Publication Ethics, International Standards, and Responsibilities of Participants

The journal Transcarpathian Philological Studies adheres to the principles of academic integrity, openness of scholarly dialogue, and responsibility for publication quality. In philological research, where interpretation of text, accuracy of citation, and correct use of sources are of fundamental importance, ethical standards are an integral part of scholarly activity.

The editorial policy is based on the following principles:
– academic integrity –  prevention of plagiarism, distortion of sources, and data manipulation;
– accuracy of interpretation –  responsible and justified interpretation of texts and linguistic phenomena;
– transparency of authorship –  clear identification of each author’s contribution;
– openness of scholarly discussion –  readiness for reasoned critique and revision of conclusions;
– ethical scholarly communication –  respect for other researchers’ positions and academic culture.

Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are required to:
– submit original research not previously published;
– ensure accurate citation and faithful representation of sources;
– avoid plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and distortion of scholarly positions;
– clearly define their own contribution and that of co-authors;
– adhere to academic integrity in working with texts, translations, and interpretations;
– inform the editorial board of any errors identified after submission or publication.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers must:
– provide careful, objective, and reasoned evaluation of manuscripts;
– take into account the interpretative nature of philological research;
– maintain confidentiality and academic ethics;
– report possible violations of integrity;
– provide constructive and respectful feedback.

Responsibilities of Editors

Editors ensure:
– impartial publication decisions based on scholarly quality;
– transparent peer-review procedures;
– confidentiality and data protection;
– response to ethical violations;
– support for scholarly dialogue and methodological diversity.

The editorial board reserves the right to reject manuscripts or take other measures in case of ethical violations at any stage of review or publication.

Compliance with International Standards

The journal follows the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the principles set out in the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

These frameworks guide editorial policy, ethical decision-making, and scholarly integrity.

The journal supports open science principles, responsible use of research metrics, and the development of academic culture in philology.

Policy on the Use of AI and AI-Supported Technologies

The journal Transcarpathian Philological Studies recognizes that artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly used in humanities research, particularly in work with texts, linguistic data, and translation. At the same time, the editorial board considers AI as an auxiliary tool that cannot replace authorial interpretation, analysis, and scholarly responsibility.

Permissible use of AI includes:
– linguistic and stylistic editing of texts, grammar and spelling checking;
– assistance in translation with mandatory author revision;
– preliminary structuring of material or formulation of working ideas;
– use for general information search without relying on AI as a scientific source;
– auxiliary analysis of textual corpora provided that results are critically verified.

The following are not permitted:
– submission of AI-generated texts as an independent scholarly study;
– replacement of authorial interpretation with automatically generated content;
– creation of fabricated citations, sources, or facts using AI;
– inclusion of AI tools as co-authors of publications;
– use of AI in violation of copyright or academic standards.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of submitted materials regardless of the use of AI technologies. The use of such tools does not exempt authors from verifying sources, ensuring accurate citation, and maintaining scientific validity.

Disclosure of AI use

If AI technologies are used, authors must indicate this in the manuscript (for example, in the “Methodology” or “Acknowledgements” sections), briefly describing the nature and extent of such use.

The editorial board may use AI tools for technical verification of manuscripts (including detection of textual similarity or language inaccuracies), however final decisions are made exclusively by humans.

The journal supports the responsible use of digital tools, considering them as a means of expanding research capabilities rather than replacing scholarly thinking.

Policy on Ethical Approval of Research Involving Humans and Sensitive Data

The journal Transcarpathian Philological Studies adheres to ethical responsibility in scholarly research, particularly regarding respect for human dignity, protection of personal data, and proper use of materials that may contain sensitive information.

In philological research, this may include oral testimonies, interviews, private correspondence, archival materials, and texts containing personal or culturally sensitive data, as well as studies related to linguistic identity or social groups.

Ethical approval is required in cases where research:
– involves direct participation of human subjects (interviews, surveys, fieldwork);
– includes processing of personal or confidential data;
– uses materials subject to Ukrainian legal restrictions;
– may affect the rights, privacy, or reputation of individuals or communities.

Where ethical risks are present, the editorial board may request confirmation of ethical approval. In some cases, this may be a mandatory condition for consideration or publication.

Authors must indicate ethical approval in the manuscript (if applicable), including the name of the institution and date of approval. If such approval is not required, authors must provide an appropriate explanation.

The editorial board reserves the right to request additional documentation and to refuse publication in case of ethical violations or insufficient justification.

The journal supports responsible handling of texts and data, recognizing that research ethics is an integral part of scholarly value.

Peer Review Procedure

The journal Transcarpathian Philological Studies considers peer review an integral part of scholarly dialogue that contributes to the clarification of interpretations, deepening of textual analysis, and improvement of research quality. Expert evaluation is intended not only to select manuscripts for publication but also to support the development of philological thought through professional interaction between authors and reviewers.

The editorial board ensures independence, impartiality, and confidentiality of the peer-review process, as well as equal conditions for all authors regardless of their academic school, institutional affiliation, or country.

