This section has been prepared based on the guidelines of Elsevier, a publisher of scientific literature, and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1.1. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is not only a means of scholarly communication but also makes a significant contribution to the advancement of the relevant field of knowledge. It is therefore important for the Editorial Board of the Bulletin of the Bolgar Islamic Academy to establish clear standards of ethical conduct for all parties involved in the publication process: authors, editorial board members, reviewers, and the editorial office (publisher).
1.2. The Editorial Board recognizes its responsibility to evaluate research impartially, with particular attention to the ethical aspects of publication as set out in this document.
2. Duties of Editorial Board Members
2.1. Publication Decisions
The Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of the Bolgar Islamic Academy is responsible for all publication decisions. These decisions are based on the validity and scholarly significance of the manuscript under consideration. The Editor-in-Chief is guided by the journal’s editorial policies and is bound by applicable law with regard to copyright, plagiarism, defamation, and related matters. The Editor-in-Chief may consult editorial board members and reviewers when making publication decisions.
2.2. Fair Play
The Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members must evaluate manuscripts solely on their scholarly merit, without regard to the authors’ race, gender, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, or political views.
2.3. Confidentiality
The Editor-in-Chief and editorial board members must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding authors, the assigned reviewer, potential reviewers, and the editorial office (publisher).
2.4. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
2.4.1. Unpublished data obtained from manuscripts submitted for review must not be used in the personal research of reviewers, editorial board members, or the editorial office without the written consent of the author. Information or ideas acquired through the review process must be kept confidential and must not be used for personal gain.
2.4.2. Editorial board members must recuse themselves from considering a manuscript (i.e., seek the Editor-in-Chief’s input or collaborate with other board members in place of personally reviewing or deciding on the work) whenever a conflict of interest exists arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with the authors, companies, or organizations associated with the manuscript.
2.5. Oversight of Published Work
Editorial board members who have compelling evidence that published claims or conclusions are erroneous must notify the Editor-in-Chief and publisher as soon as possible, so that appropriate action may be taken, including retraction, expression of concern, or correction.
2.6. Involvement and Cooperation in Research Matters
Editorial board members, together with the publisher, must take appropriate action in response to ethical concerns raised about submitted or published manuscripts. This includes engaging with the authors, institutions, and research centers involved, and communicating the journal’s position or requirements in a well-reasoned manner.
3. Duties of Reviewers
3.1. Peer review is an essential component of scholarly communication and the foundation of the scientific method. It assists editorial board members in making publication decisions and, through dialogue with the author, can help improve the quality of the work.
3.2. Any reviewer who feels unqualified to assess a manuscript, or who is unable to complete the review in a timely manner, must notify the Editor-in-Chief and request to be excused from the assignment.
3.3. Manuscripts received by the editorial board are to be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shared with or discussed by unauthorized third parties without the explicit permission of the Editor-in-Chief.
3.4. Reviewers are required to provide objective, evidence-based assessments of manuscripts. Personal criticism of the author is not acceptable.
3.5. Reviewers should endeavor to identify relevant published works not cited by the author and to verify that all quotations, conclusions, and arguments drawn from other sources are properly referenced. Reviewers may draw the editorial board’s attention to any suspected plagiarism or improper use of sources.
3.6. Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
3.6.1. Reviewers must not use unpublished data from manuscripts under review in their own research without the written consent of the author. Information or ideas obtained through the review process that could confer an advantage must be kept confidential and must not be used for personal gain.
3.6.2. Reviewers must decline to review a manuscript if a conflict of interest exists arising from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or organizations associated with the submitted work.
4. Duties of Authors
4.1. Authors must present only the results of their own original work and an honest discussion of its significance. The manuscript must contain sufficient detail and bibliographic references to allow the work to be verified. False or knowingly inaccurate statements — including distorted interpretations or deliberately altered quotations — are unacceptable and constitute unethical conduct.
4.2. Authors must provide the editorial board and/or reviewers with the raw data underlying the manuscript upon request, and must retain such data for at least one year following publication.
4.3. Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality of their work and the absence of plagiarism. They must verify that the submitted manuscript is fully original and that all citations and bibliographic references are properly formatted. Manuscripts must have an originality score of more than 80% as verified through https://antiplagiat.ru. Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited, including presenting another person’s work as one’s own, copying or paraphrasing parts of others’ work without proper attribution, and claiming credit for others’ research results. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical conduct and will not be tolerated.
4.4. Duplicate, Redundant, and Concurrent Publication
4.4.1. Authors must not submit manuscripts reporting essentially the same research to more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously is considered unethical.
4.4.2. Authors must not submit previously published articles for consideration.
4.4.3. The publication of certain article types (e.g., translations) in more than one journal may, in some cases, be ethically acceptable, provided that the editorial board is informed of the secondary publication and that the full bibliographic reference to the primary work is included in the secondary publication.
4.5. Information obtained privately — such as through personal conversations, correspondence, or discussions with third parties — must not be used or reported in a manuscript without the explicit oral or written permission of the source. Information obtained from confidential sources, such as manuscript evaluations or grant reviews, must not be used without the written permission of the authors of the work connected with those sources.
4.6. Authorship should be limited to those who have made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported research. All individuals who have made significant contributions must be listed as co-authors. All co-authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission for publication. Those who have contributed in a more limited capacity should be acknowledged accordingly.
4.7. Where research involves human subjects, authors must confirm in the manuscript that all stages of the study comply with applicable legislation and the regulations of the relevant research institutions. The manuscript must clearly state that informed consent was obtained from all participants. Authors must respect and protect participants’ right to privacy.
4.8. Authors must disclose in their manuscripts any financial or other conflicts of interest that could be perceived as having influenced the results or conclusions of the work. Examples of potential conflicts of interest that must be disclosed include employment, consultancy, stock ownership, honoraria, expert testimony, patent applications or registrations, grants, and other financial support.
4.9. If an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in a published work, they must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief and contact the editorial office to arrange for a correction or retraction. If the Editor-in-Chief or editorial office is informed by a third party that a publication contains a material error, the author is obliged to issue a correction or arrange for retraction at the earliest opportunity.
5. Duties of the Editorial Office
5.1. The editorial office upholds the principles and practices that promote ethical conduct among editorial board members, reviewers, and authors.
5.2. The editorial office supports the editorial board in addressing ethical concerns related to published articles and facilitates communication on such matters with other journals and/or publishers. 5.3. The editorial office promotes ethical research practices and the adoption of industry standards, with the aim of improving its guidelines, retraction procedures, and correction processes.