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PUBLICATION ETHICS

The publication of materials in peer-reviewed journals involves several parties in the process of information exchange: authors of the publications, editors and editorial staff, article reviewers, publishers, and readers. Each party is responsible for the quality of the information that they provide, accept, use, process, or cite. All parties must adhere to ethical obligations regarding the publication, dissemination, and use of scholarly works.
In developing the publication ethics of the journal Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve, the editorial board relies on the following recommendations in the area of publication ethics:
– The Code of Ethics for Scientific Publications, prepared by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
–  The Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, jointly developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).
–  The guidelines adopted at the 2nd World Conference on Research Integrity (Singapore, July 22-24, 2010).
–  The Declaration on Ethical Principles for Scientific Publications by the Association of Science Editors and Publishers (ASEP).
–  Chapter 70, “Copyright,” of Section VII, Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

    1. Ethical Principles Regarding Authorship and Contributors to the Preparation of the Publication

Authors of a publication are those who have made a significant contribution to the manuscript’s preparation, execution, analysis, and interpretation of the presented research, data collection, and scientific design. All those who have made substantial contributions should be designated as co-authors. When contributors have made significant contributions in specific areas of a research project, they should be acknowledged as individuals who contributed meaningfully to the study.
1.1. The author and co-authors (if applicable) submitting a manuscript to the journal Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve guarantee that:
1.1.1. The manuscript contains reliable research results conducted using generally accepted, widely used, or appropriate original methods, and it includes an objective, fact-based discussion of the research’s significance. The data presented in the manuscript must be error-free. The work should provide sufficient details and bibliographic references to classic and contemporary sources to allow replication. False or deliberately inaccurate statements are considered unethical and unacceptable.
1.1.2. The submitted materials have not been published elsewhere in more than 55% of their content in other print and/or electronic publications, except as reprints.
1.1.3. The article contains all citations required by applicable copyright laws for cited authors and/or publications.
1.1.4. The work contains no restricted-access information or state secrets, and the article does not include materials that are prohibited from open publication under applicable legal standards.
1.2. An author should not publish a manuscript on the same research in more than one journal as an original publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal simultaneously is considered unethical and is unacceptable.
1.3. Plagiarism, in all its forms—from presenting another’s work as one’s own, to copying or paraphrasing substantial portions of another’s work without attribution, to claiming others’ research results as one’s own—is unethical and unacceptable.
1.4. If the author discovers significant errors or inaccuracies in the publication, the author should promptly notify the executive editor of the journal and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the errors. If the editorial board receives information from a third party indicating that a publication contains significant errors, the author is obliged to retract or correct the errors as soon as possible.
1.5. The author grants to the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Zapovednaya Mordovia” a royalty-free license for the publication and dissemination of the article (translation, publication, disclosure, duplication, reproduction, or other replication of the Work).

    2. Ethical Principles for the Editorial Board

2.1 The editorial board of the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal adheres to principles of scientific rigor, objectivity, accuracy, professionalism, and impartiality in its work.
2.2 The editorial board guarantees consideration of all submitted materials, upholding editorial independence and integrity in making objective decisions without prejudice toward authors based on nationality, religion, or professional status; independently of commercial interests or relations with the journal’s founder; and based on respect for the author’s personal rights and intellectual property.
2.3 Decisions to accept or reject a manuscript are made based on feedback from independent reviewers. The editor-in-chief and editorial board reserve the right to make the final decision regarding publication in cases where reviewers’ opinions are sharply divergent without substantial reasons. The primary considerations for publication decisions are always the reliability of the submitted work and its scientific significance. The final editorial decision and its rationale are communicated to the author(s).
2.4 The editor and the editorial board must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, and potential reviewers prior to publication.
2.5 The editorial board guarantees that published materials conform to accepted international standards and ethical principles.
2.6 The editor-in-chief and the editorial board pursue the journal’s mission to ensure and enhance the quality of published materials, contributing substantially to the advancement of national and global science.
2.7 The editorial board safeguards the reputation of authors. If cases of plagiarism, deception, or other forms of misconduct in the publication of scholarly materials are discovered, the editorial board reserves the right to refuse to publish the manuscript, retract the publication, and impose a ban on further publication in the journal.
2.8 The editor-in-chief and editorial board, taking into account the opinion of the scholarly community, take appropriate action in response to ethical complaints concerning submitted or published materials. Such actions generally include engaging with the authors and substantiating the relevant complaint or demand but may also entail cooperation with the relevant organizations and research institutions.

    3. Ethical Principles for Reviewers

Reviewing plays a crucial role in assisting the editorial board in making publication decisions and, through appropriate interaction with the authors, can also help improve the quality of the manuscript. Peer review is an essential component of scientific communication and is fundamental to the scientific approach.
In the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal, double-blind peer review is practiced. Contact details and identities are not disclosed between reviewers and authors.

