The journal "Animal Biology" adheres to high standards of academic integrity, publication ethics, and transparency of editorial processes. Ethical principles are mandatory for all participants in the editorial and publishing process, including authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Editorial Board, and the publisher.
In its work, the Editorial Office follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, as well as other internationally recognized guidelines in the field of research integrity and publication ethics. Authors from Ukraine must also comply with the provisions of the Code of Ethics for Scientists of Ukraine.
Rights and Responsibilities of Editors
The editors of Animal Biology are responsible for the proper organization of the editorial process, ensuring the quality of scientific publications, and upholding the principles of academic integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, and editorial independence.
Rights of Editors
Editors have the right to:
- conduct the initial screening of manuscripts for compliance with the journal’s scope, scientific quality, formatting requirements, and editorial policy;
- decide whether to send a manuscript for peer review, return it to the author for revision, or reject it;
invite independent experts in the relevant scientific field to review manuscripts; - request additional materials, explanations, documents, or clarifications from authors that are necessary for manuscript evaluation;
- initiate additional expert assessment, repeated peer review, or consideration of the manuscript by the Editorial Board;
- make editorial decisions on the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts based on peer reviews, the scientific quality of the material, and the journal’s requirements;
- initiate consideration of issues related to violations of academic integrity, publication ethics, conflicts of interest, or authorship;
- take measures to correct the scientific record, including the publication of corrections, editorial notices, or article retractions.
Responsibilities of Editors
Editors are responsible for:
- ensuring an impartial, objective, and timely review of submitted manuscripts;
- evaluating materials exclusively on the basis of their scientific content, novelty, relevance, reliability of results, and compliance with the journal’s scope;
- preventing discrimination against authors on the grounds of citizenship, skin color, nationality, sex, language, religious beliefs, political views, place of employment, or academic status;
- maintaining confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, reviews, editorial correspondence, and personal data of participants in the editorial process;
- not using unpublished materials, data, or ideas obtained during editorial evaluation for their own benefit or for the benefit of third parties;
- ensuring the selection of competent and independent reviewers;
- disclosing any conflict of interest and refraining from handling manuscripts where such circumstances arise;
- responding to substantiated complaints concerning violations of publication ethics, academic integrity, or editorial procedures;
- facilitating the correction of errors, inaccuracies, or violations identified before or after publication;
- complying with international standards of publication ethics and principles of good editorial practice.
Rights and Responsibilities of Reviewers
The work of reviewers is based on the principles of professional ethics, impartiality, confidentiality, and responsibility. A reviewer has the right to receive all information necessary for a qualified assessment of the submitted work and to decline a review in the event of a conflict of interest or insufficient expertise in the subject matter. At the same time, the reviewer is responsible for providing a reasoned, objective, and constructive opinion while observing the established deadlines, principles of academic integrity, and ethical standards. The reviewer does not make the final decision on the publication of an article but provides the Editorial Office with an independent expert opinion.
Rights of Reviewers
Reviewers have the right to:
receive manuscripts for review that correspond to their scientific profile and competence;
decline a review in cases of insufficient expertise in the manuscript topic, the presence of a conflict of interest, or inability to provide a report within the established deadline;
contact the Editorial Office for additional clarification regarding review requirements;
provide the Editorial Office with substantiated recommendations regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of a manuscript;
inform the Editorial Office about identified signs of violations of academic integrity, plagiarism, duplicate publication, or unreliable data.
Responsibilities of Reviewers
Reviewers are responsible for:
- conducting scientific evaluation of manuscripts objectively, impartially, conscientiously, and within their competence;
- adhering to the review deadlines set by the Editorial Office or promptly informing the Editorial Office if they are unable to prepare a report;
- providing reasoned, constructive, and appropriately formulated comments and recommendations;
- evaluating the manuscript exclusively on the basis of its scientific content, novelty, relevance, methodological quality, reliability of results, and compliance with the journal’s scope;
- avoiding personal criticism of authors or discriminatory statements;
- maintaining the confidentiality of the manuscript, not sharing it with third parties, and not using unpublished materials for personal benefit;
- immediately informing the Editorial Office of any conflict of interest and declining the review if such a conflict is identified;
- drawing the Editorial Office’s attention to substantial similarities between the submitted manuscript and already known publications, as well as possible violations of research ethics;
- not using tools or third-party services that may compromise manuscript confidentiality if this is contrary to the journal’s policy.
