Editorial policies and ethical considerations

MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

The acceptance criteria for all articles are based on the quality, originality, and significance of the research to the journal's readers. An article may be considered interesting if it achieves one or more of the following:

  • Introduces new methods and approaches to analysis.
  • Presents exceptionally thorough analysis using existing research methods.
  • Tests intriguing hypotheses with well-presented examples and logical discussion.
  • Includes taxonomic treatment of a group, particularly using molecular data.
  • Contains syntaxonomic treatment of vegetation units, with comparisons to existing analogs.
  • Provides checklists and vegetation surveys, especially for areas of significant conservation importance.
  • Offers a high-quality analytical biography of a scientist, highlighting his/her main research achievements.

Materials related to new and interesting discoveries of vascular plants, lichens, and lichenophilic fungi can be submitted to the designated coordinators for periodic articles.

Notes to lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi in Ukraine (corresponding author Valerii Darmostuk, e-mail: valeriidarmostuk@gmail.com)

Notes to vascular plant in Ukraine (corresponding author Ivan Moysiyenko, e-mail: ivan.moysiyenko@gmail.com)

The criteria for selecting materials for periodic publication series include:

  • Discovery of a new species for Ukraine or the region.
  • Identification of a rare species in Ukraine or the region (with no more than 10 known localities in one region).
  • Documentation of new localities for species listed in conservation lists (such as the European Red List, Red Data Book of Ukraine, annexes of the Bern Convention, or regional red lists of plant species).
  • Confirmation of species not seen in the region for over 50 years, which is significant for geographic or geobotanical regions, or for all of Ukraine.

Peer Review

The journal uses a double-blind peer review process. Articles undergo review after the Editor-in-Chief confirms they align with the journal's scope. A coordinating editor, selected from deputy editors or Editorial Board members, manages the review process, including inviting reviewers and making the final publication decision. Upon assignment of a coordinating editor, the corresponding author is notified by email within approximately five days of submission. Articles may also be rejected within this timeframe if deemed unsuitable for publication.

 

AUTHORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Plagiarism and academic integrity

Plagiarism (including copying text, ideas, images, or data from other sources without proper attribution, as well as paraphrasing significant portions of other authors' work without attribution) and self-plagiarism (reuse of one's own previously published text without attribution) are considered unethical and unacceptable when submitting manuscripts to the Chornomorski Botanical Journal.

Authorship

The list of authors must accurately represent each individual's contributions to the work. Authors must meet the following criteria:

  • Made significant contributions to the conception, design, data collection, or analysis and interpretation of data.
  • Participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
  • Provided final approval of the version to be published.
  • Contributed sufficiently to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content.
  • Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, ensuring that any questions related to accuracy or integrity are addressed appropriately.

Contributions of individuals who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments section with the author's permission. This includes recognizing those who provided technical assistance, data comparison, article writing support, funding acquisition, or general departmental support.

Before submitting the article, all authors must agree on the order of author names listed in the manuscript. Additionally, authors must confirm in a letter to the Editorial Board that all co-authors agree with the submitted version and distribution of responsibilities.

The Contribution of Artificial Intelligence to Scientific Research

The use of artificial intelligence in scientific research must be acknowledged and clearly described, similar to how other software, tools, and methods are traditionally explained. However, artificial intelligence does not qualify for authorship in our journal's publications. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their scientific works, including any use of artificial intelligence. It's crucial to avoid plagiarism by properly citing and referencing all ideas, data, words, or materials from other sources.

Conflict of Interest

During manuscript submission, authors will be asked to provide a statement regarding conflicts of interest. Authors must communicate with all co-authors to confirm agreement with the final manuscript version. Any interests or relationships, financial or otherwise, that could potentially influence the author's objectivity must be disclosed if they are directly related to the work described in the manuscript. The presence of a conflict of interest does not prevent publication.

Authors without conflicts of interest should declare this upon final submission of the article by the corresponding author to the editorial office, sending the prepared-for-publication PDF version via email to the Editorial Board. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring all authors are aware of this policy and collectively disclosing all relevant commercial and other relationships upon article submission.

Funding

Authors should list all sources of funding on the title page under "Funding information" and acknowledge them in the Acknowledgments section. It is important to accurately report the funding sources. In cases of multiple authors and support from multiple funds, it is recommended to specify each funding source individually.