All submitted manuscripts undergo preliminary editorial screening for compliance with the journal’s scope and basic academic requirements.

The journal uses a double-blind peer review system, which ensures anonymity of both authors and reviewers, thereby guaranteeing objectivity in evaluation.

Selection of reviewers is based on their specialization, experience in working with relevant texts, theoretical approaches, and publication activity. If necessary, independent experts, including international researchers, may be involved.

Evaluation criteria include:
– scientific novelty and relevance of the topic;
– depth and validity of textual or linguistic analysis;
– methodological clarity and appropriateness of the chosen approach;
– logical coherence and structural integrity;
– correctness of sources and citations;
– contribution to philological scholarship.

Review timeline is typically 3–4 weeks from the reviewer’s agreement, but may vary depending on the complexity of the manuscript or the need for additional expertise.

Review format involves a written report with reasoned comments and a recommendation regarding the manuscript’s fate (acceptance, revision, resubmission, or rejection).

Decision-making is carried out by the editorial board based on the received reviews. In case of divergent opinions, additional review may be requested. The author is provided with consolidated feedback and the opportunity to revise the manuscript.

The editorial board guarantees confidentiality of the peer-review process and adherence to ethical standards in communication between all participants in scholarly publishing.

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

The editorial board of Transcarpathian Philological Studies pays particular attention to compliance with academic integrity and ethical standards in scholarly communication. Openness to professional criticism and responsible response to possible violations are an important component of trust in the academic journal.

Complaints may concern, in particular, cases of plagiarism, self-plagiarism, improper use of sources, distortion of research results, inappropriate authorship, conflicts of interest, or other violations of ethical norms in the process of preparing and publishing materials. Complaints may be submitted by authors, reviewers, readers, or other interested parties.

The review of complaints is carried out in stages:

Receipt and registration of the complaint. All submissions are recorded and preliminarily assessed for content and validity.

Preliminary analysis. The editorial board determines the nature of the possible violation and the need for further review.

Expert assessment. If necessary, reviewers, members of the editorial board, or independent experts are involved.

Decision-making. Depending on the established circumstances, appropriate measures may be applied: from revision of the manuscript to rejection or retraction of the publication.

Feedback. The parties receive a reasoned response regarding the outcome of the review.

The editorial board guarantees confidentiality of the review process, impartiality of evaluation, and adherence to the principle of integrity for all participants in the process. In complex cases, decisions are made with consideration of international approaches to resolving ethical issues in academia.

The journal reserves the right to initiate the review of possible violations independently if such are identified during the editorial or peer-review process.

Retraction Policy for Published Articles

The journal Transcarpathian Philological Studies adheres to the principle of responsible treatment of the scholarly record and recognizes the necessity of its correction in cases where published materials contain significant errors or violations of academic integrity.

Grounds for retraction may include plagiarism, duplicate publication, improper use of sources, distortion of research results, inappropriate authorship, undisclosed conflict of interest, as well as the discovery of significant errors affecting the interpretation of texts, linguistic phenomena, or scholarly conclusions.

The retraction procedure includes the following stages:

Initiation of review. The process may be initiated by the editorial board, authors, or third parties upon identification of issues in the publication.

Analysis of circumstances. The editorial board conducts verification, involving experts if necessary and requesting explanations from authors.

Decision-making. Depending on the results of the analysis, a decision may be made to retract the article or apply other forms of correction (e.g., publication of an erratum).

Publication of the decision. In case of retraction, a notice is published on the journal’s website explaining the reasons, in accordance with ethical standards.

Preservation of the scholarly record. The retracted article is not removed from the archive but is clearly marked as retracted to ensure transparency.

The editorial board strives to maintain a balance between the accuracy of scholarly information and the protection of the rights of all participants in the publication process. All decisions are made carefully, considering the context of the research and international publishing ethics practices.

Copyright and Licensing Policy

All materials published in Transcarpathian Philological Studies are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

This license allows copying, distribution, adaptation, and use of materials in any medium or format, provided that proper attribution is given, a link to the source is indicated, and changes (if any) are specified.

Authors retain copyright to their works while granting the journal the right of first publication. This ensures free circulation of research within the academic community while preserving authorship attribution.

The use of an open license promotes wider dissemination of philological research, increased visibility and citation, and integration of Ukrainian humanities scholarship into the global academic space.

Archiving and Open Access Policy

The journal provides open access to all published materials and ensures their long-term preservation as part of contemporary scholarly communication.

All publications are stored in the journal’s digital archive on the official website with guaranteed permanent access. Data are regularly backed up and duplicated using technical preservation systems.

The journal supports self-archiving and encourages authors to deposit their publications in institutional or subject repositories in accordance with the CC BY 4.0 license.

Technical and organizational measures include:
– use of stable digital formats;
– regular backup of archives;
– ensuring long-term accessibility;
– protection against data loss or corruption.

The journal guarantees uninterrupted access to published materials and their preservation within the scholarly record.