Principles of publication ethics and academic integrity

1. Ethical obligations of the editorial board
2. Ethical obligations of authors
3. Ethical obligations of reviewers
4. Procedure for handling complaints regarding breaches of ethical standards

The editorial board of the ‘Journal of Coal Chemistry’ adheres in its activities to the ethical principles developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Adherence to the principles of scientific publication ethics is aimed at safeguarding authors’ intellectual property rights, improving the quality of the publication, and preventing the unauthorised use of authors’ materials for the benefit of individuals.

The principles of scientific publication ethics must be observed by all participants in the publication process: members of the editorial board, authors, and reviewers.

1. Ethical obligations of the editorial board

The editorial board is responsible for the quality of all materials published in the journal and is guided by the following ethical standards:

1. All materials submitted for publication undergo a thorough selection and peer review process.
2. The editorial board considers all manuscripts impartially and evaluates each article fairly, regardless of the authors’ race, religion, gender, age, social background, or affiliation, as well as their status or place of employment. The editorial board makes fair and impartial decisions, independent of commercial or other interests, to ensure an honest review process.
3. The editorial board combats fabrication, plagiarism, the submission of a single manuscript to multiple publications, and the repeated duplication of content across different articles.
4. The Editor-in-Chief and members of the editorial board shall not disclose information relating to the content of a received manuscript to anyone other than those directly involved in the professional evaluation of that manuscript.
5. In accordance with national and international legislation regarding copyright, materials published in the ‘Journal of Coal Chemistry’ may not be reproduced in whole or in part without reference to the original source.

2. Ethical obligations of authors

Authorship should be restricted to those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design or interpretation of the research results. The correct composition of the list of co-authors must be ensured. The list of co-authors must include all individuals who have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the concept, structure, and execution or interpretation of the results of the submitted work. Acknowledgements should be given to other individuals who have participated in certain aspects of the work. It is unacceptable to include individuals who have not participated in the research as co-authors. The corresponding (authorised) author must also ensure that all co-authors have reviewed the final version of the article, approved it, and agree to its submission for publication. If the article is a multidisciplinary work, co-authors may be responsible for their individual contributions, whilst retaining collective responsibility for the overall result.

Authors must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Authors are responsible for the content of the articles submitted and guarantee their authorship.
2. Authors must properly cite the sources of any essential material used in the work, unless such material was generated by the author themselves.
3. Plagiarism and the submission of previously published articles for publication are unacceptable. Should such instances be detected, the authors of the submitted materials shall bear responsibility.
4. The author submitting the manuscript for publication is responsible for ensuring that the list of co-authors includes only those individuals who meet the criteria for authorship, and assumes responsibility for obtaining the consent of the other authors of the article for its publication in the journal.
5. Authors must inform the editor of any potential conflict of interest that could be affected by the publication of the results contained in this manuscript.
6. Authors may not publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in multiple journals or primary publications. Submitting the same manuscript to several journals simultaneously constitutes unethical publication behavior and is unacceptable.
7. Submission of a manuscript to the editorial board implies that the authors confirm that the article’s content is original, has not been previously published, and will not be published in any other publication.

3. Ethical obligations of reviewers

In accordance with the ethical principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding publication ethics, all researchers wishing to publish articles have a moral obligation to participate in the peer-review process. Potential reviewers must provide accurate personal and professional information that objectively reflects their experience and can be verified, as well as accurate contact details.

Reviewers must adhere to the following standards in their work:

1. A reviewer must provide an objective, unbiased assessment of the manuscript’s quality on condition of anonymity. If there are reasons that make this requirement impossible, the reviewer is obliged to notify the editorial board in advance.
2. The reviewer must provide a convincing justification for their conclusions.
3. The reviewer must draw the editorial board’s attention to any breaches of ethical standards by the authors.
4. The reviewer must provide feedback on the manuscript in a timely manner.
5. A manuscript submitted for review is a confidential document. The reviewer has the right to disclose, let alone use, unpublished information contained in the manuscript under review only with the written consent of all the authors of the manuscript.

4. Procedure for handling complaints regarding breaches of ethical standards

The Editorial Board of the ‘Journal of Coal Chemistry’ will examine each complaint on a case-by-case basis, taking into account its nature and complexity, and any decision reached will be guided by the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Complaints, enquiries and suggestions should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The processing time is 30 working days. However, depending on the complexity of the complaint, this period may be extended.

Anonymous complaints, and those received in an aggressive, offensive or defamatory manner, containing threats or signs of discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, age, social status, religion or other factors, will not be considered.

The complaint must be specific and substantiated.

To investigate the complaint, the Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Journal of Coal Chemistry’ appoints an expert from among the members of the editorial board and the expert group. Where necessary to uphold the principle of impartiality, independent experts are engaged. The investigation of the complaint and the rendering of a decision are conducted in full compliance with the applicable legislation and regulatory documents of Ukraine.

The results of the complaint review are communicated to the complainant in the form of an official letter.