Rights and Responsibilities of Authors
Authors submitting materials to Animal Biology are responsible for the scientific content, reliability of research results, proper preparation of the manuscript, and adherence to the principles of academic integrity.
Rights of Authors
Authors have the right to:
- submit original scientific manuscripts that correspond to the journal’s scope;
receive objective, impartial, and timely consideration of submitted materials; - be informed about the results of editorial evaluation and peer review;
- receive comments and recommendations for manuscript revision;
- provide reasoned explanations in response to comments from the Editorial Office and reviewers;
- withdraw the manuscript before the final decision on its publication is made;
- contact the Editorial Office with questions related to the consideration, review, and publication of the article;
- submit a substantiated appeal in case of disagreement with an editorial decision.
Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are responsible for:
- submitting only original scientific works that have not been previously published and are not under consideration by another publication;
- ensuring the reliability of the presented data, research results, conclusions, and references;
- properly citing the sources used and avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data;
- indicating in the manuscript all individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research and preparation of the article;
- not including as authors individuals who did not participate in the research or preparation of the manuscript;
- disclosing sources of research funding, conflicts of interest, and other circumstances that may affect the evaluation or perception of the results;
- providing, at the request of the Editorial Office, additional materials, documents, or explanations necessary for manuscript verification;
- promptly revising the manuscript in accordance with the comments of the Editorial Office and reviewers, or providing a reasoned response in case of disagreement with the comments;
- immediately notifying the Editorial Office if a significant error is identified after submission or publication of the article and assisting in the correction or retraction of the material;
- complying with ethical requirements for conducting research, particularly in cases involving animals, humans, biological materials, or other objects requiring special ethical regulation.
Ethical Standards of Research
Only manuscripts based on research conducted in accordance with ethical standards, applicable legislation, institutional rules, and internationally recognized standards of scientific activity are accepted for consideration. Compliance with these requirements is a mandatory condition for the review and publication of materials and is regarded by the Editorial Office as an integral component of good research practice.
Animal Research
Research involving animals must be conducted in accordance with institutional, national, and international requirements for the humane treatment of animals and the protection of their welfare, including Directive 2010/63/EU. In the manuscript, authors must provide information on the conditions in which animals were kept, the methods of anesthesia and euthanasia used, if provided for by the protocol, as well as information on approval of the research by the relevant ethics committee or other authorized body, where such approval is required. Where applicable, the name of the institution, permit number, and date of approval must be indicated.
Authors must also confirm that measures were taken during the research to minimize pain, suffering, distress, and the number of animals used, and that all methods applied were scientifically justified and ethically acceptable.
Research Involving Biological Materials, Data, and Samples
If the research involves the use of biological samples, tissues, cell cultures, data, or other materials, authors must confirm that these materials were obtained, used, and stored legally, ethically, and appropriately. Where necessary, the article should indicate the source of the material, the procedure for obtaining the relevant permissions, and information on compliance with biosafety and ethical control procedures.
All research involving materials of human origin must comply with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association.
Ethical Approval and Supporting Documents
The Editorial Office may require authors to provide documents confirming compliance with ethical standards, including copies of ethics committee decisions, research permits, animal welfare declarations, confirmations regarding the sources of biomaterials, or other supporting documents.
In the absence of proper ethical approval, in cases of doubt regarding compliance with research standards, or if supporting documents are not provided, the Editorial Office may suspend consideration of the manuscript, request additional explanations, or reject the article.
