defines the process for submitting, reviewing, and making decisions on complaints concerning violations of publication ethics, academic integrity, and conflicts of interest. The main principles of consideration are objectivity, confidentiality, impartiality, and mandatory feedback.

A complaint must be submitted in written (electronic) form to the official editorial address, addressed to the Editor-in-Chief. The complaint must include the full name and contact details of the complainant (anonymous complaints are considered only if supported by substantial evidence), as well as a reference to the specific material (article or manuscript), with a detailed description of the alleged violation and supporting evidence (comparative tables, references to original sources, etc.).

The complaint review procedure includes:

- preliminary review – within 10 working days, the Editor-in-Chief or Executive Secretary assesses the validity of the complaint;

- formation of an Ethics Committee – if the complaint is deemed valid, a temporary committee (5 members) is established, which may include members of the Editorial Board and independent experts;

- communication with the authors – the Editorial Board informs the authors about the complaint and provides them with an opportunity to submit explanations within 10 working days;

- decision-making by the Ethics Committee – based on a thorough examination of all arguments, the committee issues one of the following conclusions: “no violation,” “minor violation (requiring correction),” or “serious violation.”

Depending on the severity of the violation, the editorial decision may include: rejection of the manuscript (if it has not yet been published); publication of official corrections to the article (issued as a separate document with its own DOI and linked to the original article); retraction of the article with the publication of an official notice on the website and in the next issue; notification of the management of the institution where the researcher is affiliated.

The editorial decision may be appealed within 30 days from the date of receiving the notification of the review results.