General Provisions

The Bulletin of the Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University adheres to the principles of publication ethics and takes measures to prevent plagiarism, data fabrication and falsification, duplicate publication, citation manipulation, authorship manipulation and manipulation of the peer review process.

The Editorial Board considers reports of possible misconduct objectively and confidentially and in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Decisions are made taking account of the nature of the misconduct, the reliability of the available evidence and the effect of the identified problem on the scientific validity of the publication.

Multiple Submission and Duplicate Publication

Authors must submit original manuscripts that have not previously been published and are not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

The following practices are prohibited:

• submitting the same manuscript to several journals simultaneously;
• republishing the same work without appropriate disclosure and justification;
• submitting several articles based on the same research without disclosing the relationship between them;
• substantially reusing previously published text, data, tables, figures or results without appropriate references;
• translating a previously published article without the permission of the copyright holder and without notifying the Editorial Board.

Posting a manuscript in a preprint repository, including materials in a thesis or dissertation, or publishing a short conference abstract is not automatically regarded as unacceptable prior publication. Authors must, however, inform the Editorial Board about such materials and provide the relevant references.

Where simultaneous submission or substantial undisclosed duplication is identified, the manuscript may be rejected. Where the breach is identified after publication, the Editorial Board considers whether a correction or retraction of the article is required.

Plagiarism and Improper Appropriation

All submitted manuscripts may be checked using specialised text-matching systems and expert editorial assessment.

Misconduct includes:

• verbatim copying without quotation marks and a reference to the source;
• using another person’s ideas, data, methods, images or results without appropriate attribution;
• paraphrasing another person’s text without citing the source;
• misappropriating unpublished materials;
• excessive reuse by authors of their own previously published materials without disclosing the source.

Textual similarities are assessed taking account of their nature, extent, location and the accuracy of citation. The percentage of similarity alone is not the sole basis for an editorial decision.

A manuscript containing substantial plagiarism is rejected. Where plagiarism is identified after publication and affects the originality or academic integrity of the article, the publication may be retracted.

Citation Manipulation

Citations must be based on the scientific relevance of a source to the research presented.

The following practices are prohibited:

• including irrelevant references solely to increase an author’s citation indicators;
• systematically citing a particular journal without scientific justification;
• reciprocal citation based on prior agreement;
• requests from editors or reviewers to add references unrelated to the content of the manuscript;
• creating artificial citation networks.

Where indications of citation manipulation are identified, the Editorial Board may require the removal of unjustified references, replace the editor or reviewer, reject the manuscript or take other proportionate measures.

Data Fabrication and Falsification

Authors must present authentic, reliable and verifiable research results.

Fabrication means the creation of non-existent data, observations, participants, experiments or results.

Falsification means the improper alteration, concealment or selective presentation of data, methods, statistical results, images or other research materials.

The following practices are prohibited:

• creating or substituting experimental data;
• excluding results without scientific justification;
• altering statistical indicators in order to support a desired conclusion;
• improperly combining, deleting, moving or enhancing elements of an image;
• reusing the same image to represent different results;
• providing false information concerning the sample, methods or research conditions.

The Editorial Board may request original data, protocols, images, computer code and other materials necessary to verify the results.

Where fabrication or falsification is confirmed, the manuscript is rejected. Where the misconduct is identified after publication and renders the results unreliable, the article is retracted.

Investigation of Suspected Misconduct

Upon receiving a substantiated report of possible misconduct, the Editorial Board conducts an initial assessment of the information provided.

Before a decision is made, authors are given an opportunity to:

• review the substance of the allegations;
• provide a written explanation;
• submit original data and supporting documents;
• correct a factual misunderstanding, where one has occurred.

Depending on the circumstances, the Editorial Board may:

• seek an assessment from independent experts;
• request additional information from the authors;
• suspend the consideration or publication of the manuscript;
• contact the institution at which the research was conducted;
• contact an ethics committee, funding organisation or other competent authority;
• communicate with the editorial boards of other journals where related publications exist.

The Editorial Board does not replace a formal investigation conducted by a research institution. It nevertheless independently determines which measures are necessary to preserve the reliability and integrity of the journal’s publications.

Where misconduct is confirmed, the following measures may be taken:

• rejection of the manuscript;
• publication of a correction;
• publication of an Expression of Concern;
• retraction of the article;
• notification of the author’s institution;
• restriction on the consideration of new manuscripts submitted by the persons involved for a specified period, where such a measure is justified and proportionate.

