1. Purpose and Scope
This policy establishes the procedure for handling complaints regarding violations of ethical principles by authors, reviewers, or members of the editorial board of the journal «Preventive Medicine: Theory and Practice». It applies to issues related to plagiarism, unauthorized use of materials, conflicts of interest, data manipulation, and other violations of academic integrity.

2. Filing a Complaint
2.1. Complaints must be submitted electronically to the journal’s official email address (epidemics@ukr.net).
2.2. The complaint must clearly state: the complainant’s contact information; a reference to the publication or material in question; and a detailed description of the violation with references to evidence.
2.3. Anonymous complaints will not be considered.


3. Preliminary Review Stage
3.1. The Editor-in-Chief appoints an authorized representative to conduct a preliminary review of the complaint.
3.2. Within 5 business days, the authorized representative verifies: Whether the complaint falls within the journal’s scope; Whether there are sufficient grounds for consideration.
3.3. The complainant receives notification of the complaint’s registration or of its rejection.

4. Review of the complaint
4.1. A commission of three independent experts is formed to review the complaint.
4.2. The commission has the right to: Request additional materials and explanations; Engage independent experts; Consult with all interested parties.
4.3. The review period shall not exceed 30 calendar days.

5. Decisions and Actions
5.1. Following its review, the committee may take the following decisions: Dismiss the complaint as unfounded; Deem the violation minor and recommend corrective action; Deem the violation serious and take appropriate measures.
5.2. Possible measures in the event of serious violations: Refusal to publish the material; Retraction of an already published article; A ban on submitting materials for a specified period; Notification of the violation to the author’s institution.

6. Protection of the Parties’ Rights
6.1. All parties to the dispute have the right to: Receive full information about the review process; Present their explanations and evidence; Appeal the commission’s decision.
6.2. The confidentiality of the process is guaranteed to all participants.

7. Appeals
7.1. Decisions of the committee may be appealed to the editor-in-chief within 14 days.
7.2. The editor-in-chief shall review the appeal within 10 business days.
7.3. The editor-in-chief’s decision is final.


The Editor-in-Chief or the Managing Editor must adhere to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the European Association of Science Editors (EASE), and the journal’s principles of publication ethics.