The Editorial Board of the Bulletin of Cherkasy State Technological University places great importance on adhering to international ethical standards for scientific publications. This includes several key aspects such as integrity, confidentiality, oversight of publications, and the management of potential conflict of interest. These principles form the foundation of the journal's work, which is closely aligned with the ethical guidelines of international organisations, such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Resource Kit.

Key principles of publication ethics support

1. Scientific and objective standards: the Editorial Board ensures the publication of scientific materials that meet high standards of quality, objectivity, and professionalism. All published works should reflect significant, innovative research in science and technology.
2. Loyalty and support: a critical part of the journal's ethics is the unconditional loyalty and support for all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, and other contributors. The Editorial Board guarantees equal conditions for all individuals involved in creating materials for the journal.
3. Double-blind peer review: the journal uses a double-blind peer review process to ensure the objectivity of manuscript evaluations. This means both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other, reducing the risk of bias in assessing the work.
4. Consultative work with authors: the Editorial Board actively collaborates with authors, providing recommendations to ensure their submissions meet international standards for formatting and content. This helps authors adapt their work to the requirements of international research databases and publication standards.

Decision-making process for publications

The editor plays a key role in making decisions regarding the publication of articles. The editor adheres to the journal's policy, focusing on the academic value of the articles and the conclusions of the reviewers. All publication decisions are based on academic criteria that enable the Editorial Board to publish only the highest-quality work.

The editor must also refrain from using unpublished information in their own research without prior written consent from the authors. Additionally, the editor respects the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and ensures that information about manuscripts that have not yet been published is not disclosed.

An essential aspect is the editor's evaluation of manuscripts without regard to the authors' race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, or nationality.

Confidentiality

The Editorial Board and the editor must maintain confidentiality regarding all submitted manuscripts. Information about the authors, topics, and manuscripts should be treated as confidential, and the editorial team is not authorised to disclose it without necessity. Manuscripts submitted for review are considered confidential documents.

The confidentiality obligation extends not only to the Editorial Board but also to reviewers and scientific consultants working with the journal's materials. After a decision has been made to publish, authors, reviewers, and editors may only share information within the limits of their professional duties.

Managing conflict of interest

One of the key elements of publication ethics is managing conflict of interest. Unpublished materials should not be used in the research of editors, reviewers, or other individuals without the authors' written consent. In cases of a conflict of interest due to competition, joint projects, or other relationships, editors, reviewers, and scientific consultants should disclose it and withdraw from considering the manuscripts.

The Editorial Board actively responds to conflict of interest and takes appropriate actions to ensure honesty and transparency throughout the publication process.

Ethics of research involving human participants

All research involving human subjects must be approved by the relevant ethics committees associated with the institution(s) in which it is conducted. A manuscript presenting the results of surveys or interviews should contain confirmation that the authors have ensured the voluntary participation of respondents, obtained their written informed consent (including consent to the publication of the results), and guaranteed confidentiality, anonymity and the prevention of any form of discrimination or pressure. The ethics of the research should be duly justified and, if possible, supported by references to international professional standards and codes, including: American Sociological Association’s Code of Ethic (1997), ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics (2016), guidance note of the European Commission on ethics and data protection (2021).

When reporting on research involving human subjects, authors should state that the research was conducted in accordance with the following standards. An approval from the local institutional review board (IRB) or other appropriate ethics committee must be obtained before undertaking the research to confirm the study meets national and international guidelines. All participants must be fully informed if the anonymity is assured, why the research is being conducted, how their data will be used and if there are any risks associated. Ethical approval from an appropriate ethics committee must be obtained prior to conducting the study. If ethical approval is not required, authors must either provide an exemption from the ethics committee or are encouraged to cite the local or national legislation that indicates ethics approval is not required for this type of study.

Editorial Board responsibilities

The Editorial Board has several key responsibilities, including:

• Respectful treatment of authors and their scientific contributions.
• Ensuring editorial confidentiality.
• Verifying the scientific value and relevance of materials to the journal's focus.
• Engaging objective and competent reviewers and employing a double-blind peer review process.
• Avoiding the publication of materials that involve plagiarism or breach ethical standards.

Reviewers responsibilities

Reviewers are required to:

• Thoroughly and impartially assess all submitted manuscripts.
• Respect confidentiality and adhere to review deadlines.
• Agree with the editorial team on any identified breaches of academic integrity or ethical standards.

Author responsibilities

Authors are expected to:

• Ensure the originality, accuracy, and novelty of their research results.
• Format citations and references according to international standards.
• Avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism.
• Confirm materials with the editorial team before publication.

Statement of authorship

All authors must confirm that they have made a significant contribution to the research, prepared the material or critically reviewed it, and approved the version for publication.

Declaration of submission

Authors submitting an article to the Bulletin of Cherkasy State Technological University confirm that:

• The article has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• All authors have consented to the submission and publication of the article.
• The article has been approved by the relevant bodies or institutions where the research was conducted.
• If accepted, the article will not be published elsewhere.

Data sharing policy

The journal supports transparency in scientific research and allows access to data underlying published results upon official request. This ensures the ethical use of data and protection of authors' rights.

Research funding policy

All authors must disclose the sources of funding for their research, including grants from scientific institutions, government or non-governmental organisations, and commercial sources. If no funding was received, this should be stated.

Advertising policy

This journal does not accept any form of advertising. Our financial model is designed to maintain full editorial independence and uphold the highest standards of academic integrity.

Post-publication discussion policy

Bulletin of Cherkasy State Technological University encourages open and constructive discussions on published articles:

• Articles are indexed with DOI and available for discussion on the PubPeer platform.
• Discussions should be professional and focused on the scientific content.
• Justified concerns will be investigated according to the journal's ethical standards.
• In the case of serious errors, the article may be withdrawn or corrected.