Publication ethics of the journal "Constructive geography and rational use of natural resources" corresponds to the best international practices and standards of academic publishing. Ethical rules for authors, reviewers and editors based on the principles developed by the. Committee on Publication Ethics - COPE.
The journal “Constructive Geography and Rational Use of Natural ResourcesConstructive geography and rational use of natural resources” complies with the principles of academic integrity in research in accordance with international standards (Committee on Publishing Ethics (COPE), Elsevier Publishing Ethics Guidelines, and others). The editorial policy is aimed at ensuring the accuracy, objectivity, transparency, and replicability of published research results. The journal complies with the Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), DOAJ, etc.

Transparency in publications is fundamental to building trust between authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and the wider scientific community.
Accuracy, objectivity, transparency, and replicability of published research results are ensured by:

1. Publication and sharing of open data
We encourage the publication and sharing of open data in accordance with the Panton Principles and the FAIR Data Principles. Data can be published in a variety of ways, such as by storing in data repositories associated with the article, or as data files or packages that supplement the article. Datasets must be hosted in an appropriate trusted repository and the associated identifier (URL or DOI) of the dataset(s) must be added to the data resources section of the article. Citations to datasets should also be added to the article's citation list with DOI (if available). If there is no dedicated data repository, authors should store their datasets in a shared repository such as Zenodo or similar.
2. General issues of submission, review and editorial processes
All editorial processes, including submission, review, editing, etc., are carried out directly through communication via postal services. Submission of articles and operational communication with authors and reviewers takes place via the scientific journal's email address: konstructgeo@gmail.com. All participants in the editorial process receive notifications from the editorial office by email. A detailed description of the procedures for submission, review, editing, and correction of errors, with all necessary instructions, is provided in the relevant sections of this website.
3. Responsibility of the authors
• authors must guarantee the originality of their research and the text of articles. The author is a researcher who has made a significant intellectual contribution to the theoretical development, system or experimental design and / or analysis and interpretation of data related to the work contained in the article; contributed to the development of the article and analyzed its content; approved the final version of the article ready for publication, including references. If you are collaborating with other authors to publish an article, you need to determine which author will be the author responsible for the correspondence. The responsible author is the only point of contact between the authors and the publication in which the article is submitted. If changes need to be made to the list of authors between the submission of the manuscript and its publication, the responsible author should contact the editors and state the reason for the change.
• authors are not allowed to submit to the journal articles that have already been published (or sent to another journal at the same time). in exceptional cases, authors may contact the editors and explain the reason for republishing. it is strictly forbidden to submit the same article to several journals at the same time.
• authors are required to provide information about all individuals and organizations that, in one form or another, contributed to the study, as well as to properly cite other publications used in the study. all persons who have made a significant contribution to the study, including the formulation of the idea and purpose of the study, methodological approaches, research performance and interpretation of results, should be identified as co-authors. if the contribution of others to the study is insignificant, the relevant information should be indicated after the main text of the article in the section "acknowledgments" (not a mandatory element of the article, but necessary if necessary). it is necessary to indicate all sources of research funding. all authors must clearly state financial or other forms of potential conflicts of interest that may affect the results of the study or their interpretation.
• authors should avoid any form of plagiarism, comply with current copyright laws. any copyrighted material (especially graphics, as well as large citations) may be reproduced in articles only with the written permission of the copyright holder.
• authors should ensure that the methodology and results of their research are properly presented (to enable reproduction of results by other scientists) and objectively interpreted.
• authors should clearly state the reservations about the quality of the empirical data and methods used. any falsifications during research procedures and interpretation of results are unacceptable. if, during the study, materials, methods or equipment associated with special risks are used, the authors should indicate these risks in the article.
• the editors may ask the authors to provide the source data used in the study. authors should make such data publicly available at the request of editors. authors must keep the data used in the study for at least 10 years.
• authors are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to reproduce illustrations, tables, drawings taken from other authors and / or sources. the permission must be placed at the bottom under each element.
• the author, who is responsible for correspondence with the editors, is responsible for the proper formation of the list of co-authors, as well as for acquainting all co-authors with the final version of the article and their approval of the article for publication.
• if the author (s) in his article, which has already been published, finds a serious error that affects the reliability of the results and conclusions, it is necessary to notify the journal as soon as possible and offer the most appropriate option to correct the situation, such as publication on clarification, revocation or refutation of the article.
4. Responsibility of reviewers
• reviewers help the editors of the journal to decide on the possibility of publishing an article, but also help the authors to improve the content of the article and the quality of the research that formed the basis of it.
• in order to ensure a quick and impartial review, reviewers should provide the editors as soon as possible with confirmation of their competence in this topic and the opportunity to complete the task in a timely manner.
