Complaints Procedure

Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics

The Editorial Board of the Herald of ONMU ensures a transparent, objective, and timely handling of complaints related to potential violations of academic integrity and publication ethics.

Complaints may concern submitted or published manuscripts, as well as the actions of authors, reviewers, or editors.

Submission of Complaints

Complaints must be submitted to the Editorial Office in written form (via email) and should include:

  • a clear description of the alleged violation;
  • a reference to the relevant manuscript or publication;
  • justification of the complaint with supporting evidence;
  • contact information of the complainant.

Anonymous complaints may be considered if sufficient information is provided to enable proper assessment.

Review Process

The Editorial Board considers complaints in several stages:

  1. Preliminary assessment of the submitted information;
  2. Involvement of independent experts, if necessary;
  3. Requesting explanations from the parties concerned;
  4. Final decision by the Editorial Board.

All parties involved are given the opportunity to present their explanations and arguments.

Decision-Making

Based on the review, the following actions may be taken:

  • rejection of the complaint if no violation is found;
  • request for corrections from the authors;
  • retraction of the article;
  • notification of relevant institutions or organizations;
  • temporary restriction on future submissions.

Confidentiality

The Editorial Board ensures the confidentiality of all information obtained during the complaint review process and uses it solely for the purpose of investigation.

Timeframes

Complaints are reviewed within a reasonable timeframe depending on the complexity of the case. The Editorial Board aims to ensure a prompt yet thorough evaluation.

The Bulletin of ONMU adheres to the principles of fairness and impartiality in handling complaints and strives to maintain a high level of trust in published research.