PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS REGARDING VIOLATIONS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND PUBLICATION ETHICS

This Procedure defines the process for submitting, reviewing, and resolving complaints regarding potential violations of academic integrity and publication ethics in the scientific journal “Personality and Environment.” The Procedure is aligned with the recommendations and principles of Committee on Publication Ethics, World Association of Medical Editors, and San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.

General Principles

The Editorial Board adheres to the principles of transparency, objectivity, impartiality, confidentiality, and due process. All complaints are handled in accordance with internationally recognized standards of publication ethics.

Eligible Complainants

Complaints may be submitted by authors, reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, readers of the journal, as well as other interested individuals or organizations.

Grounds for Complaints

Complaints may be considered on the basis of substantiated suspicions or evidence of:

• plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data;
• violations of copyright or authorship norms;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• biased or unethical peer review;
• breaches of editorial ethics or abuse of authority.

Submission of Complaints

Complaints should be submitted to the editorial office in written or electronic form at: person.envir.iss@gmail.com and must include a clear description of the alleged violation and, where possible, supporting evidence. Anonymous complaints may be considered if sufficient evidence is provided.

Preliminary Assessment

The Editor-in-Chief or an authorized member of the Editorial Board conducts an initial assessment of the complaint to determine whether it falls within the journal’s scope and whether further consideration is warranted.

Investigation

If a complaint is accepted for review, the Editorial Board conducts an investigation, which may involve independent experts if necessary. All parties involved are given the opportunity to provide written explanations. Plagiarism detection software and other professional tools may be used.

Editorial Decision

Based on the results of the investigation, the Editorial Board may decide to:

• reject the complaint as unfounded;
• request corrections or clarifications to the publication;
• issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction;
• refuse further publication of materials from the authors in cases of serious or repeated violations.

Notification and Confidentiality

The complainant and all involved parties are informed of the outcome within one month from the date of submission. All information related to the complaint is treated as confidential, except where disclosure is required by ethical standards or applicable law.

Final Provisions

This Procedure applies to all materials submitted to or published in the journal “Personality and Environment” and is mandatory for all participants in the editorial and publishing process.