Corrections

A correction is published where an article contains an error that does not render its principal results and conclusions unreliable but requires a public clarification of the scholarly record.

A correction may relate to:

• a factual or calculation error;
• an inaccuracy in a table, figure or formula;
• omitted or incorrect authorship information;
• an incorrect affiliation;
• incomplete information concerning funding or conflicts of interest;
• errors in the methods, data or text that do not alter the principal conclusions;
• a technical error introduced during the preparation of the publication.

The journal may use the general designation “Correction” or, where appropriate, distinguish between:

Erratum – the correction of a substantial error introduced by the Editorial Board or publisher;

Corrigendum – the correction of a substantial error made by the authors.

Errors that do not affect the understanding, indexing or scientific content of the article, such as isolated minor typographical errors, may be corrected in the electronic version without the publication of a separate notice. The history of substantive changes must remain transparent.

Procedure for Publishing Corrections

A correction may be initiated by an author, editor, reader, reviewer or another interested party.

The Editorial Board:

• assesses the nature and significance of the error;
• requests explanations and documents where necessary;
• agrees the factual content of the correction with the authors;
• determines whether a correction is sufficient or a more serious measure is required.

A correction notice is published as a separate item and:

• has its own title;
• contains a reference to the original article;
• states precisely what has been corrected;
• is linked to the electronic version of the article;
• receives a separate DOI where this is supported by the publishing system;
• is made openly accessible.

The original text of the article is generally retained. Where a correction is made directly to the electronic version, the date and substance of the change must be clearly indicated.

Expression of Concern

The Editorial Board may publish an Expression of Concern where there are serious grounds for questioning the reliability or ethical acceptability of an article but:

• the available evidence is not yet sufficient to justify retraction;
• the institution’s investigation has not yet been completed;
• the findings of the investigation are not final;
• it is impossible to obtain the necessary information;
• there is a risk that the investigation will take a considerable period of time.

An Expression of Concern:

• is published as a separate item;
• is linked to the original article;
• contains a concise and objective explanation of the reasons for its publication;
• receives a separate DOI where this is supported by the journal’s system;
• remains available until sufficient grounds exist for its withdrawal, replacement by a correction or replacement by a retraction notice.

An Expression of Concern must not contain definitive allegations before the investigation has been completed.

Retraction of an Article

Retraction is applied where the results or content of a published article can no longer be regarded as a reliable part of the scholarly literature.

Grounds for retraction may include:

• reliable evidence of data fabrication or falsification;
• substantial errors that render the results or conclusions unreliable;
• plagiarism;
• duplicate or redundant publication without appropriate disclosure;
• unauthorised use of copyright-protected materials;
• research conducted in substantial breach of ethical requirements;
• absence of the required informed consent;
• fraudulent or otherwise improper authorship;
• identity theft or the use of another person’s personal data;
• compromise of the peer review process;
• a substantial undisclosed conflict of interest that affected the interpretation of the results;
• systematic manipulation of the publication process;
• other breaches that render the article unreliable, unethical or unlawful.

Retraction is not used solely to punish authors. Its primary purpose is to correct the scholarly record and alert readers that the results of the article cannot be relied upon in full or in part.

Where the problem concerns only a limited part of the article and can be reliably corrected without altering the principal conclusions, the Editorial Board considers publishing a correction instead of retracting the article.

Retraction Procedure

A request for retraction may be submitted by authors, editors, readers, research institutions or other parties.

The Editorial Board:

• assesses the evidence provided;
• requests explanations from the authors;
• engages independent experts where necessary;
• may contact the institution at which the research was conducted;
• documents the grounds for the decision.

The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief or a Deputy Editor-in-Chief who has no conflict of interest.

The authors’ consent is desirable but is not a prerequisite for retraction where the Editorial Board has sufficient evidence that the publication is unreliable, unethical or unlawful.

Once a decision has been made:

• a separate retraction notice is published;
• the notice is linked to the original article;
• the title states: “Retraction: [title of the article]”;
• the electronic version of the article is prominently marked “Retracted” or “Retraction”;
• the reasons for the retraction are stated clearly and objectively;
• the party that initiated the retraction is identified;
• an honest error is distinguished from confirmed misconduct;
• the notice is made openly accessible;
• the notice receives a DOI where this is supported by the journal’s system.

Authorship of the retraction notice is determined by the circumstances of the case. It may be signed by the authors, the Editorial Board, the publisher or several parties jointly.

