Review of Complaints Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Public Ethics

Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics

 

The journal «Environment & Health» is committed to upholding high standards of academic integrity. Any reports of violations of academic ethics (plagiarism, data fabrication, dishonest authorship, etc.) are handled promptly, objectively, and confidentially.

Grounds for a Complaint

A complaint may be filed if any of the following are identified:

  • plagiarism or self-plagiarism;
  • duplication of publications without proper authorization;
  • falsification or fabrication of data;
  • violations of authorship rules;
  • violations of peer review rules;
  • other serious violations of academic integrity and publication ethics.

Initiating a complaint

A complaint may be filed by:

  • the author of the article;
  • a reader, reviewer, or representative of a scientific institution;
  • the journal’s editorial board (on its own initiative or upon receiving a report from third parties).

The complaint must be submitted in writing (via email or letter) with a justification and evidence of the violation.

Receipt and Registration of the Complaint

  1. The journal’s editorial board confirms receipt of the complaint within 5 business days.
  2. A registration form is created, which includes:
    • the date the complaint was received;
    • the subject and a brief description;
    • the complainant’s contact information;
    • the person designated to handle the case.

Investigation

  1. A commission or responsible person is appointed to verify the facts.
  2. An analysis of the evidence is conducted, along with consultations with the authors and, if necessary, the reviewers.
  3. The principles of confidentiality and objectivity are upheld during the investigation.

Decision-making

Based on the results of the investigation, the editorial board makes one of the following decisions:

  • Acceptance of the complaint: the violation is confirmed; the following measures may be applied:
    • retraction of the article;
    • publication of a correction or comment;
    • notification of other interested parties (libraries, indexers).
  • Rejection of the complaint: the violation is not confirmed.

Notification of the decision

  1. The editorial board notifies the complainant in writing of the decision.
  2. If the complaint is upheld, an official notice is published on the journal’s website or in the issue.

 

Document retention. All complaint materials, investigation results, and decisions are retained by the editorial board for 5 years to ensure transparency and the history of scientific publications.