Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems

Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems (SEI) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and transparency throughout all stages of the editorial and publishing process. The journal recognizes that ethical publishing practices are fundamental to the advancement of scientific knowledge and the credibility of scholarly communication.

In this context, SEI adheres to internationally recognized ethical principles and best practices, particularly those established by the Committee on Publication Ethics. The journal follows COPE Core Practices and applies relevant COPE flowcharts when addressing ethical concerns, ensuring that all cases of misconduct or disputes are handled in a fair, transparent, and consistent manner.

All participants in the publication process—including authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher—are expected to act with honesty, accountability, and professional responsibility.

Editorial Responsibilities and Independence

Editors play a central role in safeguarding the scientific quality and integrity of the journal. All editorial decisions are made independently and are based exclusively on the academic merit of submitted manuscripts, including their originality, methodological rigor, relevance to the journal’s scope, and contribution to the field.

The editorial process is conducted in a fair and unbiased manner. Editors evaluate submissions without discrimination based on gender, nationality, institutional affiliation, religion, or political beliefs. At the same time, strict confidentiality is maintained throughout the review process, and unpublished materials must not be used for personal or professional advantage.

The journal fully upholds editorial independence. The publisher does not influence editorial decisions, peer review outcomes, or acceptance and rejection processes, thereby ensuring the integrity and credibility of the journal.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer reviewers contribute significantly to the quality assurance of published research. SEI employs a double-blind peer review system to ensure impartial evaluation.

Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based assessments. They must treat all manuscripts as confidential documents and must not use any unpublished information for personal benefit. If a reviewer identifies a conflict of interest—whether personal, institutional, or academic—they are required to inform the editorial office and decline the review.

Additionally, reviewers are encouraged to report any suspected ethical concerns, including plagiarism, data inconsistencies, or potential misconduct.

Author Responsibilities and Authorship Criteria

Authors bear primary responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of their research. Submitted manuscripts must be original, must not be under consideration elsewhere, and must appropriately acknowledge all sources.

Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contribution to the work. All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Practices such as ghost authorship, guest authorship, or honorary authorship are strictly prohibited.

Authors are also required to disclose all sources of funding and any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the interpretation of their findings.

Research Ethics

Research involving human participants or animals must comply with internationally accepted ethical standards, including the Declaration of Helsinki.

Authors must confirm that appropriate ethical approval has been obtained, that informed consent has been secured from participants, and that privacy and confidentiality are fully protected. In cases where formal ethical approval is not required (for example, in theoretical or review-based studies), authors must clearly justify this in their manuscript.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

The journal treats all submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Personal data collected during the submission and review process are used exclusively for editorial purposes and are handled in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.

Conflict of Interest (COI)

A conflict of interest arises when professional judgment regarding a manuscript may be influenced by secondary interests, such as financial, personal, or institutional relationships. SEI requires full transparency in the disclosure of such conflicts to ensure the objectivity of the publication process.

Authors must disclose any financial support, affiliations, or relationships that could influence their work. If no conflicts exist, a clear statement declaring the absence of conflict of interest must be included in the manuscript.

Reviewers must decline to evaluate submissions if they have any conflicts that could compromise their impartiality, including collaborations, institutional connections, or competing research interests.

Editors are also required to maintain objectivity and must recuse themselves from handling manuscripts in which they have a conflict of interest. In such cases, the manuscript is reassigned to another qualified editor.

The journal manages all conflicts of interest in accordance with COPE guidelines and may take appropriate actions, including requesting additional disclosures, reassigning reviewers, or rejecting submissions. If undisclosed conflicts are identified after publication, the journal may issue corrections or retractions as necessary.

Misconduct, Plagiarism, and Ethical Violations

SEI maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward academic misconduct. This includes plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, and misrepresentation of authorship.

All submitted manuscripts are screened using recognized plagiarism detection tools such as iThenticate to ensure originality.

Any allegations of misconduct are investigated thoroughly in accordance with COPE guidelines. Depending on the severity of the violation, appropriate actions may include manuscript rejection, retraction, or notification of the authors’ institutions.

Withdrawal, Corrections, and Retractions

Authors may request the withdrawal of a manuscript only under justified circumstances, such as significant errors or ethical concerns. Withdrawal requires formal approval from the editorial office and agreement from all co-authors.

The journal is committed to maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record. When necessary, corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued transparently and in accordance with international publishing standards.

Transparency and Data Availability

The journal encourages transparency and reproducibility in research. Authors are expected to provide a data availability statement indicating whether and how the underlying data can be accessed.

Where possible, data should be shared through appropriate repositories. If data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, or confidentiality constraints, authors must clearly explain these limitations.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Authors must disclose any use of artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of their manuscripts. AI tools may be used for technical or language assistance but must not be listed as authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the content.

Reporting Standards and Guidelines

To ensure clarity, transparency, and reproducibility, authors are expected to follow recognized reporting standards appropriate to their research design.

These include guidelines such as PRISMA, CONSORT, CARE guidelines, ARRIVE guidelines, SAGER guidelines, and SAMPL guidelines.

Authors are strongly encouraged to consult the EQUATOR Network (https://www.equator-network.org), which provides comprehensive resources and checklists for a wide range of study types.

Non-Discrimination and Fair Treatment

The journal is committed to ensuring an inclusive and unbiased editorial process. No discrimination is permitted based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, institutional affiliation, political views, age, or disability.

Copyright and Publisher Responsibilities

Authors retain copyright of their work while granting the journal the right of first publication. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their work does not infringe upon third-party rights.

The publisher supports ethical publishing practices, safeguards editorial independence, and takes appropriate action in cases of misconduct.

*   *   *   

SEI is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the scholarly record and ensuring that all published research meets the highest ethical and professional standards. The journal actively enforces policies consistent with international best practices and takes all necessary measures to address ethical concerns in a transparent and responsible manner.

Any form of academic misconduct is treated with the utmost seriousness. Through continuous policy development and adherence to global ethical frameworks, SEI aims to promote trust, credibility, and excellence in scientific publishing.