Systematic Manipulation and Paper Mills

The Editorial Board takes measures to identify publications associated with paper mills, the sale of authorship, the large-scale fabrication of manuscripts and systematic interference with the peer review process.

Indications of systematic manipulation may include:

• similar formulaic text or images appearing in several articles;
• repeated use of the same data;
• false information concerning authors or institutions;
• invalid reviewer email addresses;
• fabricated peer reviews;
• the sale of positions in author lists;
• unexplained changes in authorship;
• organised reciprocal citation networks;
• interference by third parties in manuscript submission and correspondence with the Editorial Board.

An article may be rejected or retracted as part of a group of related publications where the overall body of evidence confirms systematic manipulation.

Where supported by the findings of the investigation, the retraction notice states that the publication is associated with a group of works affected by similar misconduct.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence systems must not be listed as authors because they cannot accept responsibility for the content of a publication.

Authors must disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence where it was used to create or substantially revise:

• text;
• images;
• computer code;
• data analysis or interpretation;
• other substantive elements of the research.

Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, reliability and lawful nature of all materials created using artificial intelligence.

Undisclosed use of artificial intelligence is assessed taking account of the nature and consequences of the breach. It may result in a request for explanations, a correction, rejection of the manuscript or other editorial measures.

The use of artificial intelligence, or failure to disclose its use, does not in itself constitute an automatic ground for retraction. Retraction may be appropriate where the use of artificial intelligence resulted in:

• fabricated data or sources;
• substantial factual errors;
• plagiarism;
• the improper creation or alteration of images;
• a breach of confidentiality;
• unreliability of the principal results;
• other serious breaches of research integrity.

Automated artificial intelligence detection tools must not be used as the sole evidence of misconduct. Their findings must be assessed by editors and specialists alongside other materials obtained during the investigation.

Falsification of Authorship and Identity

A manuscript may be rejected, and a published article may be corrected or retracted, where any of the following is confirmed:

• listing persons who did not participate in the work;
• excluding the actual authors;
• purchasing or selling authorship;
• coercive authorship;
• ghost authorship;
• using another person’s name, email address, ORCID identifier or affiliation;
• submitting a manuscript without the knowledge of the listed authors;
• falsifying the consent of co-authors.

A post-publication change in authorship is made through a correction where the scientific content of the article remains reliable. Retraction is applied where the authorship breach is associated with fraud, identity theft, fabrication of the research or other circumstances that undermine the reliability of the publication.

Withdrawal of a Manuscript by the Authors Before Publication

Authors have the right to withdraw a manuscript before its publication.

To do so, the corresponding author must submit a written request to the Editorial Board specifying:

• the title and registration code of the manuscript;
• the reasons for withdrawal;
• confirmation that all co-authors consent to the withdrawal.

The Editorial Board may request separate confirmation from each author.

Where the manuscript has already been accepted, undergone editorial preparation or been scheduled for publication, the Editorial Board may request an additional explanation of the reasons for withdrawal.

A withdrawn manuscript is not published or considered further. The Editorial Board may, however, retain an administrative record of the manuscript, correspondence, reviews and editorial decisions in a restricted-access system in order to document the publication process, protect the rights of participants and consider possible ethical concerns.

The withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript by its authors does not constitute a retraction.

Timeliness and Transparency of Procedures

The Editorial Board seeks to publish corrections, Expressions of Concern and retraction notices without unjustified delay once sufficient evidence has been obtained.

Where it is not possible to agree the wording of a notice with all authors, this does not prevent its publication. Authors are given a reasonable opportunity to state their position, but the final decision on protecting the integrity of the scholarly record rests with the Editorial Board.

All notices must be:

• accessible to readers;
• linked to the original article;
• expressed in neutral and evidence-based language;
• free from offensive or defamatory statements;
• sufficiently detailed to explain the reason for the decision.

Accessibility of Retracted Articles

Retracted articles remain available on the journal’s website and in scholarly databases with a clear and prominent retraction label.

The text of the article is not deleted or replaced by the retraction notice because retaining the original publication is necessary to ensure the transparency of the scholarly record.

Complete removal of an article or parts of it is permitted only in exceptional circumstances, particularly where the material:

• violates the law;
• contains personal or confidential information whose publication creates a substantial risk;
• infringes copyright;
• contains information capable of causing serious harm;
• must be removed pursuant to a court order or a requirement imposed by a competent authority.

Where material is removed, the article webpage retains the bibliographic record and an explanation of the reasons for removal, unless this is prohibited by law or by a court order.