Publication Ethics and Editorial Policy

Publication Ethics

The journal “Environment & Health” adheres to high standards of scientific and publication ethics in accordance with the recommendations of COPE and other international organizations in the field of scientific publishing (WAME, STM, EASE).

Key Principles:

  1. Honesty and Integrity. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the data presented, the correctness of the methods, the validity of the conclusions, and the accuracy of citations.
  2. Originality and prevention of plagiarism. Articles must be original. Copying others’ texts, data, or ideas without proper citation is unacceptable. All materials are checked for plagiarism.
  3. Conflict of Interest. Authors and reviewers are required to disclose any financial, professional, or personal conflicts that may affect the objectivity of the research or evaluation.
  4. Reviewer Responsibilities. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, provide an objective evaluation, and refrain from using information from the article for their own research prior to publication.
  5. Transparency of Authorship. Authorship is recognized only for individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the conduct of the research and the preparation of the article. Artificial intelligence cannot be listed as an author or co-author.
  6. Open access and archiving. The journal provides open access to published materials and ensures their long-term preservation in reliable electronic archives, adhering to the principles of open science.
  7. Corrections and Retractions. In the event of serious errors, ethical violations, or plagiarism, the editorial board reserves the right to publish corrections or retract the article in accordance with COPE international standards.

 

Research Ethics and Data Protection

The Editorial Board requires authors to strictly adhere to ethical standards during research.

  1. Human Subjects Research: All studies involving humans must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Obtaining written informed consent from participants and formal approval from a local Ethics Committee (including protocol number and date) is mandatory.
  2. Animal Research: Experiments involving animals must be conducted in accordance with Directive 2010/63/EU and relevant national legislation. Authors must confirm that all procedures align with bioethical principles.
  3. Confidentiality and Personal Data: Data processing is performed in full compliance with the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of Personal Data". Authors are responsible for ensuring the anonymity of biological materials and clinical records. A formal conclusion from the Research Ethics Committee is a prerequisite for accepting the manuscript for peer review.

The journal reserves the right to request copies of ethics approvals or additional documentation to verify compliance with ethical standards.

 

Compliance with International Guidelines

The journal «Environment & Health» adheres to high standards of scientific integrity and open science, guided by the recommendations of leading international organizations:

1. COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)

  • Adherence to the principles of ethical publication and retraction of articles in cases of misconduct.
  • Transparency in the peer review and publication processes.
  • Clear disclosure of authorship and conflicts of interest.

2. WAME (World Association of Medical Editors)

  • Ensuring honesty, impartiality, and transparency in scientific publications.
  • Standards for ethical peer review and editing of articles.
  • Professional handling of complaints and ethical violations.

3. DORA (San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment)

  • Recognizing the value of scientific work not only by a journal’s impact factor, but by the quality and impact of the research.
  • Transparent criteria for evaluating scientific achievements and citations.
  • Support for open access and the free dissemination of scientific results.

4. Other Principles

  • Transparency in research funding and sponsorship.
  • Openness to corrections, retractions, and discussions within the scientific community.
  • Adherence to international standards of publication ethics that ensure trust in research results.

Adherence to these principles ensures the high quality, transparency, and reliability of the journal’s publications, as well as maintains trust in the scientific community.

 

Editorial Policy

The journal’s editorial board is guided by the principles of openness, objectivity, and scientific integrity. The journal’s policy is aimed at ensuring high-quality scientific publications in the fields of public health, hygiene, and medical ecology.

Key provisions of the editorial policy:

  1. Scientific profile and scope.
    The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles, reviews, scientific and methodological materials, and short communications related to:
    • public health;
    • medical ecology and hygiene;
    • the impact of the environment on human health;
    • preventive medicine and environmental safety.

2. Submission and Review Procedure.
Manuscripts undergo a two-stage review:

    • internal editorial screening – checking for relevance to the subject matter, formatting, and academic integrity;
    • external independent review – “blind” peer review by experts with no conflict of interest.

 3. Authorship and Contribution.
Authorship is recognized only for individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research and preparation of the manuscript. Artificial intelligence cannot be listed as an author or co-author.

4. Compliance with ethics and academic integrity.

    • Plagiarism, data fabrication, and dishonest citation are prohibited.
    • All publications are checked for text plagiarism using specialized systems.
    • Conflicts of interest must be fully disclosed.

5. Open Access and Archiving.
The journal provides open access to all publications and their long-term archiving in reliable electronic repositories, adhering to the principles of open science and the preservation of scientific heritage.

6. Corrections and Retractions.
In the event of errors, ethical violations, or unreliable data, the editorial board reserves the right to publish corrections or retract the article in accordance with international guidelines (COPE).

7. Editorial Responsibility.
The editorial board is responsible for:

    • adhering to publication quality standards;
    • the objectivity and transparency of the peer review process;
    • prompt response to complaints regarding violations of publication ethics.

The editorial policy ensures the trust of authors, reviewers, and the scientific community, guarantees the transparency of publications, and maintains the journal’s high scientific standards.