University Economic Bulletin

We adhere to the principles of COPE and oppose any form of misconduct, particularly plagiarism and data manipulation. We place special emphasis on the originality of works and ethical publishing standards.

Multiple submission and citation manipulation

Authors are required to submit only original manuscripts that are not under consideration by other journals. Multiple submission of the same article or variations of one research project to multiple journals is a breach of ethics and may involve full or partial copying or substantial reworking of the research. Such violations will result in rejection and possible sanctions for the authors.

Similarly, citation manipulation refers to the use of citations solely to increase the number of references to a particular author’s work or an article published in a specific journal. In these cases, the manuscript will be rejected, and sanctions may be imposed on the authors.

Data fabrication and manipulation

Any data fabrication, including image manipulation or tampering with results, will automatically lead to the rejection of the manuscript. Such violations may also result in sanctions for the authors.

Investigation of misconduct

If ethical violations or fraud are suspected, the journal will initiate an investigation in line with COPE guidelines. If, after the investigation, violations are confirmed, the authors will be contacted via email to resolve the issue. Depending on the results of the investigation, the journal may:

• Reject the article if it has not yet been published.
• If the article has already been published, take appropriate actions based on the nature of the violation, such as corrections or retraction.

Corrections: Erratum and Corrigendum

If errors are identified, the journal may publish corrections:

• Erratum: If the error was made by the editorial team during the preparation of the article (e.g., failure to implement corrections requested by authors).
• Corrigendum: If the error was made by the authors.

Correction procedure

Requests for corrections may be submitted by authors, editors, or readers. The editorial team will assess these requests and consult the authors if necessary. Once approved, the correction will be published as a separate document linked to the original article, marked as "Correction".

Article retraction

An article may be retracted in cases of serious misconduct, such as:

• If the research results are found to be unreliable due to data fabrication or manipulation.
• If the article was published without proper references or licenses.
• In cases of plagiarism.
• If authorship fraud is detected.
• If the peer review process or ethical standards have been violated.

A retraction decision will be made by the editorial team after an investigation. In the case of retraction:

• The article will be marked with a "Retraction" watermark.
• The title of the article will be changed to "Retraction: [Article Title]".
• A separate retraction notice will be published with a DOI.

Other provisions

Mass manipulation and "paper mills"

If the article is found to be part of a series of publications compromised by "paper mills" or other fraudulent practices, the editorial team may decide to retract it along with other publications in the same series.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Any concealed or undeclared use of artificial intelligence to generate text or images in a manuscript is considered a serious violation and may lead to retraction. Authors are required to explicitly disclose the use of such technologies in their articles.

Authorship fraud and identity theft

Manuscripts may be retracted if false authorship is confirmed, or if personal information (such as name, ORCID, etc.) has been used without consent.

Expression of concern

In cases where there are serious doubts about the reliability of the article or academic integrity violations, but insufficient evidence for immediate retraction, the editorial team may publish an expression of concern. This statement will have its own DOI and will remain available until the editorial investigation is completed.

Timeliness of procedures

All decisions regarding the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions will be made by the editorial team and implemented promptly to maintain the scientific integrity of publications.

Availability of retraction notices

Retracted articles will remain available in the journal’s archives with a clear "Retraction" label. Full removal of articles is only possible in exceptional cases, such as when required by laws regarding personal data protection or copyright infringement.