Ethics Policy

The editorial board of the scientific-theoretical and information-practical periodical "Moldavian Journal of International Law and International Relations" adheres to the internationally accepted principles of publication ethics, reflected, in particular, in the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (http://publicationethics.org/about/guide), the Publishing Ethics Resource Kit of Elsevier (https://www.elsevier.com/editors/publishing-ethics), the Code of Ethics and Professional Deontology of Researchers and University Staff of the Republic of Moldova dated May 23, 2012 (http://edu.asm.md/tc_userfiles/cod-etica.pdf).

Key Terms:

• Ethics of Scientific Publications — a system of norms of professional behavior in the relationships between authors, reviewers, editors, publishers, and readers in the process of creating, disseminating, and using scientific publications.
• Editor — a representative of a scientific journal or publisher who prepares materials for publication and maintains communication with authors and readers of scientific publications.
• Author — an individual or group of individuals (author collective) involved in the creation of a publication presenting the results of scientific research.
• Reviewer — an expert acting on behalf of a scientific journal or publisher, conducting a scientific examination of author's materials to determine their suitability for publication.
• Publisher — a legal or natural person responsible for publishing a scientific publication.
• Reader — any person who has acquainted themselves with published materials.
• Plagiarism — intentional appropriation of authorship of someone else's scientific or artistic work, ideas, or inventions. Plagiarism may constitute a violation of copyright and patent laws and may entail legal consequences.

1. Principles of Professional Ethics in the Editor and Publisher's Activities

   The members of the editorial board have the following responsibilities:

   • 1.1. Review all manuscript materials provided by the author and make an objective decision on their publication based on the relevance and accuracy of the conducted research, as well as compliance with the Journal's profile.
   • 1.2. Treat the author respectfully regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, origin, citizenship, social status, or political preferences.
   • 1.3. Respect the author's intellectual property rights, avoiding the disclosure or use of research data for personal purposes without the author's consent.
   • 1.4. Exclude materials from publication that contain falsification of results and plagiarism, as well as multiple copying of information and false authorship.
   • 1.5. Ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of the review of manuscript materials.
   • 1.6. Engage only high-profile specialists in the review of articles.

2. Ethical Principles in the Reviewer's Activities

   The reviewer is responsible for adhering to the following basic principles:

   • 2.1. Conduct a confidential scientific review of the author's manuscript materials to improve its quality and help the editorial board make a decision on the possibility of publishing the results of the conducted research.
   • 2.2. The author/co-author of the manuscript cannot act as its reviewer.
   • 2.3. Refuse to review in case of insufficient qualifications or inability to provide a review within the specified time frame.
   • 2.4. Guarantee maximum objectivity of the review based on the relevance, scientific significance, accuracy, and novelty of the author's research results. Any subjectively biased critical remarks are unacceptable.
   • 2.5. Report all cases of possible conflicts of interest.
   • 2.6. Not keep copies of the manuscript and not transfer its materials to others. Also, information presented in the reviewed manuscript cannot be used in one's own research before publication without the author's consent.
   • 2.7. Check the clarity of the presentation of the reviewed material and the presence of references to all used information from previously published works.
   • 2.8. Substantiate review conclusions on the manuscript in a way that is understandable to the author and members of the editorial board in terms of their objectivity and legitimacy.
   • 2.9. Inform the editorial board if the reviewed manuscript has significant similarities with previously published articles, i.e., cases of plagiarism.

3. Principles to be Followed by Authors of Scientific Publications

   The author, who has made an individual contribution to the formation and interpretation of research results, providing a manuscript for publication and distribution in the scientific community, must:

   • 3.1. Rely exclusively on accurate and real data and their objective interpretation, avoiding initially false and fraudulent statements about achieved results.
   • 3.2. Not submit manuscript materials for publication to more than one journal, and not participate in multiple and duplicating publications, which are considered self-plagiarism.
   • 3.3. Disclose all sources of financial or other support for the research, for which the manuscript is prepared, with separate indication of the role and contribution of each party.
   • 3.4. Information from personal conversation or correspondence can be used in research only with the written consent of the person who provided it.
   • 3.5. Text and graphic information borrowed from published results of other individuals' research must be presented with a reference to the corresponding work. In addition, works on a similar topic that influenced the course of the research must be disclosed in the bibliography.
   • 3.6. In case of significant inaccuracies or erroneous conclusions in the manuscript accepted for publication or already published, notify the Journal's editorial board for correction, refutation, or withdrawal of the work.
   • 3.7. When the editorial board decides to publish the manuscript, the author agrees to transfer the right to its publication and distribution (in electronic and paper versions), including placing bibliographic information in the SCOPUS and Web of Science scientific citation databases and the full-text version in the Scientific Electronic Library (elibrary.ru) in open access.