• reviewers are required to maintain the confidentiality of the materials received. it is forbidden to distribute the materials received for review and to discuss them with any person, except for representatives of the journal. when reviewing, you need to maintain maximum objectivity, clearly and clearly substantiate your argument.
• reviewers are required to notify the editors of any publications that have not been properly cited by the authors. in addition, the reviewer must notify the editor of any coincidence of the text of the accepted article with the text of any other publications.
• the reviewer has no right to use the information obtained during the review of the article for personal purposes, including any personal gain.
• reviewers should refrain from reviewing in the event of a conflict of interest, such as collaboration or competition with any author or institution / organization in which at least one of the authors has worked or is working.
5. Responsibility of editors
• the editors of the journal are responsible for the decision to publish articles.
• the decision of the editors is final and should be based on their own judgment about the scientific significance of the article, as well as the feedback of reviewers.
• the editors of the journal make every effort to avoid copyright infringement, plagiarism or other illegal actions of the authors.
• when making a decision, the editorial board is guided solely by the quality of the articles. discrimination of authors on the grounds of citizenship, ethnicity, sex, religion, political views, sexual orientation of authors, etc. is strictly prohibited.
• editors may not use rejected articles for their own purposes.
• editors must strictly adhere to the rules of anonymity, in particular, guarantee the anonymity of reviewers. in addition, editors are not permitted to disseminate any information about submitted articles to anyone other than the authors, reviewers, research advisors, and publisher.
6. Privacy and confidentiality statement
Personal information of the authors, reviewers, editors and other persons registered on the journal's website (names and e-mail addresses) is used by the editors only for checking, reviewing and/or publishing articles and does not pass them on to any other party.
The editors acknowledge that all materials sent to the magazine are the private and confidential property of the authors. To avoid harm to authors or reviewers due to premature disclosure of any information from the author's original article, it is prohibited to share any details of submitted articles or review reports with third parties.
All editors and reviewers participating in the editorial process must not disclose information about the content of the author's original article (in whole or any part), the status in the review process, the comments and suggestions of the reviewers, as well as the intermediate or final results of the review to anyone, except for authors and reviewers. Any requests from third parties regarding the use or transfer of author's originals submitted for publication in the Journal will be rejected by the editors.
The editors ensure the confidentiality of the reviewers in the double-blind review process.
All employees involved in the editorial process must refrain from commenting on and publicly communicating any details of the editorial process, the review process during preparation for publication and after publication of the article.
The editors do not keep copies of rejected manuscripts. Reviewers' comments can not be published or made public in any way without the permission of the reviewer, author and editor-in-chief.
7. Policy on funding
Authors should clearly state the sources of funding used to produce their manuscript, particularly for research and/or publication. Information about financial research support from organizations is provided by the corresponding author on behalf of all authors in a separate section of the article submission. Other sources of publication support should be clearly stated in the manuscript, usually in the form of acknowledgments (e.g. funding for translation fees, language editing of the article, etc.).
8. Neutrality to geopolitical disputes
The magazine is neutral to any political controversy. The editors are not entitled to express personal preferences or bias towards the manuscript or the author(s) based on their country of origin, residence and/or affiliation.
All publication decisions should not be influenced by the origin of the manuscript, including the nationality, ethnicity, political beliefs, race, or religion of the authors. Editorial and publication decisions should not be determined by the policies of the government or other institutions outside the journal's editorial board.
Authors should depoliticize their research by avoiding provocative remarks, controversial geopolitical claims, and disputed map markings. If this cannot be avoided, the journal reserves the right to at least flag them as controversial during or after publication, publish the editor's comments, or reject/retract articles.
At the same time, the editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts without review if:
• the author(s) are affiliated with an organization or institution located on the territory of the aggressor state, state sponsor of terrorism;
• the research is financed by an organization or institution located on the territory of an aggressor state, a state sponsor of terrorism;
• the manuscripts contain calls for violation of state order or the rule of law, the violation of human rights, terrorism, aimed at spreading ideological positions and/or politicized ideas;
• the research is based on the conclusions/results obtained by the authors affiliated with the organization or institution located on the territory of the aggressor state, the state sponsor of terrorism (as evidenced by the relevant sources used in the study), without proper justification of their uniqueness and originality and significance in world science, of specific importance for the research proposed for publication;
• the study pays unreasonably significant attention to the conclusions/results of studies that contain and/or reflect the subjective assessments and/or opinions of the author(s) regarding Ukrainian statehood and/or independence, distort historical events and/or the Ukrainian language or national identity.
9. Policy on gender issues
The editors of the journal encourage the use of gender-neutral language, such as "they" instead of "she / he" and "their" instead of "his / her," or advise authors to consider rearranging sentences to achieve gender neutrality.
When deciding on the publication of the manuscript, the selection of reviewers, and in general during the editorial and publishing process, the editors adhere to a gender-neutral position, in no case gives preference to representatives of a certain gender or age, and is not guided by other discriminatory signs.

