Research Ethics Approval Policy

The Research Ethics Approval Policy establishes requirements for authors to obtain and confirm appropriate approvals (permissions or authorizations) when conducting research involving human participants, the use of personal or confidential data, biological materials, or in cases where the research is subject to specific legal regulation.

This policy applies to all materials submitted to the journal if the research:

  • involves human participants (respondents, experts, interviewees, etc.);
  • includes the processing of personal or confidential data;
  • uses results from surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, or experiments involving human participants;
  • concerns the use of restricted-access data or data requiring special permission;
  • falls under the legislation of Ukraine in the fields of personal data protection, scientific and scientific-technical activities, bioethics, or other relevant regulatory acts.

Authors must confirm that:

  • participation of individuals in the research was voluntary;
  • participants were properly informed about the purpose, methods, and possible consequences of the research;
  • informed consent of the participants was obtained in accordance with the forms established by the legislation of Ukraine;
  • anonymity or confidentiality of personal data was ensured, unless otherwise provided by legal grounds.

If the research required review by an ethics committee or another authorized body, the authors must obtain the relevant approval before the start of the research.

Protection of Personal and Confidential Data

During the preparation and submission of manuscripts, authors must comply with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection” and other relevant regulatory legal acts.

Authors guarantee that:

  • personal data were processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently;
  • the collected data were used exclusively for scientific purposes;
  • the publication does not contain information that would allow the identification of a specific individual without their written consent.

Research Involving Animals or Biological Materials

If a study (which is atypical but possible for interdisciplinary research) involves the use of animals or their biological materials, authors must confirm compliance with the requirements of the current legislation of Ukraine and international ethical standards in the field of bioethics, and must also provide information on obtaining the appropriate permission or approval from an authorized body.

By submitting a manuscript to the Journal, authors:

  • confirm compliance with this Policy;
  • undertake to provide, upon request of the Editorial Board, copies of ethical approvals, permits, or other supporting documents;
  • bear full responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.

Information about the presence or absence of the required ethical approval must be indicated in the manuscript (for example, by adding a separate section titled “Ethical Aspects of the Research”).

The Editorial Board of the Journal reserves the right to:

  • request additional information or documents regarding the ethical aspects of the research;
  • refuse publication of the material in the event of non-compliance with this Policy or with the legislation of Ukraine;
  • retract a published article if violations of ethical standards are discovered after publication.

Research Involving Artificial Intelligence, AI Agents, and Robotic Systems

This policy applies to all materials submitted to the journal if the research involves the use of artificial intelligence technologies (robotic systems, artificial intelligence algorithms, software AI agents, etc.) for the collection, processing, analysis, interpretation, or generation of data, texts, images, or other research outputs.

Authors must ensure that:

  • the use of robots or artificial intelligence systems was carried out in compliance with the principles of academic integrity, scientific objectivity, and responsibility, as well as with the ethical standards governing the use of robotic systems and agents established by legislation in force at the time of submission;
  • final decisions, conclusions, and interpretations of the research results were made exclusively by the human researcher;
  • the use of algorithms did not lead to discrimination, bias, or distortion of research results;
  • materials generated or processed with the assistance of AI were verified for accuracy, reliability, and compliance with scientific standards;
  • artificial intelligence systems are not listed as authors or co-authors of the scholarly work;
  • AI was not used to falsify research results, fabricate data, create non-existent sources, or mislead the editorial board and readers.

If generative, analytical, or any other AI systems are used, authors must disclose information about the nature and extent of their use in the relevant section of the manuscript.