Journal's policy on criticism

For articles in the Review and Forum papers section that include significant criticism of specific articles or works by other researchers, the criticized parties will be given the opportunity to respond to the manuscript. Their comments will be considered in context, and independent reviewers without conflicts of interest will also provide feedback.

The criticized author will have the right to publish a response simultaneously with the critical article, typically within five weeks of its acceptance for publication. This response will undergo peer review and be shared with the original critic for review of any unjustified or offensive content.

Authors who criticize do not automatically receive further responses, but the editor may allow additional comments. The Editor-in-Chief ensures fairness throughout the process so that journal readers can evaluate both perspectives and make informed decisions.

Errata

Authors can submit a note addressing errors in their previously published article in the Chornomorski Botanical Journal that may mislead readers.

If an article submitted only corrects a simple error made by another author, which could still mislead readers even if it doesn't affect the results (such as an error in a formula used in calculations), the author who made the mistake will be invited to submit a correction, acknowledging the author who identified the error. This correction will be published instead of the initially submitted critical article.

 

REVIEWERS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Standards of Impartiality

Reviewers are expected to follow the ethical guidelines outlined by COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers to uphold the quality of manuscript evaluation. The Editorial Board requests that reviewers focus on the scientific merit of submitted materials and assess the logic, quality, and overall style of the manuscript. Reviewers should clearly articulate their opinions with relevant arguments and avoid personal criticism of the author.

Reviewers are encouraged to notify the Editorial Board if they identify instances of plagiarism, unreliable, or falsified data. If unable to provide a fair and unbiased review within the specified deadlines, reviewers should decline the review request.

Confidentiality

All information related to the submitted manuscript and its review must be kept confidential and not shared with anyone other than the editors. Reviewers are prohibited from using materials or information obtained during the review process.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the authors or the presented research. Reviewers should refrain from evaluating manuscripts if they have conflicts of interest due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors or their institutions. After receiving manuscripts for review, reviewers must promptly inform the Editor-in-Chief of any potential conflicts of interest.

 

EDITORS' RESPONSIBILITIES

Decision on Publication

Editors are primarily responsible for ensuring the scientific quality of published articles. They make publication decisions based solely on the manuscript's quality, importance, originality, clarity, and relevance to the scope of the Chornomorski Botanical Journal. The final decision to publish materials in an issue rests with the Editorial Board of the journal's founder, based on the recommendation of the Editor-in-Chief.

Ethical Issues

Editors of the Chornomorski Botanical Journal follow international standards of ethical conduct throughout the publishing process. They ensure that all recommended materials for publication align with the guiding principles of COPE guidelines. The Editor-in-Chief takes appropriate action in response to ethical complaints concerning submitted manuscripts or published articles, as well as appeals against editorial decisions.

Confidentiality

Editors must keep information about selected reviewers confidential. Any information or ideas obtained during the review process should remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. Unpublished materials shared in a submitted manuscript should not be used in someone else's research. The editorial team is dedicated to preserving the anonymity of reviewers unless they opt to disclose their identity. Any allegations of misconduct should be reported to the Еditor-in-Сhief and handled confidentially pending a thorough investigation.

Conflict of Interest

Editors must assess any financial, non-financial, professional, or personal relationships between authors and reviewers. They must also disclose their own competing interests. Editors follow COPE guidelines to address any potential conflict of interest. If competing interests are disclosed after publication, relevant corrections will be published in a subsequent issue.

Plagiarism and academic integrity

To uphold academic integrity, all articles undergo mandatory plagiarism checks using certified programs by the journal's founder before publication. If a significant amount of borrowed content, including self-borrowings, is detected after publication and considered as plagiarism or self-plagiarism, the submitted materials are rejected by the Editorial Board. The decision to reject is based on an analytical report provided by the plagiarism check.

Article Retraction Procedure

If scientific misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism), or other forms of academic dishonesty are detected after publication, the Editorial Board considers retracting the publication. Retracted articles may remain on the website but must be clearly marked as retracted to prevent future misuse. A retraction notice, explaining the reason(s) for retraction, will be promptly published in subsequent issues for readers' convenience.

Open access

The "Chornomorski Botanical Journal" is an open-access journal. All articles are freely available on the journal's website immediately upon acceptance for publication. Anyone interested can read the articles and use them for any lawful purpose. Authors do not need to pay fees for article review or open access.

Readers can freely access, download, print, copy, distribute, transmit, or adapt the electronic version of the article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). Proper attribution to the author(s) and publication source is required for any use or distribution.