The Policy of Ethical Standards in the Publication and Malpractice Statement of ICAIIT

1. General Terms

1.1. This policy sets standards of ethical behavior for the parties involved in the publication process: authors, editorial board, reviewers, and publisher. The following standards are based on generally accepted and existing policies of the Journal and Publisher.

1.2. Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, as the founder and editor of the scientific Conference Proceedings Journal, assumes obligations to control all stages of the publication process of papers and recognizes its ethical and other obligations related to the publication of papers.

2. Ethical Standards for Authors of Publications

2.1. Standard for Access to Source Research Data and Its Storage

The author is obliged to present the source materials (data) of the research at the request of the editorial board, if the paper does not show the original data, and must be prepared to provide public access to them. The author should store this data for a reasonable time after publication to allow reproduction and verification.

2.2. Standard for Originality (Inadmissibility of Plagiarism)

The author presents the paper containing the results of original research to the editorial board for reviewing. If the author used or included excerpts from others' works (citations), such use must be properly executed by specifying the original source in the references. Plagiarism in any form is unethical and unacceptable.

2.3. Standard for Publication

The author presents to the editorial board a manuscript that is unpublished and not submitted to any other journal. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is unethical and unacceptable. The same applies to translation of a paper into a foreign language.

2.4. Standard for Sources Confirmation

The author undertakes to specify the correct scientific and other sources used in the research that have had a significant impact on its results. Information obtained from informal (private) sources should not be used when preparing a scientific paper.

2.5. Standard for Manuscript Authorships

All persons who have made significant contributions to the research should be listed as co-authors. The list of authors should be limited to only those persons. The corresponding author, who presents the manuscript to the editorial board, ensures that all co-authors have seen and approved the final manuscript and agree to its submission for publication.

2.6. Conflict of Interest Policy

Authors must disclose conflicts of interest that may affect the evaluation and interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the paper (grants, state programs, projects, etc.) should be disclosed and listed in the manuscript.

2.7. Standard for Error Correction in Published Literature

If the author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a paper already published, the author must immediately notify the editorial board and help with correcting the error. If the editorial board or third parties identify an error, the author is obliged to immediately correct it or provide evidence of its absence.

3. Ethical Standards for Editorial Board

3.1. Standard for Decision to Publish Papers

The editorial board decides which submitted papers should be published, based on compliance with requirements and the results of peer review. When making a decision, the editorial board is guided by ethical standards and does not permit the publication of papers with signs of libel, slander, plagiarism, copyright violations, or conflict of interest. The final decision is accepted by the editor-in-chief.

3.2. Standard for All Authors' Equality

The editorial board evaluates submitted manuscripts regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, citizenship, occupation, affiliation, residence, or political, philosophical, religious, or other views.

3.3. Privacy Standards

The editorial board will not disclose information about the submitted manuscript to anyone other than the author, the reviewer (with double-blind review), and if necessary — the publisher.

3.4. Conflict of Interest Policy

The editorial board ensures that refused manuscripts will not be used in another study of the editorial staff without the written agreement of the author. Editors will refuse to review manuscripts if there is a conflict of interest due to competitive, cooperative, or other relationships with the authors or organizations involved. Editors shall require disclosure of competing interests from all participants in the publication process.

3.5. Standard for Handling Author Unethical Behavior Claims

The editorial board reviews promptly each claim of unethical behavior regardless of the time of receipt. If arguments of a claim are found to be true, the editorial board reserves the right to refuse publication, cease further cooperation with the author, publish a rebuttal, and take other necessary steps to prevent further unethical conduct.

4. Ethical Standards for Reviewers

4.1. Standard for Reviewer Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists the editorial board in making decisions and helps the author improve the manuscript. Decisions to accept, return for revision, or reject are made by the editorial board based on peer review results.

4.2. Standard for Reviewing Deadlines

The reviewer must provide a review by the date specified by the editorial board. If this is not possible, the reviewer should notify the editor in advance.

4.3. Standard for Privacy by the Reviewer

Manuscripts submitted for review must be treated as confidential documents, regardless of the form of peer review chosen by the journal. The reviewer may show or discuss the manuscript with others only with the agreement of the editor-in-chief.

4.4. Standard for Review Objectivity

The reviewer shall carry out peer review of the manuscript objectively. Personal criticism is not acceptable. All reviewer conclusions should be strictly based and supported with references to authoritative sources.

4.5. Standard for Sources Confirmation

Reviewers should indicate the presence of sources that have influenced the research results but were not cited by the author. The reviewer must also note any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other previously published work.