3.1 A reviewer of a manuscript is a specialist who holds a doctoral degree in the relevant field of knowledge addressed by the submitted article. The reviewer must possess a high level of expertise that enables them to analyze and understand the subject matter and provide an objective assessment of the article. The reviewer should be well-informed about current scientific research in the area relevant to the manuscript.
3.2 Reviewers are obliged to agree to review only those manuscripts for which they have sufficient expertise and can complete the review in a timely manner.
3.3 If a reviewer feels inadequately qualified to assess a manuscript or does not have enough time to conduct a thorough review, they must inform the editorial board and request to be excluded from the review process for that particular manuscript.
3.4 Reviewers guarantee that they will provide an objective review and an impartial expert evaluation.
3.5 Any manuscript received for review should be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers are obliged not to use any information obtained during the review process for their personal benefit, the benefit of others, or to harm other individuals or discredit them.
3.6 Reviewers should identify works relevant to the topic that are not included in the manuscript’s bibliography. Any previously published assertions in the manuscript must have appropriate bibliographic citations. Reviewers should also alert the editorial board to any significant similarities or overlaps between the manuscript under review and any other published work within the reviewer’s area of expertise.
3.7 Unpublished data obtained from the manuscript under review must not be used in personal research without the author's written consent. Information or ideas gained during the review process that may confer advantages must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain.
3.8 Reviewers must not participate in the assessment of manuscripts in cases where conflicts of interest exist due to competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or organizations associated with the submitted work.

    4. Journal Policy on Handling Complaints and Appeals

Complaints may arise from misunderstandings, inappropriate behavior among the participants in the publication process (such as authors, editors, and reviewers), including violations of confidentiality, undisclosed conflicts of interest, hidden plagiarism, etc., or they may stem from disputes over editorial decisions, such as retractions. Complaints can also be administrative in nature (for example, violations in editorial processes or complaints about editorial staff not responding or providing information in a timely manner).
The editorial board of the Proceeding of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal makes every effort to prevent complaints and conflict situations from arising.
The contact person responsible for ethical inquiries and handling appeals/complaints is the Executive Editor, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Deputy Director for Research at the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Zapovednaya Mordovia”, Elena Vyacheslavovna Yershkova (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
The editorial board is required to respond promptly to all inquiries from institutions and authors.
In the event of complaints or conflict situations directed to the editorial board, an investigation will be conducted to address any misunderstandings, considering the arguments and positions of all parties involved. Based on the principles of objectivity and scientific ethics, possible solutions to the conflicts will be proposed.
If an appeal is submitted against editorial decisions, the document will be forwarded to the Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal. If the editorial and authorial arguments regarding the conflict situation do not satisfy the parties involved, independent experts in the relevant field will be engaged to resolve the issue.  

    5. Disclosure Policy and Conflicts of Interest

Unpublished data obtained from submitted manuscripts must not be used in personal research without the written consent of the author(s). Information or ideas obtained during the review process that are related to potential advantages must remain confidential and not be used for personal gain. Reviewers should not participate in the review of manuscripts in cases where conflicts of interest exist due to competitive, collaborative, or other interactions and relationships with any of the authors, companies, or other organizations associated with the submitted work.

    6. Journal Policy on Data Sharing and Reproducibility

The Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal provides immediate open access to its content based on the principle that free open access to research results promotes the global exchange of knowledge.

Article license type: CC BY-NC 4.0.

Copyright belongs to the authors of the articles. Non-exclusive rights to use the materials of the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal are held by the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Zapovednaya Mordovia” as the founder and publisher. Borrowing materials in whole or in part is only permissible with reference to the journal’s publication details, including the mandatory indication of the copyright holder and the names of the authors of the articles.
When creating new materials based on articles published in the journal, quoting, or translating fragments of articles for citation purposes, it is necessary to refer to the original sources, adhering to citation rules.
The electronic version of the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal is an open-access publication for readers. When using materials, it is mandatory to cite the journal and the authors of the articles. Free reproduction of journal materials for personal use and free use for informational, scientific, educational, or cultural purposes is permitted in accordance with Articles 1273 and 1274 of Chapter 70 of Part IV of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Other forms of use are only possible after concluding appropriate written agreements with the copyright holder.

    7. Journal Policy on Intellectual Property

Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person’s ideas, words, data, or other material created without proper acknowledgment. The Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal does not tolerate plagiarism in its publications. Manuscripts are checked using the online plagiarism detection tool antiplagiat.ru. Materials that raise suspicion of plagiarism are rejected. If plagiarism is discovered after the manuscript has been published, the editorial board will follow the actions described in the section “Article Retraction Policy” of this document. In the event of suspected plagiarism, anyone has the opportunity to contact the editorial office using the information provided in the “Contacts” section.
Any publications with significant duplication of information (self-plagiarism) may be rejected by the editorial board as excessive without proper citation and justification for the necessity of additional publication on the same topic.

    8. Article Retraction Policy

Identified violations of publication ethics by authors may lead the editorial board to take measures to rectify the violations, including the retraction of published articles.

If the editorial board receives information that an article published in the journal contains plagiarism, is a duplicate publication, has a conflict of interest, or contains any unethical information, the appropriateness of retracting the article will be considered.
In relation to the retraction of an article, the editorial board acts in accordance with the rules presented by the Ethics Committee of the Association of Scientific Editors and Publishers.
The retraction process includes the following steps:
1. An author, reader, reviewer, editor, or publisher notifies the editorial office in a written form about the identified violation.
2. The editorial board reviews the submitted request and makes a decision on whether to retract the article or to deny the request. If the decision is made in favor of retraction, a written notification is sent to the author describing the identified violations.
3. Information about the retraction of the article is published in both the print and electronic versions of the journal, stating the reason for the retraction.
4. The article is retracted from all citation databases and electronic resources where the journal is listed.

    9. Advertising Policy
All materials presented in the printed version of the Proceedings of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve journal and on the website www.pmsnr.ru are not considered advertisements.