Complaints

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

The editorial board of the Scientific Technical Journal «Metal Science and Treatment of Metals» is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. We follow the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and its flowcharts for resolving complaints (https://publicationethics.org/guidance/flowcharts).

1. Who can file a complaint and on what grounds?

Anyone (author, reviewer, reader, or other interested party) may file a complaint regarding:

  • plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification of data;

  • copyright infringement;

  • undeclared conflict of interest;

  • inappropriate peer review;

  • violation of publication ethics by the editorial board, reviewers, or authors.

2. Where and how to file a complaint?

Complaints should be sent to: mom.journal@ukr.net (with the subject line "Complaint").

The complaint should include:

  • article title, DOI (if available);

  • detailed description of the violation;

  • evidence (files, links, screenshots);

  • contact details of the complainant (for feedback).

3. Stages of complaint handling

  1. Acknowledgement of receipt – the editorial board confirms receipt within 5 working days.

  2. Preliminary assessment – the editor-in-chief (or an authorized editorial board member) checks the complaint for validity (up to 10 working days).

  3. Investigation – if the complaint is justified, a committee is formed (editor-in-chief + 2 editorial board members). Duration: up to 30 working days.

  4. Decision – based on the collected evidence and explanations from the parties.

  5. Notification of the complainant – about the decision and further actions.

4. Possible outcomes (sanctions)

  • Dismissal of the complaint (if unfounded).

  • Publication of a correction (erratum / corrigendum).

  • Publication of a retraction or editorial note.

  • Retraction of the article with an explanation of the reasons.

  • Notification of the author's institution (in case of serious violation).

  • Temporary or permanent ban on future publications for the author.

5. Appeal

The complainant or author has the right to appeal the editorial decision within 14 days of receiving it. The appeal is reviewed by the editor-in-chief together with the publisher (if necessary) within 20 working days. The decision on the appeal is final.

6. Confidentiality

All parties undertake not to disclose information about the complaint until the investigation is completed. The editorial board does not reveal the names of complainants without their consent.

7. Contacts

For submitting complaints or appeals: mom.journal@ukr.net
Editor-in-chief: Gnyloskurenko S.V., slava.vgn@gmail.com