4.6. Conflict of Interest Policy

The reviewer must not use materials from an unpublished manuscript for their own research without the written agreement of the author. The reviewer must refrain from reviewing any manuscript in connection with which there is a conflict of interest due to competitive, cooperative, or other relationships with the authors or organizations related to the manuscript.

5. Additional Ethical Standards for the Conference Proceedings Journal

5.1. Publication Standards

The decision to issue corrections, retractions, replacements, or removals is made by the editor(s), sometimes with input from reviewers, advisory board members, or editorial board members. Editors will consult the authors of the paper in question for clarification. The final decision on the necessity and type of correction remains with the editors.

5.1.1. Standards for Paper Retraction

The integrity of published materials is paramount. Retractions are considered only when papers contain significant errors, ethical code violations, or fraudulent data. Retractions are clearly marked and linked to the original paper, which remains accessible but is clearly indicated as retracted.

Editors must determine if a retraction is required through investigation and act in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines. The following procedure is adopted for retracting papers:

1. A retraction note titled "Retraction: [Paper Title]" signed by the authors and/or the editor is published in a subsequent issue and listed in the table of contents. In the electronic version, a link to the original paper is added.
2. The online paper is preceded by a screen containing the retraction note, with the link resolving to this screen; readers can then proceed to the paper itself.
3. The original paper is retained unchanged except for a watermark on each page of the PDF indicating that it has been retracted.
4. Any HTML version of the paper is removed.

5.1.2. Standards for Paper Correction

Corrections are issued to address minor errors that do not invalidate the paper's conclusions. These include:

1. Publisher correction (erratum): Issued to notify readers of significant errors made by the journal's publishing staff — usually production errors that negatively impact the publication record, scientific integrity, or the reputation of the authors or the journal.
2. Author correction (corrigendum): Issued when authors identify significant errors in their work that impact the publication record, scientific integrity, or the reputation of the authors or the journal.
3. Addendum: An addition made by the authors to explain inconsistencies, expand on existing work, or otherwise update information in the original paper.

5.1.3. Standards for Paper Withdrawal

Withdrawal of papers is strongly discouraged and considered only for early versions of papers not yet formally published. Withdrawn papers are replaced with a notice explaining the reason for withdrawal.

5.1.4. Standards for Paper Removal

In rare cases, papers may be removed from the online platform if they contain defamatory content, violate legal rights, or pose a serious health threat. Metadata will be retained, and a notice of removal will be provided.

5.1.5. Standards for Paper Replacement

If a paper poses a serious health risk, it may be retracted and replaced with a corrected version. The retraction notice will contain a link to the new paper and the document's history.

5.2. Standards for Handling Complaints

5.2.1. Internal Review of Suspected Misconduct

The journal takes all potential cases of misconduct seriously. If an editor suspects that a submitted paper involves misconduct related to research, publication, or professional behavior, the case will be reviewed confidentially by the editorial team.

5.2.2. Reporting Misconduct by Readers

Readers who suspect misconduct in a published paper are encouraged to report their concerns to the Editorial Office. Complaints should include: journal title, volume number, issue number, paper ID, paper title, and page number.

5.2.3. Investigation and Corrective Actions

The editorial board will conduct a thorough investigation of all complaints. If ethical violations are confirmed, appropriate measures will be taken — which may include issuing a correction, retraction, or public statement. In cases of severe violations, the editorial board reserves the right to notify relevant institutions or funding bodies.

5.2.4. Compliance with Ethical Guidelines

The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling complaints and ethical concerns.

6. Self-Archiving Policy

6.1. Author's Original Version (Preprint)

Authors may share their original, unrefereed versions of the paper at any time. However, once the paper is accepted, it must include an acknowledgment such as:

Once published, the reference should be updated to include the volume, issue, DOI, and a link to the journal's website.

6.2. Published Version

The final published version is the fixed and official record of the paper. Papers are published under a CC BY licence, allowing authors to freely share and distribute links to their work across social media, blogs, and repositories. Authors should always attribute the journal as the original place of publication and include a correct citation. Depositing the DOI or journal link is strongly encouraged instead of uploading a full-text PDF.

7. Privacy Policy

7.1. Privacy Protection

The journal respects authors' privacy and does not share author information with third parties without explicit consent. Personal information is primarily used for notifying users of relevant events.

7.2. Collection of Information

We collect information provided directly by users, such as email addresses and contact details. This data is used to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve journal services
• Process transactions and issue confirmations
• Respond to inquiries and provide author support

7.3. Data Sharing

We do not sell or share user data with vendors or third parties.

7.4. Promotional Communications

Authors and readers may receive periodic emails promoting relevant conferences and journal events. Users may opt out of these communications at any time.