Retraction Procedure
The journal adheres to the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding the retraction of articles. The retraction of articles is an important mechanism to maintain the scientific integrity and credibility of published materials. According to the COPE Recall Guidelines followed by our journal, an article may be retracted for the following reasons:
1. A retraction can be filed if:
• There is clear evidence that the published results are unreliable due to misconduct (falsification, forgery, plagiarism) or a bona fide error (miscalculation, misinterpretation of data, or technical errors).
• The article is a redundant or duplicate publication.
• The study was conducted in violation of ethical standards (e.g. lack of informed consent, lack of permissions, undisclosed conflicts of interest).
• The author(s) did not provide the necessary corrections or clarifications after the concerns were raised.
2. Notice of retraction must:
• Be clearly marked as "Retracted" and include a link to the original article, which remains accessible with a watermark or "Retracted" mark.
• Indicate the specific reason(s) for the retraction and who is retracting the article (author(s), editor(s), or publisher).
• By the ability to distinguish between misconduct and bona fide error.
• Be freely available to all readers and included in all published versions (online and printed).
3. Responsibility for publishing a retraction: A retraction can be initiated by the editorial board, the publisher or, in certain cases, by the authors themselves. Editors ensure that all decisions comply with COPE procedures and are based on verifiable evidence.
4. Retraction should be published as soon as possible after sufficient evidence has been collected to prevent further citations or the use of invalid results.
5. If the available evidence is inconclusive or the investigation is still ongoing, the journal may issue a "Declaration of Concern" to inform readers of the potential problem before a final decision is made. The Journal of «Constructive Geography and the Rational Use of Natural Resources» may publish a " Declaration of Concern" when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the integrity, reliability, or ethical appropriateness of a published article may be questioned, but a final conclusion has not yet been reached.

Declaration of Concern
The journal editors may consider issuing an Declaration of Concern on the journal's website if there is evidence of:
- Author misconduct during the research or publication process;
- Unreliable findings, while the institution or organization affiliated with the authors does not plan to investigate the matter or lacks an appropriate established procedure;
- An ongoing investigation of academic integrity violations, with reasonable grounds to believe that a resolution will not be reached within a reasonable time frame.

Disclaimer
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the Faculty of Geography, and the Department of Geography of Ukraine do not guarantee that the operation of the journal's editorial office will be uninterrupted and/or error-free. They also make no warranties regarding the results that may be obtained from the use of the content of the journal's publications, or the accuracy or reliability of any information published in the University's journal.
Legal, medical, or any other information discovered, identified, or obtained through the journal's content is provided for informational and scientific purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Under no circumstances shall the University or any individual or legal entity involved in the creation, production, or distribution of the journal or its content be liable — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise — for any damages, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential, or similar damages, including but not limited to loss of profits or revenue, loss of use, or similar economic losses arising from the use of or inability to use the journal's content.
Any reader or author acknowledges that the provisions of this section shall apply to any use of the journal’s content.
The applicable law is that of Ukraine, regardless of the residence or registration of the individual or entity.
In no event shall the total liability of the University for all damages, losses, or causes of action — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or under any other legal theory (including all types of liability) — exceed the amount paid by the author for the publication in the journal.

Complaints Policy
The journal "Constructive geography and rational use of natural resources" is committed to ensuring fairness, transparency, and due process in handling all complaints related to its editorial and publication practices. The Journal welcomes well-founded concerns and addresses them promptly, confidentially, and in accordance with ethical standards established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Complaints may relate to:
• editorial decisions or peer review procedures;
• delays in publication;
• accuracy of published materials (requests for correction or retraction);
• breaches of publication ethics or research integrity;
• other issues concerning the editorial or publishing process.

