Publication ethics and editorial policy

The editorial board of the journal “Art and Design” in its work is based on international standards of academic integrity and principles of ethical behavior of participants in the publication process and is guided by the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). All participants in the publication process — authors, reviewers and editors — are obliged to adhere to these principles in order to ensure the quality, reliability and transparency of scientific publications.

All procedural decisions are made in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the materials of the Elsevier “Publishing Ethics Resource Kit”.

  1. Basic Principles of Editorial Ethics

The editorial board adheres to the following key approaches:

  • maintaining high standards of scientificity, accuracy and professionalism during the selection and preparation of materials;
  • respect for participants in the publication process and strict adherence to impartiality;
  • application of the double-blind review mechanism and involvement of independent specialists;
  • regular consultation of authors, in particular on the requirements of international databases for the design of scientific materials.
  1. Editorial Integrity and Transparency

The journal ensures transparency in its editorial processes and publication activities.

Information published on the journal’s website (including details of the editorial board, peer review procedures, and policies) must be accurate, up to date, and verifiable.

Editorial decisions are made independently of any external influence, including commercial, political or institutional.

Post-Publication Responsibility

The journal is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the scientific record.

In the event that errors or violations are identified after publication, the editorial board takes appropriate action, including:

  • issuing corrections;
  • publishing expressions of concern;
  • retracting articles.

Detailed procedures are described in the journal’s retraction policy.

  1. Responsibility of the Editorial Board Members

The Editorial Board members are responsible for the scientific quality and integrity of the journal.

Editorial decisions are based on:

  • scientific significance, originality and relevance of the manuscript;
  • soundness of the methodology and reliability of the results;
  • contribution of the research to the development of the relevant field.

The Editorial Board members evaluate the manuscripts regardless of the gender, nationality, place of work or other personal characteristics of the authors.

They ensure:

  • confidentiality of submitted materials and related communications;
  • an impartial and objective peer review process;
  • timely interaction with authors and reviewers.

The Editorial Board members do not have the right to use unpublished materials in their own research or for personal gain.

In case of reasonable suspicion of violations of academic integrity (in particular, plagiarism, data fabrication, duplication of publications), the editorial board initiates a review in accordance with COPE recommendations and may reject the manuscript or take other measures.

In the event of a conflict of interest, a member of the editorial board is obliged to recuse himself from making a decision.

  1. Reviewers' Responsibilities

Reviewers perform an independent expert evaluation of manuscripts.

Reviewers are required to:

  • evaluate materials objectively, based on scientific quality;
  • provide reasoned, clear and constructive comments;
  • maintain confidentiality and not transfer the manuscript to third parties;
  • report a conflict of interest and, if necessary, refuse to review.

Reviewers are not entitled to use unpublished data or ideas for their own interests.

Personal criticism of the author is unacceptable.

  1. Authors' Responsibilities

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of the presented results.

Authors must:

  • provide reliable research results;
  • guarantee the originality of the manuscript and proper citation of sources;
  • avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism and duplication of publications;
  • do not submit the manuscript to several journals at the same time;
  • properly acknowledge the contributions of other researchers.

The composition of the authors should reflect the real scientific contribution. All individuals who have made a significant contribution should be listed as co-authors, and those who did not participate in the research cannot be included in the list of authors.

The corresponding author ensures communication with the editorial board and confirms that all co-authors have agreed on the final version of the manuscript.

In the event of significant errors being discovered after publication, the authors are obliged to immediately notify the editorial board and facilitate correction or withdrawal of the article.

Authorship declaration

Submission of an article confirms that:

  • all co-authors agree with its content;
  • each author has made a significant contribution to the research;
  • all authors have approved the final version;
  • the authors bear responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

Individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the “Acknowledgements” section.

Submission declaration

The material has not been previously published, is not under consideration by another publication, and is submitted with the permission of the institution where the research was conducted.

Policy on research funding

Authors must disclose all sources of support for the research, including:

  • grants;
  • governmental and non-governmental programmes;
  • private or commercial funding;
  • internal institutional funding.

In the absence of funding, the following statement should be included: “This research received no external funding.”

  1. Advertising Policy

The journal does not publish advertisements. Its funding model is designed to ensure full editorial independence.

  1. Academic Misconduct

The journal does not tolerate any forms of academic misconduct, including:

  • plagiarism (including incorrect citation and paraphrasing);
  • self-plagiarism and duplication of publications;
  • fabrication or falsification of data;
  • incorrect authorship (including “guest” or “hidden” authorship);
  • manipulation of the review process.

Manuscripts may be checked using text matching programs.

In case of suspected violations, the editorial board conducts a check in accordance with the COPE recommendations. Depending on the situation, the following measures may be applied:

  • rejection of the manuscript;
  • notification of the author’s institution;
  • retraction of the published article.
  1. Data Access Policy

The journal supports the principles of open science, but at the same time guarantees compliance with the rights of authors and ethical requirements.

  • Data that became the basis for published conclusions can be provided only after an official request through the editorial office.
  • Access is provided only with the written consent of the author(s).
  • Persons wishing to receive data must send a motivated request. The editorial office forwards it to the authors; in case of their consent, signing a non-disclosure agreement may be required.
  • Authors have the right to refuse to provide data due to ethical, legal or confidential restrictions.

All requests are accepted exclusively via official e-mail.

This approach provides a managed and fair mechanism for information exchange and at the same time protects copyright.

  1. Confidentiality

The editorial board guarantees:

  • non-disclosure of information about the authors and the content of the manuscripts;
  • limited access to materials - only for editors, reviewers, and technical staff;
  • mandatory compliance with the principle of confidentiality during review.

All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents and may not be shared with third parties without necessity.

  1. Conflict of Interest

All participants in the publication process must declare any potential or actual conflicts of interest that may influence their decisions or conclusions.

Conflicts of interest may be financial, institutional, academic or personal.

Authors must indicate information about the conflict of interest in the manuscript. Reviewers and editors are obliged to report such conflicts and, if necessary, refrain from participating in the process.

Conflict of interest management

  • Editors and reviewers must refuse to work on the manuscript if any personal, professional, or financial conflict exists.
  • It is prohibited to use unpublished data obtained through review in their own research.
  • The editorial board considers any reports of ethical violations or unethical practices related to submitted or published materials.
  1. Post-Publication Discussion

The journal encourages academic discussion after publication. The materials are open for commenting on the PubPeer platform, where you can leave professional feedback. All articles have a DOI, which facilitates search and discussion. The editorial team considers all reasonable comments on articles published on PubPeer and acts in accordance with the corrections, refutations or withdrawals policy.

  1. Ethical Aspects of Research

In the case of conducting research involving humans or animals, authors must confirm compliance with relevant ethical standards.

Where necessary, the article must state:

  • obtaining informed consent from participants;
  • approval by the relevant ethics committee.

Authors are responsible for compliance with national legislation and international ethical standards.

Ethical requirements for research involving humans

  • All research must be approved by the relevant ethics committee.
  • Authors must certify that they have obtained informed voluntary consent from participants, guaranteed anonymity, and confidentiality.
  • The manuscript must state compliance with international standards (ASA, ICC/ESOMAR, recommendations of the European Commission, etc.).

Ethical requirements for research involving plants

Experimental work involving plants must comply with applicable national and international environmental regulations, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and CITES.

  1. Policy Updates

This policy may be periodically updated in accordance with changes in international standards of academic publishing and national legislation.

Updates come into effect from the moment they are published on the official website of the journal.