All complaints must be submitted in writing to the editorial office via e-mail: konstructgeo@gmail.com Please include in the subject line the word “Complaint” and specify the manuscript ID or publication details.
Upon receipt of a complaint, a senior member of the editorial team will review the issue and determine the necessary course of action. The complainant will be informed when the review has been completed.
The journal "Constructive geography and rational use of natural resources" ensures that all complaints are considered impartially and aims to respond within a reasonable timeframe. However, the journal may not disclose all internal details of the review process.
Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision may do so by submitting a written request to the Editor-in-Chief, clearly explaining the grounds for the appeal and providing relevant supporting information. Appeals will be reviewed by senior editorial staff, and the final decision will rest with the Editor-in-Chief.
The journal "Constructive geography and rational use of natural resources" will consider each complaint only once and reserves the right to decline repeated submissions concerning the same or closely related issues. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the journal’s response, they may refer the matter to COPE for further consideration.

Conflict of Interest Declaration
The journal "Constructive geography and rational use of natural resources" follows the international standards of research transparency and publication ethics. All authors submitting a manuscript to the Journal are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest, including financial, institutional, personal, or professional relationships that could influence the research and its interpretation.
Authors must provide a clear Conflict of Interest Declaration as a separate section in their manuscript. If no conflicts exist, the authors should explicitly state: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
If conflicts are present, authors must specify their nature, for example: “Author______ A received research funding from ________. Author _________B serves as a consultant for __________ These relationships had no influence on the study results.”
Editors and reviewers are also obligated to disclose any conflicts that might affect their objectivity in evaluating a manuscript. In such cases, the Editorial Office will reassign the manuscript to ensure impartial review.
All disclosed information will remain confidential and will be used solely for editorial decision-making.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently creates unethical publishing conduct and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgement of Sources
Authors will submit only entirely original works, and proper acknowledgment of other works must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of a manuscript
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be named in an Acknowledgement section.
The corresponding author should ensure that all contributing co-authors (according to the above definition) and no uninvolved co-authors are included in the author list of the manuscript, and that all co-authors have approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards
If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

Policy for conducting research involving humans, animals or their biological materials, personal or confidential data
The journal recognizes the priority of ethical norms and standards in scientific research conducted with the participation of humans, animals, their biological materials, as well as in works that cover personal or other confidential data. All materials submitted to the editorial board must comply with the requirements of the current legislation of Ukraine, in particular the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Human Rights in the Field of Biomedical Research", the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Personal Data", as well as international ethical guidelines (Helsinki Declaration, ARRIVE, CIOMS, etc.).
Authors are required to provide confirmation of a positive opinion from the authorized ethics committee in cases where research:
• involves the participation of a person as an experimental subject (including observational, interrogative and experimental methods);
• includes work with human biomaterials (blood, tissues, DNA, biobanks, etc.);
• uses animals or their biological objects;
• contains the processing of personal, sensitive or confidential data;
• falls under special norms of Ukrainian law or international regulations on bioethics and biosafety. The conclusion must clearly indicate:
• full name of the institution that issued the permit;
• date and number of the protocol;
• forms of informed consent (for research with the participation of people). Informed consent of the participants. Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained voluntarily, without pressure, and in a form understandable to participants.
It is prohibited to publish personal data or visual materials that allow you to identify a person without his written consent.

Sensitive and personal data
• The processing of personal data must comply with the requirements of the Law of Ukraine "On Personal Data Protection" and the GDPR, if applicable.
• Data must be depersonalized or anonymized.
• Authors should describe the mechanisms for protecting information and procedures for accessing it.
The right of the journal to request additional materials. The editorial board reserves the right to request copies of ethical opinions, informed consent forms, research protocols or other documents to confirm compliance with ethical standards. The journal may refuse to publish the material if ethical requirements are violated or information about compliance with the standards is incomplete. Violation of ethical standards In case of detection of a violation of ethical norms after publication, the journal can take appropriate editorial actions - from making corrections to retracting the article. The decision is made in accordance with the recommendations of COPE.

Open Science Policy
The journal “Constructive Geography and Rational Use of Natural Resources” supports the Open Science Principles, which include the following practices:
• Early and open dissemination of research
• Management of research results
• Ensuring reproducibility of results
• Open access to research results
The editorial board encourages authors to comply with ethical principles in the collection and use of data and to use appropriate citations. The journal implements the Open Science Principles, by adhering to fair review practices, conducting transparent editorial processes, and promoting the openness and reproducibility of research results.